Arvon course programme 2016

Arvon’s residential creative writing courses are renowned for their ability to release your imagination and transform your writing. Come to one of our beautiful rural houses in Shropshire, Devon and Yorkshire for a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials with highly respected authors. Choose from a wide range of genres. You’ll have time and space to write, and the support of your fellow writers. Grants are available to help with course fees.

“For writers, Arvon can be a truly inspirational and unforgettable experience, a time of companionship, enjoyment of literature and intense learning. It is unique among writing programmes.”

—Sarah Hall, author of Wolf Border “A perfect place to write. I loved the format of the workshops, tutorials and readings being woven together by food, friendships forming and the time to work on your own pieces too. The way the day is broken up made me feel as though I had received ten days of focused education in five.” —Lorraine, course participant www.arvon.org

2016 Arvon is a registered charity (Charity No. 306694) and a company limited by guarantee (registered in London No.1086582).

RELEASE YOUR IMAGINATION

Creative writing courses 2016

Welcome 2 What is Arvon? 4 The Arvon week 6 Choosing a course 8 Arvon is open to all 10 Arvon centres/ facilities 12 2016 course programme - Starting to Write 28 - Fiction 36 - Poetry 63 - Non-Fiction 82 - Writing for Children/YA 95 - Theatre/TV/Film/Radio 102 - Other 113 - Retreats 121 Course fees and grants 128 Terms and conditions 136 Course index 140

ARVON FRIENDS

“I became a friend as I wanted to support the great work Arvon do, having got so much out of my course last year, and also to have the chance to book onto courses earlier.”

—Mark, Arvon Friend 2

Priority Booking – book onto Arvon courses one month before public release Writing Resources – browse exclusive writing tips and exercises from Arvon tutors Monthly Motivation to Write – receive new writing tips by email to keep you writing Support Young Writers – your Friends payment helps bring young people to Arvon

Find out more by contacting Meg Rumbelow Hemsley meg.rumbelow@arvon.org 020 7324 2558 www.arvon.org/arvonfriends

FROM £45 PER YEAR

“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 thin air. But now they’ve become a source of stories. Stories everywhere that only I can capture, only I can tell.” —Colette Watson, course participant “These are life-enhancing weeks. I’ve witnessed the most astonishing evolution in students’ writing and confidence over the period of just a handful of days.”

—Simon Armitage

“Arvon offers new and developing writers a beautiful escape to learn their craft.”

—Guardian “As a complete beginner I have been amazed at the amount of stories I’ve found and what pleasure it has brought me. My fellow writers have been an inspiration.”

—course participant “To create a place where imagination and language are so valued and put at the heart of life is Arvon’s great achievement.”

—Penelope Shuttle

WELCOME Ruth Borthwick, Chief Executive

2016 is going to be a special year for Arvon as we launch two new major initiatives to support the creative process of writers.

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First of all, we will be opening the Clockhouse Retreat at The Hurst.

We’ve been listening to writers who tell us that they would value time away from home on retreat at Arvon, in purpose-built space, with more choice of length of stay, and with the possibility of catering. In our careful renovation of the Clockhouse, our aim is to provide a haven for authors to pursue projects away from the hurly-burly. There will be space for up to four people to come and stay in comfortable study bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and a shared kitchen, dining room, lounge and courtyard garden. We’ll be piloting Clockhouse Retreats over the year ahead – if you are interested in participating in the pilot please sign up at www.arvon.org/mailing-list And we are excited to launch a new section of our website for Arvon Friends, full of insightful writing advice and exercises from Arvon tutors – designed to help writers keep the words flowing long after they have finished their Arvon week. We’ll continue to add content and develop this site throughout 2016, so I’d heartily recommend becoming an Arvon Friend, if you are not already.

Meanwhile, I’m pleased to invite you to look through our 2016 programme which is leaping off the page to greet you.

This year, as well as our fabulous kaleidoscope of regular courses which includes Starting to Write, Fiction, Poetry and Playwriting, we have revived some courses by popular demand, such as Graphic Novel, Writing for Puppetry and Literary Translation. We have new courses aimed at developing the craft of the writer to edit your work, and ones that reflect lively trends in writing: Psychological Thriller, Speculative Fiction, Popular Science, Family History. Hot on the heels of our successful Retreat with Yoga, we offer a Poetry Retreat with Walking – many writers’ favourite inspiration.

Don’t be put off if you feel you can’t afford it. We have a grants fund to which you can apply. We will also help you think through which course is best for you, if you aren’t sure where to start.

We’d love to see you at Arvon this year.

Good luck with your writing!

Ruth Borthwick Chief Executive, Arvon

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WHAT IS ARVON?

At Arvon we offer you more than a writing course – we offer the ideal conditions to unlock your imagination and develop your craft.

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We run an annual programme of residential courses for schools, groups and individuals at our three rural writing houses – in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire – all tutored by leading authors. In this booklet, you’ll find details of our 2016 public programme of courses, covering a wide range of genres, for writers at all levels of experience, from beginners to emerging and published writers.

Generations of writers have acknowledged the impact that coming on an Arvon course has had on their writing life.

Thanks to the support of Arts Council England and generous donors, we are able to offer grants to help with the course fee.

We also run Arvon City, our three-day non-residential creative writing courses in city centres. Have a look at www.arvon.org/city for more details.

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THE ARVON WEEK Our courses run from Monday afternoon to Saturday morning.

You’ll be with a group of up to 15 other writers, and working with two tutors. Most Arvon weeks follow this structure (although Retreats are a little different):

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MONDAY We welcome you on Monday afternoon.

We’ll give you a home-cooked dinner and a general introduction to the course

TUESDAY - Workshop - One-to-one tutorials - Time to write - In the evening tutors read from their own work

WEDNESDAY - Workshop - One-to-one tutorials - Time to write - In the evening a guest speaker joins the group

Each morning the tutors lead workshops to help you explore writing ideas, forms and techniques. Afternoons are your time for writing and one-to-one tutorials. You’ll have two tutorials (at least 20 minutes long), one with each tutor during the week, to consider your writing in depth.

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THURSDAY - Workshop - One-to-one tutorials - Time to write

FRIDAY - Workshop - Time to write - One-to-one tutorials - In the evening all writers gather to share and celebrate their work

SATURDAY The week comes to a close on Saturday morning, after breakfast

CHOOSING A COURSE

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It’s important to read the course descriptions carefully. If it sounds like you’re the intended audience, then it’s probably the course for you. Apart from Retreats, Starting to Write and Work-in-Progress courses, all weeks are suitable for writers at any level of experience.

If you are not sure about which course is right for you, give us a call on 020 7324 2554.

STARTING TO WRITE If you’ve done little creative writing before, or none at all, then a Starting to Write course might suit you best. We offer Starting to Write courses in specific genres, and a general Starting to Write course that includes fiction and poetry writing.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS Work-in-Progress weeks are designed for people who already have significant writing experience and would like project-specific feedback and writing time.

RETREATS We recommend Retreats for the more experienced writer.

All Retreats offer single rooms only. Otherwise, domestic arrangements are the same as for all courses. We have four types of Retreat: Tutored Retreat Two tutors are available for two one-on-one tutorials each, with a guest tutor on Wednesday. There are no workshops in the morning.

Retreat No tutors, no morning workshops and no evening readings. You’re free to structure your time as you see fit.

Retreat with Yoga This is structured in the same way as a Retreat, but you have optional Hatha yoga and meditation sessions in the morning and evening with a trained instructor.

Poetry Retreat with Walking Structured in the same way as a Retreat, but you have optional guided walks with an author, or solo walking time.

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ARVON IS OPEN TO ALL

Did you know Arvon is a charity?

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Arvon provides up to 200 grants a year through our Grants Scheme, enabling adults who would not otherwise be able to afford the course fee, and stateschool English teachers, to attend a course on our public programme.

A third of our residential weeks are for schools, young people, and adult community groups, including many people who may never otherwise have the opportunity to be mentored by published authors and poets. Each year around 50 schools and groups come to Arvon; recent groups include Start 360, working with vulnerable young people with complex and diverse needs

across communities in Belfast, and Mouthy Poets, who provide support for young emerging writers in Nottingham.

As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on the ongoing and generous support of our donors and course participants to ensure that Arvon remains open to all.

“The trip has raised aspirations so high that the students actually feel they are able to become writers in their own right in the future! ...Most of the students now want to take an English course at A-level – which I’m thrilled about.” —teacher

ARVON IMPACTS ON LIVES

Our centres promote the ideal environment for imagination and creativity to thrive.

The residential weeks also promote: • enjoyment and engagement with writing • writing skills • self-confidence • motivation to learn • independence and social skills For many, these five days can be life-changing.

Teachers who accompany groups of young people tell us that the week enhances their understanding of creative writing, and helps them to develop more effective teaching strategies.

We’re always eager to welcome new schools and groups to our centres.

We take great care to shape each week around the particular needs and interests of the group, whether you want to bring talented writers, or individuals who need more support.

Thanks to our fundraising efforts, in certain instances, Arvon can assist with funding, or support you in finding your own funding.

To find out more, contact Joe Bibby, Learning and Participation Coordinator 020 7324 2562 joe.bibby@arvon.org

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CENTRE FACILITIES

ACCOMMODATION

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An Arvon centre is your home for the week.

The accommodation is deliberately simple, comfortable and clean.

The centre staff will be your hosts, ensuring a relaxed, friendly and informal atmosphere.

Each centre has a living room, a well-stocked library and many other quiet spaces, as well as an inspirational landscape to explore beyond the house. See pages 14-25 for details of bedrooms/ bathrooms at each centre.

You do not need a computer on our courses, but you are welcome to bring your own laptop. We have a few computers and a printer at each centre, which you can use for writing or printing out your own work (a donation for printing is requested).

Mobile phone reception is poor at some of the centres, but there is a payphone in each house. We do not provide an internet connection or wifi – so there is nothing to distract you from your writing!

FOOD Throughout the week, all your food and drink is provided, except for alcohol, which can be purchased from a local wine merchant on arrival and delivered early in the week.

We’re firmly committed to buying seasonal and locally produced goods. You’ll help yourself to breakfast, and a tasty lunch is provided for you every day by centre staff. Each evening, a different team of writers takes a turn cooking dinner. The recipes and ingredients are provided and there’s lots of help at hand.

Cooking teams also take turns to do the washing-up.

Cooking is a fun and important part of the Arvon experience. Many of our previous participants talk fondly about the opportunities that cooking collectively can provide for sharing ideas and

creating bonds with people from all walks of life.

If you have dietary needs, for ethical, religious or medical reasons, we’re happy to cater for you – when you book, it’s important that you let us know.

