COURSES & RETREATS

Online or in-person, from one hour to five weeks, you can find inspiration, support and transform your writing with Arvon. Discover our range of creative writing courses and events for writers of any genre and any level of experience.

WHAT IS AN ARVON COURSE?

In-person or online

Whatever the setting, online or at our historic writers’ houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire, Arvon is home to your imagination.

Nurturing
and advice

Be supported by expert tutors to help you explore and develop your writing. Hone your craft with an inspirational mix workshops, tutorials, readings and Q&As.

Time and
space to write

Step away from your normal routine and immerse yourself in the creative process without distractions. The perfect way to let your writing off the leash.

Community
of writers

Encouragement, support and fellowship from a group of writers. You’ll make meaningful friendships and inspire one another, while learning from today’s leading authors.

DISCOVER OUR RANGE

ARVON AT HOME

Our online programme of activities will help you find inspiration and keep writing, no matter the setting.

We're pleased to share our Writing Weeks, Short Courses, Evening Courses, Masterclasses, How I Write and Arvon 1-1s, all accessible from the comfort of your sofa, delivered via Zoom.

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME

Live as a writer in one of our houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire.

Residential Writing Weeks and Tutored Retreats give you time and space to write, nurtured by two expert tutors. Experience the transformative power of Arvon, surrounded by beautiful scenery and a supportive group of peers.

ARVON LIVE

City-based day-long events with leading authors to inspire your writing and spur on new work.

The day usually consists of Masterclasses, time to write, a reading and Q&A with a guest speaker.

CLOCKHOUSE RETREATS

Give your writing the time at space it deserves at The Clockhouse in Shropshire.

Your own private apartment at our dedicated Writers Retreat, with bedroom, study, en-suite bathroom, and all food provided, for six-day and four-day writing retreats.

FIND A COURSE BY TYPE

Residential Writing Week

Online Writing Week

Masterclass

How I Write

Residential Tutored Retreat

Online Five Week Course

Online Writing Day

Children and Young People's Events

Arvon Live

Residential Writing Week

Residential Writing Weeks take place at our houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire for 5 days and span a range of genres. You'll work closely with two tutors, each week consisting of workshops, one-to-one tutorials and evening readings. You’ll have time and space to write, and plenty of support. Long after you leave, your creativity will grow.

Sep 25-30

The Hurst

Starting to Write, Other

Residential Writing Week: Songwriting

Freeing your voice

Fiona Sampson
Findlay Napier
Guest: Katie Melua
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Sep 25-30

Totleigh Barton

Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Fiction

Transforming the everyday

Sophie Mackintosh
Thomas McMullan
Guest: Kamila Shamsie
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Sep 25-30

Lumb Bank

Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Fiction Work-in-Progress

Cross the finish line (and make your novel shine)

Sharon Duggal
Beth Miller
Guest: Russ Litten
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Oct 2-7

The Hurst

Non-Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Narrative Non-Fiction Work-in-Progress

Giving structure and story to your words

Nell Frizzell
Tobias Jones
Guest: Preti Taneja
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Oct 2-7

Totleigh Barton

Fiction, Poetry, Starting to Write

Residential Writing Week: Starting to Write

Finding your voice

Mendez
Joelle Taylor
Guest: Courttia Newland

Oct 9-14

The Hurst

Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Starting to Write, Other

Residential Writing Week: Return to Writing

Nurture the writer waiting inside

Vanessa Gebbie
Robert Hamberger
Guest: Claire Adam

Oct 23-28

Lumb Bank

Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Children & YA, Screenwriting, Theatre, Other

Lumb Bank Writers’ Retreat

The gift of writing

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Oct 23-28

Totleigh Barton

Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Theatre, Children & YA, Screenwriting, Other

Totleigh Barton Writers’ Retreat

The gift of writing

Oct 30-Nov 4

Lumb Bank

Fiction, Poetry, Starting to Write

Residential Writing Week: Starting to Write

First steps into writing

Mahsuda Snaith
Mark Pajak
Guest: Katie Hale

Oct 30-Nov 4

Totleigh Barton

Poetry

Residential Writing Week: Poetry Work-in-Progress

Towards the big poem

Michael Schmidt
Sasha Dugdale
Guest: Stav Poleg

Oct 30-Nov 4

The Hurst

Non-Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Memoir

From Personal Experience to the Page

John-Paul Flintoff
Guy Stagg
Guest: Kamin Mohammadi
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Nov 6-11