ACCESSIBILITY Arvon welcomes writers with disabilities. If you have any specific access requirements, please discuss with us prior to booking and we will do our utmost to accommodate your needs. All communal spaces, including workshop spaces, are accessible to people with mobility issues. Each centre can accommodate a personal assistant or carer if required, and if there are spaces available. Accessibility to bedrooms and bathrooms varies depending on the centre – see pages 14-25.

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THE HURST The John Osborne Arvon Centre, Shropshire

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It’s bright, airy, inviting and warm, with views of the spectacular surroundings.

The makeover has kept the atmosphere of creativity, inspiration and relaxation whilst bringing back the glory of its past and retaining its great history.

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THE HURST The John Osborne Arvon Centre, Shropshire

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The Hurst is the ideal place to find your voice. Formerly the home of playwright John Osborne, the newly renovated 19th-century manor house is set in the Shropshire Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Explore the 26 acres of inspiring woodland, unwind by the spring-fed lake, or simply sit and enjoy the view while you write.

Centre Director: Natasha Carlish Assistant Centre Director: Gabriela Blandy Centre Administrator: Dan Pavitt Centre Assistants: Anna Taylor Rachel Hawes

The centre is fully accessible, with a lift to all floors and 16 single, en-suite bedrooms.

There are rail connections to London, Wales, the North and South-West England from Craven Arms station, eight miles away – please contact centre staff about taxi services when you book your course.

Telephone 01588 640 658 Email thehurst@arvon.org Twitter @hurstonthescene

The Hurst, Clunton, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 0JA

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LUMB BANK The Ted Hughes Arvon Centre, West Yorkshire

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My heart and writing soul is still at Lumb Bank and still absorbing the week‌ it exceeded all my expectations.

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LUMB BANK The Ted Hughes Arvon Centre, West Yorkshire

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Lumb Bank is an 18th-century mill-owner’s house set in 20 acres of steep woodland.

The house once belonged to Ted Hughes and has a breathtaking view to the valley below – a Pennine landscape of woods and rivers, weavers’ cottages, packhorse trails and ruins of old mills. It is half a mile from the historic village of Heptonstall and two miles from Hebden Bridge.

There are 14 single rooms and one shared room. One bedroom has a specially adapted bathroom for people with mobility issues and can also accommodate a personal carer. Hebden Bridge train station is on the Leeds to Manchester Victoria railway line and 10–15 minutes by taxi from Lumb Bank.

Centre Director: Rosie Scott Assistant Centre Director: Jill Penny Centre Administrator: Becky Liddell Centre Assistant: Jack Bell Bookkeeper: Jean Warburton Lumb Bank, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 6DF Telephone 01422 843 714 Email lumbbank@arvon.org Twitter @Lumb_Bank

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TOTLEIGH BARTON Devon

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Everything at Totleigh Barton was magical – the food, location, accommodation, company and poetry.

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TOTLEIGH BARTON Devon

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Totleigh Barton, the first ever Arvon centre, is a 16th-century thatched manor house in one of the most peaceful and idyllic parts of Devon, two miles from the village of Sheepwash. There is a beautiful and productive garden and orchard, with access to walks along the River Torridge nearby.

The renovated barn offers a comfortable space for evening readings. Totleigh Barton has 12 single and two shared rooms. The main work/living space is fully accessible and there is a wheelchair-accessible bedroom with en-suite bathroom. The nearest railway station is Exeter St David’s, which is around an hour’s drive from Totleigh. We can arrange for course participants to share a taxi to and from the station if you contact us in advance.

Centre Director: Mary Morris Assistant Centre Director: Eliza Squire Centre Administrator: Sue Walker Centre Assistant: Erica Fisher Totleigh Barton, Sheepwash, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5NS Telephone: 01409 231338 Email: totleighbarton@arvon.org Twitter: @TotleighBarton

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COURSES 27

STARTING TO WRITE 28

1. STARTING TO WRITE April 18 – 23, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Mark Haddon & Kathryn Heyman 2. STARTING TO WRITE May 16 – 21, The Hurst Tutors: Lucy Burnett & Adam Marek 3. STARTING TO WRITE July 18 – 23, Lumb Bank Tutors: Jenn Ashworth & Adam O’Riordan 4. STARTING TO WRITE August 15 – 20, Lumb Bank Tutors: Clare Pollard & Nikesh Shukla 5. STARTING TO WRITE September 5 – 10, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Sam Riviere & Emma Jane Unsworth 6. STARTING TO WRITE October 17 – 22, The Hurst Tutors: Nii Ayikwei Parkes & Rebecca Goss

For Starting to Write courses about specific genres, see: 26. STARTING TO WRITE A NOVEL 28. STARTING TO WRITE FICTION 42. STARTING TO WRITE POETRY 55. STARTING TO WRITE NON-FICTION 67. STARTING TO WRITE A PLAY

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April 18 – April 23, Totleigh Barton

1. STARTING TO WRITE Novels, short stories, memoir Fact. Fiction. Memory. Research. Invention. We’ll explore all the avenues for your story. With carefully planned exercises, talk, laughter and lots of writing time, we’ll examine how we can structure and sustain those stories. Come with an idea.

Leave with the opening pages of your story, and the inspiration to keep going.

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Mark Haddon is a novelist, dramatist, poet and illustrator, best known for his novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

His collection of short stories, The Pier Falls, comes out in May 2016.

Kathryn Heyman’s novels have won or been nominated for various awards in Australia and the UK. Her plays for BBC Radio include adaptations of her own work. She is the programme director for Faber Academy Australia and the director of the Australian Writers Mentoring Program. Her sixth novel, The Dazzling Deep, is published in 2016.

Guest: Jane Rusbridge is the author of The Devil’s Music and Rook, a Guardian Readers’ Book of the Year. She is a recipient of the Philip Lebrun Prize for Creative Writing, and associate lecturer in English at the University of Chichester.

The Hurst, May 16 – May 21

2. STARTING TO WRITE Finding your feet and learning to leap Writing should feel like play. A knowledge of underlying structures can allow you to take an exploratory approach to writing that is unpredictable and fun. We’ll combine practical craft techniques for writing great fiction and poetry with a range of exercises to jump-start the creative process and increase your confidence. Whether you’re just starting out or stuck in a rut, you’ll leave with lots of writing, ideas and techniques to take you to the next step in your writing journey.

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Lucy Burnett has published one poetry collection, Leaf Graffiti, and a hybrid experimental novel, Through the Weather Glass, with a second poetry collection forthcoming. She currently teaches Creative Writing at Leeds Beckett University. www.lucyburnett.net Adam Marek is the award-winning author of two short story collections: Instruction Manual For Swallowing and The Stone Thrower. He won the 2011 Arts Foundation Short Story Fellowship, and was shortlisted for the inaugural Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award and the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. www.adammarek.co.uk Guest: Zoe Gilbert’s short stories are inspired by folklore and folktales. She won the Costa Short Story Prize 2014 and is working on her first collection.

July 18 – July 23, Lumb Bank

3. STARTING TO WRITE Generating and progressing your ideas This enjoyable and challenging week is suitable both for those new to writing poetry and prose and for more experienced writers seeking to develop their technique and try new forms.

There will be a series of stimulating exercises designed to generate fresh ideas, revitalise works in progress and move your writing on to a new level. This course will leave participants confident, inspired and equipped to experiment with their writing.

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Jenn Ashworth’s first novel, A Kind of Intimacy, won a Betty Trask Award. On the publication of her second, Cold Light, she was featured on the BBC’s The Culture Show, as one of the UK’s twelve best new writers. Her third novel is The Friday Gospels.

She lives in Lancashire and teaches Creative Writing at Lancaster University.

Adam O’Riordan’s first collection In the Flesh won a Somerset Maugham Award in 2011. He is lecturer in Poetry Writing at the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Guest: Andrew McMillan’s debut poetry collection is physical. He lectures in Creative Writing at Liverpool John Moores University.

Lumb Bank, August 15 – August 20

4. STARTING TO WRITE Fearless first drafts Do you know the feeling – you’re full of ideas, but when you sit down to write that first chapter, verse or scene, life gets in the way? Poetry, prose or script, this course is designed to help kick-start your first drafts. We’ll be destroying the doubts and diving in, with lots of tips on how to focus on your writing, find time and stay motivated.

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Clare Pollard has published five collections of poetry, the most recent of which is a new version of Ovid’s Heroines. Her play The Weather premiered at the Royal Court Theatre. www.clarepollard.com Nikesh Shukla is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Meatspace, the Costa shortlisted novel Coconut Unlimited and the award-winning novella The Time Machine. He wrote the short film Two Dosas and the Channel 4 sitcom Kabadasses.

Guest: Poet Kayo Chingonyi is a Fellow of the Complete Works and the author of two pamphlets, Some Bright Elegance and The Colour of James Brown’s Scream.

September 5 – September 10, Totleigh Barton

5. STARTING TO WRITE Finding your way No two writers have the same relationship with writing, so yours is yours alone – and yours to discover. We will look at different approaches to fiction and poetry to help you build an individual relationship with writing. With a range of exercises to get you started, you can find a way in that suits you, that feels exciting, rewarding and achievable. We will look at things such as craft and technique in existing works of literature, building your skills and confidence, and giving you fresh eyes on your own work.

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Sam Riviere is the author of 81 Austerities, which won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, Standard Twin Fantasy, a pamphlet of poems, and Kim Kardashian’s Marriage. He received an Eric Gregory Award in 2009.

Emma Jane Unsworth’s first novel Hungry, the Stars and Everything won a Betty Trask Award.

Her second novel Animals won a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize 2015. She is currently adapting Animals into a screenplay and writing a third novel. www.emmajaneunsworth.com Guest: Lucy Caldwell is the multi-award winning author of three novels, several stage plays and radio dramas. Her debut collection of stories, Multitudes, is published in May 2016. www.lucycaldwell.com

The Hurst, October 17 – October 22

6. STARTING TO WRITE Building narrative If fiction is foliage and poems are floral, then narrative is the bud. We will explore narrative in poetry and fiction, gathering ideas and turning them into unique pieces of creative work.

Through it all, we will hold true to the traditions of horticulture – an apprenticeship of care, pruning and grafting. In the craft of writing, the parallel is the importance of drafting and editing your work.

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Nii Ayikwei Parkes is the author of the hybrid novel, Tail of the Blue Bird. It was shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Prize and went on to win the Prix Baudelaire, Prix Mahogany and Prix Laure Bataillon. Nii is also the author of a book of poetry, The Makings of You. Rebecca Goss is the author of two collections: The Anatomy of Structures and Her Birth. The latter was shortlisted for the 2013 Forward Prize for Best Collection. In 2014 she was selected for The Poetry Book Society’s Next Generation Poets.

Guest: Peter Salmon is an Australian writer living in the UK. His first novel, The Coffee Story, was a New Statesman Book of the Year.

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7. FICTION WORK-IN-PROGRESS April 11 – 16, The Hurst Tutors: Bernardine Evaristo & Paul Murray 8. FICTION WORK-IN-PROGRESS April 25 – 30, Lumb Bank Tutors: Kerry Young & Christopher Wakling 9. HISTORICAL FICTION May 2 – 7, The Hurst Tutors: Sanjida O’Connell & Tom Bullough 10. EDITING A NOVEL May 9 – 14, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Patricia Duncker & Jenny Parrott 11. FICTION May 16 – 21, Lumb Bank Tutors: Clare Allan & Tash Aw 12. SHORT STORY May 23 – 28, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Clare Wigfall & Tod Wodicka 13. CRIME FICTION June 6 – 11, The Hurst Tutors: Tobias Jones & Dreda Say Mitchell

14. WRITING A NOVEL June 13 – 18, Lumb Bank Tutors: Samantha Harvey & Ross Raisin 15. ROMANTIC FICTION July 11 – 16, Lumb Bank Tutors: Mike Gayle & Chrissie Manby 16. FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT July 18 – 23, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Romesh Gunesekera & Lawrence Scott 17. WRITING A NOVEL August 3 – 8, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Fred D’Aguiar & Monique Roffey 18. FLASH FICTION August 22 – 27, The Hurst Tutors: Tania Hershman & David Swann 19. EDITING FICTION August 29 – September 3, Lumb Bank Tutors: Max Porter & Francesca Main 20. FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT September 12 – 17, The Hurst Tutors: Nadifa Mohamed & David Szalay

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21. FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS September 19 – 24, Lumb Bank Tutors: Jenni Fagan & Niall Griffith 22. STARTING TO WRITE A NOVEL September 26 – October 1, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Rachel Seiffert & Courttia Newland

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23. SHORT STORY: TOWARDS A COLLECTION October 3 – 8, The Hurst Tutors: Michèle Roberts & Jim Hinks 24. FICTION: PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER October 17 – 23, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Melanie McGrath & Alex Marwood 25. FICTION WITH A GOTHIC TWIST October 31 – November 5, Lumb Bank Tutors: Diane Setterfield & Jim Friel

26. STARTING TO WRITE A NOVEL November 7 – 12, The Hurst Tutors: Tiffany Murray & Jonathan Lee 27. EXPERIMENTAL FICTION November 7 – 12, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Toby Litt & Adam Foulds 28. STARTING TO WRITE FICTION November 14 – 19, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Stephen May & Emylia Hall 29. HISTORICAL FICTION November 21 – 26, Lumb Bank Tutors: James Runcie & Ian Sansom 30. SPECULATIVE FICTION November 28 – December 3, The Hurst Tutors: Joanna Kavenna & Liz Jensen See also: 50. LIFE WRITING 51. NATURE WRITING 58 – 62 CHILDREN’S/ YA FICTION

The Hurst, April 11 – April 16

7. FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Helping you solve the challenges in your fiction This course is aimed at anyone who needs guidance in how to progress their work of short or long fiction. We will look at any issues that may arise from your work, such as how story structure can build suspense, how to create credible characters who also drive a story forward and the use of dialogue and setting to explore people and place. We will make sure that the course is a constructive and a creative space where everyone is welcome.

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Bernardine Evaristo is the author of eight books of fiction and verse fiction, most recently Mr Loverman.

She is also a literary critic and essayist. She has written drama for BBC radio and theatre. Her many awards and honours include an MBE in 2009. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London. www.bevaristo.com Paul Murray has written three novels, The Mark and The Void, An Evening of Long Goodbyes, and Skippy Dies. His stories have appeared in Granta, the Paris Review, the New York Times and elsewhere.

Guest: Paul Burston’s books include the novels Shameless and The Gay Divorcee. He is the host of Polari Literary Salon and founder of The Polari First Book Prize.

April 25 – April 30, Lumb Bank

8. FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Making it up, nailing it down You’ve started so you’ll finish. This course will combine workshops on all aspects of writing fiction – beginning well, finding an authentic voice, drawing rich characters, creating a compelling plot, sharpening dialogue, sustaining tone, working out a satisfying ending, and editing – with focused feedback on your work-in-progress. Come prepared to look afresh at what you’ve written so far and we’ll help you bring your story home.

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Kerry Young is the author of two novels: Pao, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and Gloria, longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. www.kerryyoung.co.uk Christopher Wakling’s six acclaimed novels include, most recently, What I Did. He runs the Bristol Writing Project, writes travel journalism for the national press, and is lead fiction tutor at Curtis Brown Creative. www.christopherwakling.com.

Guest: Karin Altenberg’s first novel, Island of Wings, was shortlisted for the 2011 Saltire First Book Award and the Scottish Book of the Year Award. Altenberg is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal.

The Hurst, May 2 – May 7

9. HISTORICAL FICTION Bringing historical fiction to life The American Quaker novelist Jessamyn West said, “Writing of the past is a resurrection; the past lives in your words and you are free.” Historical fiction, more than most other genres, requires writers to transport their readers to a definite time and place. This course will show you how to make your work sing by concentrating on authenticity whilst not weighing your words down with facts. You will be invited to submit up to 2000 words to the tutors before the course starts, though this is not obligatory.

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Sanjida O’Connell is the author of nine books: four works of non-fiction and five novels. The Naked Name of Love and Sugar Island are historical fiction; coincidentally both are set in 1859. www.sanjida.co.uk Tom Bullough is the author of four novels: A, The Claude Glass, Konstantin and the forthcoming Addlands. He is also a screenwriter and a Visiting Fellow at the University of South Wales.

Guest: Rupert Thomson is the author of ten novels and an award-winning memoir.

May 9 – May 14, Totleigh Barton

10. EDITING A NOVEL What kind of book are you writing?

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Are you determined to write the best novel you can? We will help you identify your book’s strengths and suggest which elements will benefit from further work. These might include aspects of structure, setting, characterisation and dialogue. We will also consider the changing publishing landscape and practical concerns such as publicity, marketing and subsidiary rights, e-books versus print editions, and social media. We will discuss how agents and publishers make decisions about representation and acquisition, and what a writer can do to improve their chances in a rapidly evolving market.

Patricia Duncker is the author of six novels including Hallucinating Foucault, two collections of short fiction, and many critical essays. Her most recent novel is Sophie and the Sibyl: A Victorian Romance. www.patriciaduncker.com Jenny Parrott has worked in publishing since 1987, and acquired for Bloomsbury, Little,Brown, HarperCollins and Oneworld, where currently she heads a crime list launching in 2016. She recently signed her own three-novel deal.

Guest: Will Eaves is a novelist and poet. His most recent book, The Absent Therapist, was shortlisted for the 2014 Goldsmiths Prize. The Inevitable Gift Shop – “a memoir by other means” – will be published in 2016. He teaches at the University of Warwick.

Lumb Bank, May 16 – May 21

11. FICTION Inventing reality How can you use your own experience to give your fiction that authentic feel? What is the role of research in writing fiction?

How do you convey the feeling of a particular time and place?

Through a mixture of discussion, practical exercises and close reading of key texts, we’ll be exploring these questions and others, and looking at the skills and techniques you can use to help create a convincing narrative world.

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Clare Allan is an award-winning fiction writer and author of Poppy Shakespeare. Her second novel, Everything is Full of Dogs, is published in 2016. Clare lectures in Creative Writing at City University London.

Tash Aw is the author of three novels, which have been translated into twenty-four languages; the most recent is Five Star Billionaire. His work has won numerous prizes, including the Whitbread, Commonwealth and O. Henry Prizes, and twice been longlisted for the Booker Prize.

Guest: Jeremy Page is a prize-winning author of three novels, Salt, The Wake and The Collector of Lost Things. He is also a screenwriter, and has taught on the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia.

May 23 – May 28, Totleigh Barton

12. SHORT STORY Exploring other lives and worlds in miniature Intense, challenging, funny, beautiful; despite their diminutive size, the best short stories linger long beyond the final line.

Come explore this most glorious of literary forms with exposure to inspirational short stories, and energising workshops that guarantee to fire your imagination. You’ll be amazed at what you can produce. Emphasis will be placed on the transporting nature of stories and the freedom they offer to explore lives and worlds far removed from your own.

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Clare Wigfall, author of The Loudest Sound And Nothing, won the 2008 BBC National Short Story Award. She is currently working on a new collection.

Tod Wodicka is the author of two novels, The Household Spirit and All Shall Be Well; And All Shall Be Well; And All Manner Of Things Shall Be Well.

Guest: Petina Gappah’s debut story collection, An Elegy for Easterly, won the Guardian First Book Prize in 2009. Her novel, The Book of Memory, was published in 2015.

The Hurst, June 6 – June 11

13. CRIME FICTION How to commit a perfect crime novel This course will teach you all the essentials of good crime writing: not just a convincing plot, but compelling characterisation, decent dialogue, pace, setting, narrative techniques and so on.

We will also make suggestions as to how to incorporate factual crimes into fictional stories. Whilst ideal for those who have a criminal idea they want to put on the page, this course will also help those who know they want to write in the genre, but are uncertain how to get started.

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Tobias Jones is the author of four works of nonfiction and three crime novels set in Italy. He has written extensively about Italian true crime. Three of his works have been optioned by film companies. www.tobias-jones.co.uk Dreda Say Mitchell has published seven crime novels, has been awarded the CWA’s John Creasey Dagger, contributed to the multi-award-winning Books To Die For and was chosen as a World Book Night author. She is also a broadcaster, campaigner, journalist and motivational speaker. www.dredamitchell.com Guest: Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling crime writer, published in more than 32 countries. In 2014 she wrote and published the first Hercule Poirot novel since Agatha Christie’s death, The Monogram Murders, with the blessing of the Christie family.

June 13 – June 18, Lumb Bank

14. WRITING A NOVEL Building a world with words On this course you will be introduced to new writers, on the page and around the table; you will debate, and take a thorough look, guided by exercises and tutorials, at the craft of writing a novel. Whether you are part-way through a project, stuck, or you are fussing at the edges wondering how to start, you will leave at the end of the week with new ideas and techniques, and the propulsion to write.

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Samantha Harvey is the author of three novels, most recently Dear Thief which was published in 2014. She teaches on the MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

Ross Raisin is an author of short stories and two novels, God’s Own Country and Waterline, which won or were shortlisted for a dozen awards. He was named as one of the Granta Best of Young British Novelists 2013.

Guest: Nikita Lalwani is the author of two novels, The Village and Gifted, which was longlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2007, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and winner of the Desmond Elliot Award for New Fiction.