Lumb Bank

Poetry

Residential Writing Week: Poetry

Rapturous poetry

Caroline Bird
Malika Booker
Guest: Zaffar Kunial
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Nov 6-11

Totleigh Barton

Non-Fiction

Residential Writing Week: Non-Fiction

The material of creative non-fiction

Polly Barton
Rebecca May Johnson
Guest: Matt Rowland Hill

Nov 6-11

The Hurst

Fiction, Short Story, Other

Residential Writing Week: Editing Fiction

New perspectives

Emma Glass
Rose Tomaszewska
Guest: Juliet Pickering

Nov 13-18

Totleigh Barton

Screenwriting

Residential Writing Week: Writing for the Screen

The journey towards a career in screenwriting

Philip Shelley
Regina Moriarty
Guest: Pier Wilkie
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Nov 13-18

Lumb Bank

Fiction

Tutored Retreat: Fiction

Strengthening your novel

Ayisha Malik
Cesca Major
Guest: TBC
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Online Writing Week

Our acclaimed week-long writing courses are now available online. Capturing the transformative power of an Arvon week, you’ll experience a week of workshops, one-to-ones, social gatherings and readings delivered by two Arvon tutors via Zoom. You’ll connect with a small group of fellow writers and unleash your imagination, all from the comfort of your own home. 

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Masterclass

Join an Arvon tutor for a two-hour masterclass, delivered live via Zoom webinar. Similar to workshops on a traditional Arvon course, the tutor will share their invaluable writing advice and explore forms and techniques. You’ll also have time to write over the two hours, with helpful prompts set by the tutor.  

Sep 26

Online

Non-Fiction

Masterclass: Contemporary Non-Fiction

Other peoples' histories

Bella Bathurst

Oct 5

Online

Poetry

Black Poets Masterclass: US Poets, Part 2

Exploring the canon of Black US poets with Karen McCarthy Woolf

Karen McCarthy Woolf

Oct 6

Online

Poetry

Masterclass: Poetic Tone

Watch your tone!

Nick Laird

Oct 13

Online

Other

Masterclass: Access as Creative Starting Point

A creative approach to access

Mandy Redvers-Rowe

Oct 20

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: Compelling Crime Fiction

Making crime pay

Amit Dhand

Oct 24

Online

Non-Fiction

Masterclass: Writing the Sea

Drawn to the water's edge

Wyl Menmuir

Nov 3

Online

Non-Fiction, Other

Masterclass: Writing From Professional Experience

Creating Compelling Non-Fiction from Your Work Life

Rachel Clarke

Nov 7

Online

Poetry

Masterclass: Serious Play in Poetry

Reaching deep into your toybox psyche

Rachel Long

Nov 9

Online

Poetry

Black Poets Masterclass: Caribbean Poets, Part 1

Exploring the canon of Black Caribbean poets with Jason Allen-Paisant

Jason Allen-Paisant

Nov 17

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: Imagining Worlds, Building Stories

Developing a process

Sadie Jones

Nov 21

Online

Other

Masterclass: Writing for Immersive Media

Transforming storylines into narrative landscapes

Adrienne Mackey

Dec 1

Online

Screenwriting

Masterclass: Screenwriting

Develop a compelling thriller for the screen

Jed Mercurio

Dec 5

Online

Non-Fiction

Masterclass: Bringing the Landscape to Life

New ways to think about place

John Grindrod

Dec 7

Online

Poetry

Black Poets Masterclass: Caribbean Poets, Part 2

Exploring the canon of Black Caribbean poets with Jason Allen-Paisant

Jason Allen-Paisant

Dec 15

Online

Fiction

Masterclass: Dialogue in Fiction

Writing engaging and believable conversations

Charlotte Mendelson

Jan 12

Online

Non-Fiction

Masterclass: Writing Through Emergency

Bruised, burning, beautiful

Kerri ní Dochartaigh
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How I Write

Now more than ever we need stories – to engage, to entertain, to nourish, and to help us make sense of what we’re living through. So join us from the comfort of your sofa and listen to writers share their work, the stories behind their work, and invaluable writing advice directly from their own desk (or maybe the kitchen table). And the best part? At the end you get to ask them questions about their words, pick their brains on craft, and learn more about the business of writing. Delivered live via Zoom webinar and recorded so you can watch back later. 

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Residential Tutored Retreat

Our residential tutored retreats are designed to allow you the time and space to focus on your writing from our houses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire. Tutored retreats allow you plenty of writing time in the mornings without workshops. You'll benefit from one-to-one tutorials with your tutors in the afternoons and a guest on Wednesday.

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Online Five Week Course

Perfect if you want to commit time to your writing but can only manage a couple of hours a week. Our evening course unpacks our popular 5 day online writing week over 5 weeks of evening classes. You’ll have a weekly workshop, one-to-one tutorials, socials and How I Write sessions. You will develop a network of fellow writers and give your writing a transformational boost.

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Online Writing Day

Need a boost while you tackle your latest writing project? These one-day courses are aimed at writers who already have a work in progress, or a current working practice and would like a concentrated bolt of creative inspiration.  Delivered live via Zoom webinar and recorded for you to watch back later.

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Children and Young People's Events

Arvon at Home Workshops for Children and Young People offer online opportunities for creativity and self-expression, outside the curriculum, for young people aged 8 upwards, whether from their own home or in a school classroom, under the guidance of expert tutors in poetry and prose.

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Arvon Live

Day-long events in towns and cities with leading authors to inspire your writing and spur on new work. The day usually consists of masterclasses, time to write, a reading and Q&A with a guest speaker.

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FIND A COURSE BY GENRE

Fiction

Poetry

Non-Fiction

Starting to Write

Children & YA

Screenwriting

Theatre

Other

A closeup person writing in a notebook

Fiction

Our famous residential fiction writing courses, held in remote countryside locations. Tutored by leading authors including Mark Haddon, Sunjeev Sahota and Kamila Shamsie. Long after you leave, your creativity will grow.

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Old poetry book on a wooden table

Poetry

Our poetry courses begin with a warm welcome, give inspirational support, and end with transformation. Since 1968, our poetry courses have supported and inspired writers of all kinds.

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View of the valley from Lumb Bank, Arvon's writing centre

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction and lifewriting courses for writers of all levels.

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One-to-one tutorial at Lumb Bank, a writer and tutor discussing some work

Starting to Write

Build your writing confidence in a supportive environment, led by experts. We offer Starting to Write courses in specific genres and more general Starting to Write courses that include both fiction and poetry writing. Starting to Write courses include workshops and one-to-one tutorials.

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Children & YA

Our range of courses and retreats aimed at writing for younger audiences – from picture books and children’s fiction, to YA fiction – will leave you feeling inspired, having made progress on your writing.

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A notebook with writing

Screenwriting

Many writers who have been on Arvon’s TV and Film courses go on to have their work produced. There are in-depth workshops each morning, personal feedback on your script in one-to-one tutorials, chances to share your work and ask industry experts questions in the evening, lots of writing time and opportunities for creative inspiration.

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a person reading a script document on a table with mugs

Theatre

Our theatre and playwriting courses are the perfect environment to release imaginative potential. On these courses you will benefit from the support of accomplished playwrights, plenty of time to write, workshops and tutorials.

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Table with book during a Creative Writing Course at Arvon

Other

We like to keep things interesting at Arvon, and these courses don’t fit into a box. From writing for wellbeing and preparing for publication, to hybrid writing and nature writing, these courses are as unique as your imagination.

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GRANTS & CONCESSIONS

Grants are available for writers who are unable to afford our full course fees and would otherwise be unable to attend an Arvon week. We offer two grants: a low income grant and a teachers grant. We also offer concession pricing on Arvon courses and events, with a generous eligibility criteria.

"My week at Arvon was transformative. The advice, the ideas, the people and the experience have taken my writing to new levels, in ways that I couldn’t have anticipated before attending the week."

— Liz Sage

"An Arvon course is transformative and energising for tutor and student alike; it draws a temporary magic circle within which nobody has to duck their head and apologise for calling themselves a writer."

— Patrick Gale

"Two weeks ago I’d never have scribbled away on a train like this. I might daydream out of the window, passing the time, losing all those thoughts to the air. But now they’ve become a source of stories. Stories everywhere that only I can capture, only I can tell."

— Course participant

It was a week that changed my life. I was very nervous, wondering if I was kidding myself, but the tutors' exercises shook me up. They got me thinking about different ways to write. One of the big things for me was narrative voice, particularly exploring first person, and Kester's voice cam from that....I went on that course thinking I want to be a writer and I left feeling I am a writer"

— Piers Torday

"Utterly exhilarating - a supportive group and constant challenges galvanized my creativity. Performing and writing under pressure in this beautiful space has been fabulous."

— Course participant

"It might be a cliché (what a sin a writer!) but the Arvon course I went on really did change my life; it gave me the space to conceive a long poem I've never been able to match for scope or style since"

— Andrew McMillan

IN THE PRESS