Lumb Bank, July 11 – July 16

15. ROMANTIC FICTION Planning for love: plotting techniques for romantic fiction Writing a romantic novel can be every bit as emotionally challenging as falling in love in real life. Easy to read but definitely not so easy to write, the romantic novel requires a strong plot beneath the sweet nothings. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re bogged down in the middle of a work-in-progress, join us to learn how our plotting techniques and tricks can help you keep your readers’ interest from first kiss to happily ever after.

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Mike Gayle is the author of 13 bestselling novels.

He was previously a journalist and Agony Uncle. www.mikegayle.co.uk Chrissie Manby is the bestselling author of 19 romantic comedies including A Proper Family Holiday, Lizzie Jordan’s Secret Life and Seven Sunny Days. She also writes as Stephanie Ash, Olivia Darling and Stella Knightley.

Guest: Jenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including The Little Beach Street Bakery, Christmas at the Cupcake Café which won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller.

July 18 – July 23, Totleigh Barton

16. FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT Time to focus Here’s your chance to give your fiction writing the time and focus it needs in a supportive and inspiring environment.

We will be on hand to offer detailed advice on matters like structure, voice and control through one-to-one tutorial sessions, and the rest of the time is yours to make real progress with your fiction project. There will also be the opportunity to share your work with other writers on the same journey. Participants are invited to submit 2000 words of work-in-progress to be sent to the centre by 17th June 2016.

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Romesh Gunesekera’s books include the Bookershortlisted Reef and Novel Writing: A Writers’ & Artists’ Companion. He was a judge for Granta’s Best Young British Novelists 2013 and the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. www.romeshg.com Lawrence Scott is a prize-winning novelist and short-story writer from Trinidad and Tobago.

His latest books are Leaving By Plane Swimming Back Underwater and Light Falling on Bamboo. www.lawrencescott.co.uk Guest: Deborah Levy is the author of The Unloved, Swallowing Geography, Beautiful Mutants, Things I Don’t Want to Know and Swimming Home, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

Totleigh Barton, August 1 – August 6

17. WRITING A NOVEL Capturing the first draft of a novel If you’ve started to write a novel and you’re stuck part-way through, or if you have tried novel-writing many times and floundered, or even if you are simply thinking of writing a novel, this course is for you. Through workshops and tutorials, we will guide you through the decisions and choices you need to be aware of when you approach a first draft. We will discuss research, craft, plot, opening pages and characterisation, all the essentials of long fiction. Bring your ideas and your work.

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Monique Roffey’s novels have been shortlisted for the Costa fiction prize, the Orange Prize, the Encore Award and the Orion Award. Archipelago won the OCM BOCAS Award for Caribbean Literature in 2013. www.moniqueroffey.com Fred D’Aguiar writes fiction, poetry, plays and essays. He teaches Creative Writing and literature courses at University of California, Los Angeles. www.freddaguiar.com Guest: Lisa O’Donnell has written two books, Closed Doors and The Death of Bees, which won the Commonwealth Book Prize in 2013. Lisa also teaches and writes screenplays. She won the Orange Prize for New Screenwriters in 2000.

August 22 – August 27, The Hurst

18. FLASH FICTION Short-short stories They’re small enough to perch on the palm of your hand and so short it takes more time to smoke a cigarette – yet the best shortshort stories linger long after the smoke has cleared. Now a boom area in contemporary literature, flash fiction is no new kid on the block, but rooted in a rich heritage that spans the globe and nudges up to poetry. We’ll use diverse examples from this exciting form and bring many ideas to stimulate the imagination in order to fuel our own forays into flash writing, leaving you fired up for the voyage home.

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Tania Hershman is the author of two story collections: My Mother Was An Upright Piano: Fictions and The White Road and Other Stories and co-author of Writing Short Stories: A Writers’ & Artists’ Companion. www.taniahershman.com David Swann’s book The Privilege of Rain was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award. His flash fiction chapbook, Stronger, Faster, Shorter appeared in 2015. An ex-journalist, he now lectures at Chichester University.

Guest: Carrie Etter has published three collections of poetry and numerous flash fictions.

She teaches Creative Writing at Bath Spa University including Sudden Prose, a module on prose poetry and flash fiction.

Lumb Bank, August 29 – September 3

19. EDITING FICTION Midwifery and meddling, marketing and mending This week is aimed at anyone interested in editing their own fiction, to improve or sharpen it to make it the best it can be, the most like itself. The course will be as valuable to writers just starting out as it will be to published authors. Everyone needs editing. We will get our hands dirty in your texts. We will also focus on the role of the modern editor, part brutal marketer, part creative playmate to the author. From broad structural edits to proofreading and writing copy, we will candidly share experiences of editing, and being edited.

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Max Porter is senior editor at Granta Books and Portobello Books. His authors include Eleanor Catton, Patrick deWitt, Ben Marcus and Han Kang.

His debut novel Grief is the Thing with Feathers was published in 2015.

Francesca Main is editorial director at Picador and won the Bookseller Industry Award for Editor of the Year in 2015. Her authors include Jessie Burton, Naomi Wood, Mark Watson and Lottie Moggach.

Guest: Cynan Jones is the award-winning author of four short novels, most recently The Dig. His next book Cove will be published in Autumn 2016.

September 12 – September 17, The Hurst

20. FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT Your fictional world Creating a compelling world, where character and plot can grow naturally, is an integral part of fiction. Whether you are writing long or short works, we will guide you in your journey to create dynamic and memorable writing. Disappear into your characters’ minds and spirits, and bring them to life so that they linger in your readers’ minds. View your narrative structure with fresh eyes: be it a single incident splaying out, or a series of events that you are looking to order.

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Nadifa Mohamed’s first novel, Black Mamba Boy, won a Betty Trask Prize, was longlisted for the Orange Prize, and shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the PEN Open Book Award. In 2013 she was selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists.

David Szalay has published three novels: London and the South-East (which won a Betty Trask Prize and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize), The Innocent, and Spring. In 2013 he was selected

by Granta as one of the best 20 British novelists under 40.

Guest: Sunjeev Sahota’s second novel, The Year of the Runaways, was nominated for the Man Booker Prize. He is one of Granta’s Best of British Novelists 2013.

Lumb Bank, September 19 – September 24

21. FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Pushing through to finish your novel This course is for writers who are already part way through a work of fiction and want to work on taking it to conclusion.

Throughout the week we’ll address issues relating to plot, characterisation, free-writing vs planned sessions and retracing your steps when you feel the way is lost. Helping you create a backbone to your approach, we will give you techniques to help ensure you get to that completed draft. We will focus on the perils and pitfalls inherent in fiction writing and how to overcome them.

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Jenni Fagan is a novelist, poet and screenwriter.

Her debut novel The Panopticon has been translated into eight languages and is now in production with Sixteen Films. She was Granta’s Best of Young British Novelist and writer-in-residence at University of Edinburgh. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and the Independent.

Niall Griffith is the author of seven novels and more short stories and travel pieces and articles and reviews than he cares to, and probably even can, count. His work has been translated into 20 languages. His third novel Kelly+Victor, was turned into a BAFTA-winning film.

Guest: Sarah Butler is the author of two novels: Ten Things I’ve Learnt About Love and Before The Fire.

September 26 – October 1, Totleigh Barton

22. STARTING TO WRITE A NOVEL Getting started – keeping going A week designed to give you writing stimulus and space for writing too. Suitable for those starting their first long work of fiction. The course will cover the ins and outs of structure, back-story, authentic characterisation and dialogue – and how to keep going through all the rewrites.

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Rachel Seiffert’s books have been nominated for the Booker and Orange/Baileys Prizes and published in 18 different languages. She has also taught Creative Writing at Goldsmiths College, Glasgow University, and the Humboldt University Berlin, amongst others.

Courttia Newland is the author of six books.

His latest, The Gospel According to Cane, was published in February 2013. He also writes for the stage and screen.

Guest: Jane Harris is a writer of fiction and screenplays. Her novel Gillespie and I was published in 2011. Her first novel The Observations was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2007.

The Hurst, October 3 – October 8

23. SHORT STORY: TOWARDS A COLLECTION Finding your strengths in writing short stories Working towards a collection means understanding your strengths as a short-story writer and identifying through-lines in your work. We’ll look at archetypal story structures (and what you can learn from them), how to refine your voice and sharpen your prose, approaches to self-editing, and what publishers are looking for. There’ll be an opportunity for tailored feedback on individual stories, and guidance on how to approach publication strategically. Suitable for all short-story writers, whether you’re just beginning to accumulate material, or have already assembled a collection’s worth of stories.

Michèle Roberts has published prize-winning novels, essays and poetry, plus three collections of short stories. She is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at University of East Anglia.

Jim Hinks is an editor at Comma Press, the independent publisher specialising in short fiction.

Guest: Kate Clanchy is a poet, playwright and novelist. Her first collection of short stories, The Not-Dead & The Saved & Other Stories, was published in 2015.

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October 17 – October 22, Totleigh Barton

24. FICTION: PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER How to write a whydunnit The psychological thriller produces its own particular challenges and satisfactions for a writer. More shaped by character than the police procedural, they require a different approach to the tight plotting that remains essential to their core. With exercises and practical tips, we will lead you through the pleasures and pitfalls of working in this most rewarding of genres. For beginners with an interest in identifying and developing an idea for a psychological thriller.

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Melanie McGrath is the author of the Edie Kiglatuk Arctic mystery ‘series’, translated into 18 languages, and the psychological thriller Give Me The Child.

She is twice-nominated for the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger.

Alex Marwood has written three thrillers to date, plus four novels under another name. The Wicked Girls won an Edgar Allen Poe Award in 2014 and her novels have been shortlisted for seven other prizes.

Guest: Kate Hamer’s debut novel The Girl in the Red Coat was published in 2015 and has been shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award. Kate won the Rhys Davies Short Story Prize, and the story ‘One Summer’ was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Lumb Bank, October 31 – November 5

25. FICTION WITH A GOTHIC TWIST Something of the night The Gothic is not just a genre but, more so, a tendency across all genres – an awareness that the world is other than it immediately appears, and events are heightened. It is writing with a secret pulse, where place is character, and motivations are mysterious.

In workshops, readings and tutorials, we will explore and develop writing that works an emotional effect upon your readers, and gives them a sense of something of the night.

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Diane Setterfield is the author of The Thirteenth Tale, a no.1 New York Times bestseller, filmed for the BBC. Bellman & Black is a genre-defying blend of rooks, death and Victorian retail.

James Friel’s most recent novel is The Posthumous Affair. His other novels include The Higher Realm, Left of North, Taking the Veil and Careless Talk.

He is programme leader for the MA in Writing at Liverpool John Moores University.

Guest: Lauren Owen’s first novel, The Quick, was published in 2014. She was a recipient of the Curtis Brown Prize. She is studying for a PhD in Gothic writing and fan culture.

November 7 – November 12, The Hurst

26. STARTING TO WRITE A NOVEL From idea to first draft If you have the urge to write a novel but don’t know where to begin, or have made a start but need fresh impetus to push on through to the end of a draft, this week is for you. We’ll cover the basic areas a new novelist needs to engage with: character, setting and the events that form the plot. We’ll study different openings to successful novels, carry out exercises to begin building and honing your characters, and help you find ways to shape your ideas into a structure that suits your story.

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Tiffany Murray’s novels Diamond Star Halo and Happy Accidents have both been shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize. The Guardian selected Diamond Star Halo as one of ‘the best’ in their pick of 2010 fiction. She is a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan. www.tiffanymurray.com Jonathan Lee is the author of the novels Who Is Mr Satoshi?, Joy, and High Dive. He is also an editor at the New York-based literary journal A Public Space. www.jonathanlee.net Guest: Shelley Harris’s debut novel Jubilee was a Book at Bedtime, a Richard and Judy selection and shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize.

Her latest novel is Vigilante.

Totleigh Barton, November 7 – November 12

27. EXPERIMENTAL FICTION Wise wild words What kind of writer are you? Are you a Jack Kerouac or a Georges Perec, a Virginia Woolf or a Christine Brooke-Rose?

Do you just need pen, paper and a few hours of freedom to let your imagination loose? Or are you liberated by seemingly impossible restrictions of form? Or are you as yet unsure, and curious to find out what suits you best? In this wide-open (but also carefully structured) course, we will explore and discover some of the many ways of setting off into the unknown, and returning enriched, wiser, changed.

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Toby Litt is a short-story writer who also writes novels, lyrics, comics and things he doesn’t know the names of. His last book was called Life-Like.

He teaches Creative Writing at Birkbeck College.

Adam Foulds is a poet and author of three novels and a narrative poem. He has received a number of literary awards and has most recently been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for his novel, The Quickening Maze. He was one of the 2013 Granta Best of Young British Novelists.

Guests: Natasha Soobramanien and Luke Williams are the authors of, respectively, Genie and Paul and The Echo Chamber. They are collaborating on a novel, Diego Garcia, which is being published in instalments.

November 14 – November 19, Totleigh Barton

28. STARTING TO WRITE FICTION Truths and lies You might not know it yet, but you already have the material you need. The next step is to give it shape and structure. Take the myriad sights, sounds and feelings we encounter and use them to tell a story that, for all its fiction, reveals the truth. This course will help you build authenticity through three-dimensional characters, vivid sense of place, and the power of detail. There’ll be light moments too. Writing is hard work, but there should be joy along the way, and this course will bring you plenty.

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Stephen May’s first novel was longlisted for Wales Book of the Year, his second Life! Death! Prizes! was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and the Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. His latest novel is Wake Up Happy Every Day. Emylia Hall is the author of three novels. The Book of Summers was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and has been translated into eight languages. Her latest is The Sea Between Us. www.emyliahall.com Guest: Sarah Winman attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to act in theatre, film and television. She has written two novels, When God was a Rabbit and A Year of Marvellous Ways.

Lumb Bank, November 21 – November 26

29. HISTORICAL FICTION The challenge and reward of writing historical fiction Writers often look to the past to understand the present but how do you make your historical fiction convincing? How much research do you need to do? How do your characters think, speak and dress? How do you avoid cliché? Over the course of a week we will explore a series of techniques that will help your writing about the past become thrillingly present.

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James Runcie is the author of The Grantchester Mysteries, a series of six novels set from 1953–1979; they have been adapted for television. His previous novels include The Colour of Heaven and The Discovery of Chocolate. www.jamesruncie.com Ian Sansom is a novelist and critic. He writes for the Guardian, the London Review of Books, the Spectator and the New Statesman. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. He is the author of 13 books including the ‘Mobile Library’ series of novels and the ‘County Guides’ series.

Guest: Antonia Hodgson is the award-winning author of The Devil in the Marshalsea and The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins. She has also worked in publishing for 20 years.

November 28 – December 3, The Hurst

30. SPECULATIVE FICTION Writing about what you don’t know What if there were a writing course that covered all the basics – story structure, characterisation, setting, and themes – but took things further? We’re often told to “write about what we know,” to base our stories on our own real lives. But in Speculative Fiction anything goes, from historical ‘what ifs?’ to parallel realities, to sci-fi to satire and fantasy. If you have ever wanted to fashion an alternative reality, govern your own imaginary civilisation, or stray beyond the boundaries of daily life, then this is the course for you.

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Joanna Kavenna writes fiction, non-fiction and much that is both. In 2008 she won the Orange Prize for New Writing, and in 2013 she was named as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. www.joannakavenna.com Liz Jensen is the author of eight novels spanning several genres including science fiction, among them Ark Baby, The Rapture and The Uninvited. Her work has been nominated for several awards, developed for film, and translated into more than 20 languages.

Guest: Brian Catling is a poet, novelist and artist.

He is also Professor of Fine Art at the Ruskin School, University of Oxford. The Vorrh, the first of an epic trilogy, was published in 2015.

POETRY 63

31. POETRY April 25 – 30, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Karen McCarthy Woolf & Vicki Feaver

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38. POETRY August 22 – 27, Lumb Bank Tutors: Jacob Polley & Jean Sprackland

32. POETRY May 2 – 7, Lumb Bank Tutors: Jackie Kay & Jo Shapcott

39. POETRY September 5 – 10, Lumb Bank Tutors: Mimi Khalvati & Ian Duhig

33. POETRY: TUTORED RETREAT May 9 – 14, The Hurst Tutors: George Szirtes & Pascale Petit

40. POETRY September 19 – 24, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Jane Draycott & Jack Underwood

34. POETRY May 16 – 21, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Ann & Peter Sansom

41. POETRY September 26 – October 1, The Hurst Tutors: Helena Nelson & Cliff Yates

35. EDITING POETRY May 30 – June 4, Lumb Bank Tutors: Sasha Dugdale & Michael Laskey 36. POETRY June 20 – 25, The Hurst Tutors: Caroline Bird & Kei Miller 37. POETRY July 18 – 23, The Hurst Tutors: Luke Kennard & Colette Bryce

42. STARTING TO WRITE POETRY October 3 – 8, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Kathryn Maris & Jamie McKendrick 43. POETRY October 17 – 22, Lumb Bank Tutors: Tim Liardet & Jennifer Militello

44. POETRY: TUTORED RETREAT October 31 – November 5, The Hurst Tutors: John Greening & Jo Bell

See also 79. POETRY RETREAT WITH WALKING

45. POETRY November 14 – 19, Lumb Bank Tutors: Daljit Nagra & Julia Copus 46. POETRY: TOWARDS A COLLECTION November 28 – December 3, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Jen Hadfield & Penelope Shuttle

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April 25 – April 30, Totleigh Barton

31. POETRY New ways to write about nature City or country? For centuries, poets have drawn inspiration from the polarities and tensions between the two. Blake’s London and Wordsworth’s Lake District are famous examples. Now, in a time of ecological crisis, mass urbanisation and climate change, ‘writing nature’ brings with it a host of new and inspiring challenges. On this course we’ll look at a variety of international contemporary poets whose work addresses these vital and enduring themes, with the aim of giving students new ways to create fresh work.

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Karen McCarthy Woolf is the recipient of the Glenna Luschei Prairie Schooner Prize and an Arts and Humanities Research Council doctoral scholarship at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she is researching new ways of writing about nature, politics and the city. Her book of elegies An Aviary of Small Birds was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

Vicki Feaver’s poetry collections The Handless Maiden and The Book of Blood employ myth, fairy-story and encounters with creatures and plants to explore aspects of the child and adult self. Her latest work, about the process of ageing, is included in Saltire’s Second Wind.

Guest: Zaffar Kunial was one of the Faber New Poets 2013–14. A recent Wordsworth Trust poet-in-residence, he won the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize in 2015.

Lumb Bank, May 2 – May 7

32. POETRY Imaginary gardens, real roads This course aims to help you create a small body of work during the week; we will use a mix of myth, science, reality and imagination to inspire and excite and help in the production of a series of linked poems.

Jo Shapcott’s collections have won a number of literary prizes including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Collection, the Forward Prize for Best Collection and the National Poetry Competition (twice). Her most recent collection, Of Mutability, was published in 2010 and won the Costa Book Award.

Jackie Kay’s The Adoption Papers won a Forward Prize, a Saltire prize and a Scottish Arts Council Prize. Fiere, her most recent collection of poems, was shortlisted for the Costa Award. Her novel Trumpet won the Guardian Costa Award for Fiction.

She was awarded an MBE in 2006, and made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2002.

Guest: Amanda Dalton is a poet and playwright.

Her most recent collection is Stray. She was a Next Generation poet in 2004 and is currently Fellow in the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.

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May 9 – May 14, The Hurst

33. POETRY: TUTORED RETREAT The thrill of writing at your best Editors often say they look for freshness and originality in poems, a distinct style with fire at its heart. You may be seriously engaged with the craft, but wonder where to go next. Are you looking for that extra spark, and need the time to make it happen? This retreat will give you the opportunity to take your work to another level. There will be no workshops, just concentrated writing time, and two tutors to help you push your poetry forward towards publication and, more importantly, to your best.

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George Szirtes published his first book of poems, The Slant Door, in 1979. It won the Faber Prize.

He has published many since then, winning the TS Eliot Prize in 2004, a prize for which he has been twice shortlisted.

Pascale Petit’s sixth collection Fauverie was shortlisted for the 2014 TS Eliot Prize and won the 2013 Manchester Poetry Prize. Pascale has had four collections shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. www.pascalepetit.co.uk Guest: Liz Berry’s debut collection, Black Country, received a Somerset Maugham Award and won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2014.

Totleigh Barton, May 16 – May 21

34. POETRY Moving our writing on This demanding but hugely enjoyable course will take your poetry to another level, whether you are well-published or just starting out. Working from classic poems, exhilarating writing sessions are the main focus of this week with “the best poetry teachers in the world” (Guardian).

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Ann and Peter Sansom Ann has been Guest Poet at the Times Educational Supplement and has run writing workshops with First Direct, while Peter has been Company Poet with Marks & Spencer and Prudential. They are co-directors of The Poetry Business in Sheffield, where they edit The North magazine and Smith/ Doorstop Books. Ann’s books include Romance and In Praise of Men & Other People and Peter’s include Writing Poems and Careful What You Wish For. Guest: Peter Carpenter is the author of six collections of poetry, most recently Just Like That; he is the co-director of Worple Press and has taught Creative Writing at the University of Warwick.

May 30 – June 4, Lumb Bank

35. EDITING POETRY Practice making perfect How does a poem evolve from that initial inkling to reach its full potential? This course is designed to stimulate and encourage novices and more experienced poets to consider the process of revision, and the opportunities that reworking a poem can offer.

We’ll help you build confidence by discussing and practising how to diagnose the problem areas and to identify ways of improving them. We will look closely at poems you’ve already written as well as the new work we will generate and develop during the week.

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Sasha Dugdale is a poet, translator and editor of Modern Poetry in Translation. She was also editor of Salt’s Best British Poetry 2012. She has published three collections of poems.

Michael Laskey directed the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival for ten years and co-edited Smiths Knoll for 21 years. His five collections include The Man Alone: New and Selected Poems and, most recently, Weighing the Present.

Guest: Christopher Reid has worked in publishing and the academic world. His collection of poems, A Scattering, was Costa Book of the Year 2009.

His latest is The Curiosities.

The Hurst, June 20 – June 25

36. POETRY Finding a fresh perspective “A door opens, a door shuts. In between you have had a glimpse: a garden, a person, a rainstorm, a dragonfly, a heart, a city.” (Sylvia Plath) How do we ‘glimpse’ our own lives, as if for the first time? Experience the thrill of the unknown, in our own backyard? This week will explore new ways of seeing, new ways of writing, and hidden doors. Be prepared to write an almost criminal number of poems.

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Caroline Bird is an award-winning poet, with four collections, most recently The Hat-Stand Union.

She is also a playwright, currently writing Dennis the Menace the Musical for the Old Vic. Kei Miller is an award-winning poet and novelist.

His most recent collection, The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion, was awarded the Forward Prize for Best Collection in 2014.

Guest: Ross Donlon is a winner of international poetry competitions and a frequent reader at events in Australia and Europe. www.rossdonlon.com

July 18 – July 23, The Hurst

37. POETRY Grand designs What’s new in poetic form? Whether reinventions of the traditional, or innovations driven by the times – we’ll be testing the structural aspects of contemporary poems and trying fresh approaches for ourselves. Does the content guide the form or vice-versa? You’ll be encouraged to examine your own formal practice and to strike out in new directions.

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Luke Kennard is the author of five collections of poetry and was the youngest writer to be shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection, with The Harbour Beyond the Movie in 2007.

Colette Bryce’s most recent collection, The Whole & Rain-domed Universe, was shortlisted for the Forward and Costa Book Award. From 2009–2013 she was poetry editor for Poetry London.

Guest: Rebecca Perry’s first collection, Beauty/Beauty, is shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize.

Lumb Bank, August 22 – August 27

38. POETRY New ways of generating new work To get you writing in fresh ways, this course will focus on generating new work through different ‘habits of art’.

As well as re-writing, re-reading and re-thinking, we will be celebrating the sheer joy of the best words in the best order.

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Jacob Polley’s third book of poems, The Havocs, won the 2013 Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize and Forward Prize for Best Collection. He teaches at Newcastle University. www.jacobpolley.com Jean Sprackland’s latest collection is Sleeping Keys.

Tilt won the Costa Poetry Award in 2008. She is also the author of Strands: A Year of Discoveries on the Beach. Jean is academic director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Guest: Sean Borodale is one of 2014’s Next Generation Poets. He is currently Creative Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. His second collection Human Work (a poet’s cookbook) was published in 2015.

September 5 – September 10, Lumb Bank

39. POETRY Between states: poetry lost and found in its hinterlands ‘Between States’ refers to ideas on the verge of becoming poems, or poems becoming a different form (prose poem, lyrical essay, formal, free verse...). This course will also bring to bear an understanding of different traditions of poetry.

The course tutors, Mimi Khalvati and Ian Duhig, have direct experience of these traditions from Iran, Ireland, and the North and South of England. You and your writing will benefit from a rich mix of reorientations to find new ways forward.

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Mimi Khalvati’s eight collections include The Meanest Flower, shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize and, most recently, The Weather Wheel, a Poetry Book Society recommendation. She is the founder of The Poetry School where she teaches.

Ian Duhig has written six books of poetry, three of which have been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize.

He has won the Forward Prize for Best Poem, and the National Poetry Competition twice. He is a former homelessness worker.

Guest: Mona Arshi was joint winner of the Manchester Creative Writing Prize in 2014.

Her collection Small Hands won the Forward Prize for Best Collection.

Totleigh Barton, September 19 – September 24

40. POETRY The poem as controlled explosion How do we create poems which don’t recount events but are events in themselves? This course aims to help you find new ways of talking and writing in your poetry that are dynamic and dramatic in their action, detonating the world of the poem and rearranging it, thinking about ideas and feelings by setting things off, making them transform and shift.

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Jane Draycott’s last collection Over was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. Her translation of the medieval elegy Pearl, a Stephen Spender Prize-winner, was published in 2011. She tutors at the universities of Oxford and Lancaster. www.janedraycott.org.uk Jack Underwood’s collection Happiness was published in 2015. A Faber New Poet in 2009, he is a lecturer in Poetry and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths College, and he reviews for Poetry Review and Poetry London.

Guest: Sarah Howe’s book of poems, Loop of Jade, is shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. She won an Eric Gregory Award in 2010. She is currently a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.

September 26 – October 1, The Hurst

41. POETRY Daring to be different How do you sharpen and strengthen your own distinctive voice?

What makes a poem arresting? We will explore a variety of ways into writing and read an eclectic range of contemporary poems in a course designed to surprise you into writing the poems that only you could have written. This stimulating week will energise both new and experienced poets.

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Helena Nelson runs HappenStance Press. Her own first collection, Starlight on Water, was an Aldeburgh Jerwood Prize winner. Plot and Counter-Plot is her most recent book. She blogs about poetry at www.happenstancepress.com Cliff Yates’s collections include Henry’s Clock, which won both the Aldeburgh First Collection Prize and the Poetry Business Book & Pamphlet Competition. A former Poetry Society poet-inresidence, he’s currently Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Aston University. www.cliffyates.co.uk Guest: Sean Burn is a poet and performer. He has published three collections, most recently Is that a bruise or a tattoo?

Totleigh Barton, October 3 – October 8

42. STARTING TO WRITE POETRY Some essentials of rhythm, rhetoric and form What makes poetry distinct from other genres? How does a poem start and when is it finished? What are poetic devices?

In this course we will explore these and many other questions concerning rhythm, metre and structure. Through reading, discussion, writing exercises and detailed feedback, the aim is that you become a more confident and well-equipped reader and writer of poetry.

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Kathryn Maris’s poetry collections include The Book of Jobs and God Loves You. Her poems have appeared in The Best British Poetry, The Pushcart Prize Anthology and many periodicals in the US and the UK. Jamie McKendrick has published six books of poetry, most recently Out There, which won the Hawthornden Prize. He has also translated a number of works from Italian including the poems of Antonella Anedda.

Guest: Mark Ford has published four collections of poetry (Landlocked, Soft Sift, Six Children and Selected Poems), a biography of the French writer Raymond Roussel, and the anthology London: A History in Verse. He has recently completed a book on Thomas Hardy.

October 17 – October 22, Lumb Bank

43. POETRY Inventing a language “Resist much, obey little,” said Whitman. Is this how originality is born? This course argues that every poet’s truest uniqueness is founded in the language she/he invents, and that this is her/his primary responsibility. A language unlike any other is comprised of many elements: word-choice, metaphor, imagery and the appeal of rhythm to the unconscious. In workshops, through writing exercises and discussions of choices, you will explore ways of making your language utterly your own.

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Tim Liardet’s The Blood Choir was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. The World Before Snow was published in March 2015 and his New and Selected Poems will soon follow. He is Professor of Poetry at Bath Spa University. www.timliardet.org Jennifer Militello is the author of A Camouflage of Specimens and Garments and Body Thesaurus, named one of the best books of 2013 by Best American Poetry. She teaches in the MFA program at New England College. wwwjennifermilitello.com Guest: WN Herbert’s recent work includes Omnesia (2013). He is Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Newcastle University, and the Dundee Makar, or City Laureate.

The Hurst, October 31 – November 5

44. POETRY: TUTORED RETREAT A dialogue between poets, present and past All poetry is a conversation – with the past, with other writers, with other art forms. This retreat will include one-to-one tutorials and the usual opportunity to write in solitude, but we will encourage conversation and collaboration between group members who wish it – offering you music, ideas and optional exercises which you can use as a stimulus or disregard entirely.

Bring a musical instrument, a sketch book or anything that gets your creative juices flowing.

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John Greening is an Eric Gregory Judge and Cambridge RLF Fellow. He has received a Cholmondeley Award and the Bridport Prize.

His collections include To the War Poets and a music anthology, Accompanied Voices. Recently he edited Edmund Blunden’s Undertones of War. www.johngreening.co.uk Jo Bell is a poet and broadcaster who likes to work in collaboration with other artists. Her awards include the Charles Causley Prize and a Saboteur Award for her global workshop project, 52. Formerly Canal Laureate for the UK and director of National Poetry Day, her latest collection is Kith.

Guest: Niall Campbell is from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. His first collection, Moontide, was published in 2014. He was a Jerwood-Arvon mentee.

November 14 – 19, Lumb Bank

45. POETRY The joy of poetry Are you seeking to find new ways to write, to put the fun, the freshness, the spark into your verse? This course is aimed at new and experienced poets seeking inspiration and impetus to create new verse. In this fun interactive course, we will deliver exciting exercises and present you with a broad range of the finest contemporary poets. Participants should go home having started many new poems in a range of free and formal approaches.

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Daljit Nagra was born in London and has published three collections of verse. He has won the Forward Prize for Best Individual Poem and for Best First Collection. In 2015 he was selected as a New Generation Poet. www.daljitnagra.com Julia Copus’s latest collection, The World’s Two Smallest Humans, was shortlisted for the TS Eliot and Costa Poetry awards. She has won First Prize in the National Poetry Competition and the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem.

Guest: Emily Berry is the author of Dear Boy which won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the Hawthornden Prize.

Totleigh Barton, November 28 – December 3

46. POETRY: TOWARDS A COLLECTION Creating a dynamic and coherent structure Finding or creating the structure for a collection is as creative an act as writing a poem. Exciting yet daunting, the prospect brings the poet into very close proximity with his/her work.

There are often surprises along the way! As with pruning a rose, this is not simply a process of subtraction – new and stronger work often flowers in response. We will advise you on the when as well as the how, helping you decide for yourself the right moment to publish and exploring with you methods of editing that are both unflinching and delicate.

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Penelope Shuttle has published 11 collections of poetry, and worked as a tutor and poetry mentor for many years. She is co-author (with Peter Redgrove) of the non-fiction book The Wise Wound.

Jen Hadfield has published three poetry collections: Almanacs, Nigh-No-Place and Byssus. Like the three little pigs, all are concerned with the right way to make ourselves at home: in poems, among people, in the natural world.

Guest: Tom Chivers’s books include How to Build a City and Dark Islands. He was shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan and Michael Marks prizes, and received an Eric Gregory Award in 2011.

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47. LIFE WRITING: FAMILY HISTORY May 2 – 7, Totleigh Barton Tutors: John-Paul Flintoff & Alice Jolly

53. MEMOIR September 5 – 10, The Hurst Tutors: Hannah Lowe & Horatio Clare

48. MEMOIR May 23 – 28, Lumb Bank Tutors: Sathnam Sanghera & Hannah Pool

54. NON-FICTION: POPULAR SCIENCE September 19 – 24, The Hurst Tutors: Michael Brooks & Aarathi Prasad

49. NON-FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS June 6 – 11, Lumb Bank Tutors: Lois Pryce & Ian Merchant

55. STARTING TO WRITE NON-FICTION October 10 – 15, Lumb Bank Tutors: Laura Barton & Colin Grant

50. NON-FICTION July 11 – 16, The Hurst Tutors: Andrea Stuart & Alexander Masters

56. LIFE WRITING October 24 – 29, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Kapka Kassabova & Nick Barlay

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51. NATURE WRITING July 11 – 16, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Jay Griffiths & Paul Kingsnorth 52. NON-FICTION August 22 – 27, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Sarah Wise and Rachel Lichtenstein

57. NON-FICTION November 21 – 26, The Hurst Tutors: Julie Summers & Sukhdev Sandhu

May 2 – May 7, Totleigh Barton

47. LIFE WRITING: WRITING FAMILY HISTORY Family as fact, fiction and myth

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Families provide some of our most powerful stories – whether they’re funny or sad, fact or fiction. This course, for new and experienced writers alike, will use techniques from novels, journalism and theatre to help you generate plentiful material, and freely adapt it. We will examine a writer’s right to tell their story, and how that affects others (is it sometimes necessary to lie in order to bring over the truth?) And to focus your writing, we will consider structure, scene-building, character development, dialogue, viewpoint and other elements that can make one person’s story truly universal.

John-Paul Flintoff is a journalist, performer and author. His books, including a novel and two memoirs, are published in 16 languages. The Family Project, written with his wife Harriet Green, was published in 2015. www.flintoff.org Alice Jolly has written two novels and four plays.

She won the Royal Society of Literature’s VS Pritchett Memorial Prize in 2014. Her memoir Dead Babies and Seaside Towns was published in 2015.

Guest: Tim Lott’s first memoir, The Scent of Dried Roses, won the PEN Ackerley Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award. It was followed by Rumours of Hurricane, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award.

Lumb Bank, May 23 – May 28

48. MEMOIR Shaping narratives Write about what you know, they say. Mine your experience, they add. But so many things can get in the way, from family politics to legal issues to the normal writerly concerns of tone and style.

This week is designed for writers aiming to say something about their lives. We’ll help you understand the importance of shaping narrative, finding your voice and how to navigate the joys.

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Sathnam Sanghera is a journalist with the Times and has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards twice, for his memoir The Boy With The Topknot and his novel Marriage Material. www.sathnam.com Hannah Pool writes regularly in the national and international media, including the Guardian.

Hannah’s book, My Fathers’ Daughter: A Story of Family and Belonging is a memoir of her journey back to Eritrea to find her birth family.

Guest: Katharine Norbury trained as a film editor with the BBC. She was chosen as the Observer’s rising star in non-fiction, 2015, for The Fish Ladder, which is her first book.

June 6 – June 11, Lumb Bank

49. NON-FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Weaving real-life events into an engaging story The course will concentrate on building an engaging non-fiction narrative, and how to convey the facts while weaving them into a good story. We will look at how to convey real-life characters and conversations without them appearing stagey or faked.

And we will talk about how to learn what to leave out – deciding what is essential information without drowning your reader in unnecessary facts and figures.

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Lois Pryce is an author and journalist. She has written two travel memoirs about her solo motorcycle journeys in the Americas and Africa and is currently writing her third book, about her recent travels in Iran.

Ian Marchant has written three critically acclaimed travel memoirs, Parallel Lines, The Longest Crawl and Something of the Night. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4.

Guest: Viv Albertine is a songwriter, musician and formerly the guitarist in influential female punk band The Slits. 2014 saw the publication of her memoir Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.

The Hurst, July 11 – July 16

50. NON-FICTION From idea to first draft Have you got a true story to tell? Whether you want to write a memoir, a biography, a family history or a travel narrative, every non-fiction writer is attempting to convey a story. This course will help you understand the tenets of non-fiction writing, how the genres are distinguishable and the makings of an attractive narrative-driven story. Through exercises and workshops, we will help you develop character in the context of real life, understanding how to research, structure, and sell your story.

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Andrea Stuart is an award-winning writer whose books include Showgirls, The Rose of Martinique and Sugar in the Blood. She has published in numerous anthologies and literary magazines as well as the popular press.

Alexander Masters wrote the biography Stuart: A Life Backwards. It was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize and the Guardian First Book Award.

His second book Simon, the Genius in My Basement is the biography of a mathematician, Simon Norton.

Guest: Jasmine Donahaye’s latest books are a memoir, Losing Israel, and a biography of the writer Lily Tobias, The Greatest Need, both published in 2015.

July 11 – July 16, Totleigh Barton

51. NATURE WRITING Nature and human nature: to vivify and vitalise What is the role of the writer in an age of climate change and mass extinction? This course will focus on the natural world and its vitality, the politics of nature in the broadest sense, and the natural element of the human spirit. Its aim is to encourage writing about Nature which has a voice and a purpose and in which language is significant, subtle and alive. The course will include immersive time in the natural world, and much teaching outdoors. Writers of both fiction and non-fiction are welcome, and participants at all levels of experience.

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Jay Griffiths is the award-winning author of Pip Pip: A Sideways Look at Time, Wild: An Elemental Journey, and Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape.

Her fiction includes Anarchipelago and A Love Letter from a Stray Moon. She is the Hay Festival Fellow for 2015/16.

Paul Kingsnorth is the author of two non-fiction books, including Real England, and a collection of poetry. His debut novel, The Wake, was longlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize.

Guest: William Atkins is the author of The Moor, a cultural history and travel book about England’s moorlands. He’s currently working on a book about the world’s deserts, due to be published in 2018.

Totleigh Barton, August 22 – August 27

52. NON-FICTION Unlocking the archives to write the people’s history This course is suitable for writers who already have a creative non-fiction project in mind (a local history, social history, biography, travelogue) and would like some advice and encouragement. It examines ways in which the UK’s rich archival holdings can suggest new stories and angles; and it aims to open up pathways of research that seem to be blocked.

We will explore a variety of research methods and creative writing techniques including: archival research, photography, walking, oral history and archaeological remains, all of which can be used to create exciting and moving narratives.

Sarah Wise is the author of three works of social history that explore less-well-known aspects of 19th century life. Undertaking archival research, she pieces together the stories of those who often go missing in the history books. www.sarahwise.co.uk Rachel Lichtenstein is an author, artist and lecturer.

She is currently writing her fourth non-fiction book, Estuary. Her publications include Diamond Street: The Hidden World of Hatton Garden, On Brick Lane and Rodinsky’s Room. www.rachellichtenstein.com Guest: Simon Garfield is the prizewinning author of non-fiction. His books include On the Map, Just My Type and The Wrestling. www.simongarfield.com

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September 5 – September 10, The Hurst

53. MEMOIR Life into art As fiction and non-fiction continue their evolving relationship, most recently as the kind of ‘autofiction’ practised by Rachel Cusk (among others), the question of how to turn life into art becomes ever more interesting. This course is for writers who wish to address truth, fact or non-fiction from their own lives or another’s. We will focus on technical and creative opportunities and challenges in structuring, writing and selling memoir.

For writers of all levels, this course will provide invaluable and inspiring ways of seeing and writing about life.

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Hannah Lowe has published three chapbooks of poetry, and one full collection, Chick. Her family memoir Long Time No See was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week.

Horatio Clare is a travel writer specialising in creative non-fiction. His books include Running for the Hills, A Single Swallow and Down to the Sea in Ships – Travels with Men. His next book is Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, a children’s book.

Guest: Marion Coutts is an artist and writer.

Her first book, The Iceberg, won the Wellcome Book Prize 2015.

The Hurst, September 19 – September 24

54. NON-FICTION: POPULAR SCIENCE How to craft engaging literature from scientific research Science is full of intriguing ideas, but they are often complex and abstract. Weaving them into a popular science book can be a daunting challenge. On this course you will explore ways to engage readers with science, and you’ll have the opportunity to develop a book idea into a draft proposal. You will plan a book, creating chapter outlines and openings, and sample passages of writing that demonstrate your unique voice. You will also spend time dissecting the techniques of successful science writers in order to learn the most useful tricks in the business.

Michael Brooks, who holds a PhD in quantum physics, is an author and journalist. His books include The Secret Anarchy of Science and the bestselling 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense. www.michaelbrooks.org Aarathi Prasad’s first book, Like A Virgin: How Science is Redesigning the Rules of Sex, was published in 2012. Her second book Indian Medicine was written around the themes of a Wellcome Collection exhibition. She has a PhD in molecular biology and has written and presented many television and radio programmes including Brave New World with Stephen Hawking for the Discovery Channel.

Guest: Robin Ince is a science populariser and comedian. He presents Infinite Monkey Cage on BBC Radio 4 with Brian Cox, which won a Sony Gold Award.

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October 10 – October 15, Lumb Bank

55. STARTING TO WRITE NON-FICTION Finding the centre of your life-writing story How do you find the centre of the life-writing story that you’re trying to tell? What are the bookends of that story? How do you begin and, importantly, how do you end? Over the week we will explore how you sift through characters to select your cast, and how to establish the tone and direction of your story.

How and when do you employ dialogue, and how do you weigh the accuracy of anecdotes and story vignettes against the larger purpose and truth of your non-fiction writing?

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Laura Barton, previously a feature writer and music columnist for the Guardian, now writes for various publications including Intelligent Life, Q, and the New York Times. She has written short stories and documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and a novel, Twenty-One Locks.

Colin Grant’s books include Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey and I&I, The Natural Mystics. His memoir, Bageye at the Wheel, was shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley Prize. www.colingrant.info Guest: Ian Thomson is an award-winning biographer, reporter, translator and literary critic.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a senior lecturer in Creative Non-Fiction at University of East Anglia.

Totleigh Barton, October 24 – October 29

56. LIFE WRITING Suitcase stories: from life to page Departures, arrivals, journeys: what happens when people migrate? What stories emerge from the contrasts between different worlds? And how do we go about telling these stories?

On this course, we will unpack truth, imagination, characters, places, and different kinds of stories. We will explore personal and family history to write compelling fiction or non-fiction.

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Kapka Kassabova is author of Twelve Minutes of Love, a tango biography, and Street Without a Name, a memoir of her native Bulgaria. After emigrating to New Zealand in her teens, she now lives in Scotland.

Nick Barlay has written four novels and was mentioned in Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists in 2003. Born to Hungarian Jewish refugees, his latest book, Scattered Ghosts, explores his family history. www.nickbarlay.com Guest: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is a weekly columnist for the Independent newspapers. She has written several works of non-fiction, including a food memoir, The Settler’s Cookbook. Her latest book is Exotic England.

November 21 – November 26, The Hurst

57. NON-FICTION History, memory and the art of telling stories We’ll cover the basic areas a new novelist needs to engage with: character, setting, and the events that form the plot. We’ll study different openings to successful novels, carry out exercises to begin building and honing your characters, and help you find ways to shape your ideas into a structure that suits your story.

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Julie Summers is the author of 12 non-fiction books, some drawing on her family, focussing on 20th century adventure and the Second World War. Jambusters inspired the ITV drama series Home Fires. www.juliesummers.co.uk Sukhdev Sandhu is the author of London Calling, I’ll Get My Coat, and Night Haunts. He is a publisher, writes regularly for the Guardian, and is an Associate Professor at New York University.

Guest: Madge Dresser is the author of Slavery Obscured: the Social History of the Slave Trade in Bristol. She co-authored and co-edited Slavery and the British Country House for Historic England and Women and the City: Bristol 1373–2000.

WRITING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS

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58. YOUNG ADULT FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS April 11 – 16, Lumb Bank Tutors: Marcus Sedgwick & Sally Gardner 59. CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT May 30 – June 4, The Hurst Tutors: Narinder Dhami & Malachy Doyle 60. PICTURE BOOKS August 8 – 13, Lumb Bank Tutors: Joyce Dunbar & Petr Horacek 61. CHILDREN’S FICTION August 29 – September 3, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Steve Voake & NM Browne 62. YOUNG ADULT FICTION October 10 – 15, The Hurst Tutors: Tanya Byrne & Bali Rai

Lumb Bank, April 11 – April 16

58. YOUNG ADULT FICTION: WORK-IN-PROGRESS Connecting with the young adult within This week will explore where your writing comes from and examine how to make it connect powerfully with the reader.

Work will focus on basic elements such as plot, character and place, and how using them well offers the path to telling your story in the strongest way. Perhaps most importantly we will encourage you to uncover the sources of your imagination.

And we will discuss questions such as: Why YA? What is it?

Should it even exist as a concept? Participants are invited to submit up to 2000 words of a work-in-progress, to be sent to Lumb Bank by March 1st 2016.

Marcus Sedgwick’s books have won or been shortlisted for more than 40 prizes in the UK and abroad. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Sally Gardner is a multi-award-winning novelist who has a fascination with fairytales. Her work has been translated into more than 22 languages.

Guest: CJ Flood is the author of Infinite Sky, which was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and won the Branford Boase Award. Her second novel, Nightwanderers, is published in 2016.

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May 30 – June 4, The Hurst

59. CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION: TUTORED RETREAT Bringing it to life The Hurst is a wonderful place to write, and children’s writers are always a friendly bunch. So join us to start/work on/complete that story. Whatever age-group you’re writing for, from picture book to young adult, we will be on hand to provide help and inspiration. If you can send up to 2000 words of a work-inprogress to The Hurst by April 4th 2016, it’ll help us give you more considered feedback.

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Narinder Dhami has been a full-time writer for 17 years. Her books include 13 Hours, Bang, Bang, You’re Dead!, the novelisation of the film Bend It Like Beckham and many of the multi-million selling ‘Rainbow Magic’ titles.

Malachy Doyle has written more than 100 books for young people of all ages. Among his most recent are Too Noisy, Tadcu’s Bobble Hat and Pete and the Five-a-Side Vampires.

Guest: Geraldine McCaughrean is author of 170 books and plays for every age. They have brought her dozens of awards, even more pleasure.

Lumb Bank, August 8 – August 13

60. PICTURE BOOKS Dancing with words: dreaming in pictures

What comes first in the making of a picture book? Words?

An idea? An image? This course is for anyone interested in writing and/or illustrating picture books. How do writers and illustrators work together? What is their relationship? What about the people who do both? What is the role of the editor and designer? How do you approach a publisher or an agent?

The course will explore the many elements of picture-book making in order to inspire and shape ideas. It will be playful, fun, experimental and enlightening.

Joyce Dunbar has written more than 80 books, working with world-class illustrators and published in many languages. Her most recent title, created in collaboration with Polly Dunbar, her daughter, is called Pat-A-Cake Baby.

Petr Horacek was born in 1967 in Czechoslovakia.

As a writer and illustrator he has published more than 30 books. Since 1995 he has lived in England.

His latest books are The Mouse Who Reached the Sky and Blue Penguin.

Guest: Polly Dunbar is the author/illustrator of Penguin. She has also collaborated with her mother Joyce Dunbar. Their latest book is Pat-A-Cake Baby.

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August 29 – September 3, Totleigh Barton

61. CHILDREN’S FICTION Serious play A course for writers who are seriously interested in writing for young people. Practical writing exercises, group discussion and individual tutorials will help you get started and develop your story. We will cover topics such as characterisation, plot, structure, viewpoint and voice, and provide an insight into the contemporary children’s publishing market.

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Steve Voake is the award-winning author of more than 20 books for young people including The Dreamwalker’s Child, The Starlight Conspiracy and Blood Hunters. He is senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

NM Browne is an enthusiastic reader, writer and teacher of children’s literature. To date she has published nine young adult novels and eight books for younger children. www.nmbrowne.com Guest: Piers Torday began writing The Last Wild trilogy on an Arvon course. The books have since sold around the world, and won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize in 2014. www.pierstorday.co.uk

The Hurst, October 10 – October 15

62. YOUNG ADULT FICTION The art of young adult fiction This will be a fun and exciting week focused on the art of writing young adult fiction. From character development to dialogue, in-depth editing to successful plotting, we will take you past the basics, and give you an understanding of how YA works. How do you craft an authentic teenage voice? How do you develop your own YA style? This course is suitable for new and existing writers.

Take the next step and let us help you to develop your work.

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Tanya Byrne’s debut novel, Heart-Shaped Bruise, was published in 2012, shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger, and longlisted for the Branford Boase Award. Tanya was also shortlisted for New Writer of the Year at the National Book Awards. Her third novel, For Holly, was recently published.

Bali Rai is a multi-award-winning author of more than 30 young adult, teen and children’s books.

His writing pushes boundaries and has made him extremely popular on the school visit circuit across the world. Two of his books are recommended reads for KS3 and GCSE. Guest: Sally Green’s debut YA novel Half Bad won the Best Book for Teens in the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and broke the world record for most foreign language rights sold ahead of publication.

THEATRE/ TV/FILM/ RADIO 102

63. PLAYWRITING April 18 – 23, The Hurst Tutors: Simon Stephens & Graham Whybrow 64. TUTORED RETREAT: SCREENWRITING May 30 – June 4, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Robin Mukherjee & & Ursula Rani Sarma 65. PLAYWRITING June 20 – 25, Lumb Bank Tutors: David Eldridge & Tanika Gupta

69. TV COMEDY October 10 – October 15, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Sarah Morgan & David Quantick 70. WRITING FOR PUPPETRY October 23 – 29, Lumb Bank Tutor: Mervyn Millar 71. MUSICAL THEATRE November 21 – 26, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Willy Russell & Nick Stimson 103

66. RADIO DRAMA August 1 – 6, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Simon Armitage & Susan Roberts 67. STARTING TO WRITE A PLAY August 8 – 13, The Hurst Tutors: Jessica Swale & Inua Ellams 68. SCREENWRITING August 29 – September 3, The Hurst Tutors: Kate Leys & Andrea Gibb

April 18 – 23, The Hurst

63. PLAYWRITING Writing original plays for stage

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This week is a creative investigation of the mechanics of playwriting. It explores elements of form such as character, action, setting, narrative and structure. It delves into dramatic action and dramatic irony. It pulls this all together to develop new stories and find dramatic form. The week focuses on writing original stories for theatre (not adaptations from other sources).

It is useful both for playwrights at the beginning of their career, and for writers who have written one or two plays and wish to develop their craft. The week aims to be creative, inventive, challenging, irreverent and fun.

Simon Stephens has been teaching and writing for theatre for 14 years. More than 20 of his plays and adaptations have been produced in many languages, all over the world.

Graham Whybrow works internationally advising theatres, playwrights, directors and other theatremakers. He was literary manager of the Royal Court Theatre from 1994–2007. He is a consultant on developing arts policies for producing new plays and for fostering the artistic development of talented playwrights and theatre directors.

Guest: Lucy Prebble is a writer for film, television, games and theatre. Her latest play, The Effect, won the Critics Circle Award for Best New Play 2013.

Totleigh Barton, May 30 – June 4

64. TUTORED RETREAT: SCREENWRITING Take your writing to the next level This is an opportunity to develop your script under the supervision of two award-winning industry professionals.

Rather than workshops, you will have a one-to-one tutorial each day focusing on your writing, its challenges, and your questions. In the evenings we can gather for informal discussions and advice. So that the tutors can do some advance planning, please submit a two-page outline of your script along with the first ten pages, if available, by 23rd May 2016, preferably by email, to Totleigh Barton.

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Ursula Rani Sarma is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. She has written for the BBC, RTE, TV3, Element Films and Company Pictures amongst others. Her plays have been produced by companies such as the RNT, The Abbey, Clean Break and The Traverse.

Robin Mukherjee has written extensively for film, television, radio, and theatre. His recent film, Lore, won critical acclaim and numerous awards worldwide. He is currently adapting Paul Scott’s novel, Staying On, with support from the BFI. Guest: Lee Thomas is a creative producer whose credits include the Oscar-nominated The Voorman Problem, Michael Winterbottom’s The Road to Guantanamo and Crush.

June 20 – June 25, Lumb Bank

65. PLAYWRITING Improving your playwriting craft from blank page to stage Expect a fun and packed week expanding your writer’s toolkit.

We will think think about what it is you want to write, how to focus first ideas and then how to begin to structure and shape them. We’ll look at ways in to character, telling the story through dramatic action, the importance of subtext and making your backstory active. We will offer our expertise and insight to help get your script ready to be produced.

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David Eldridge’s plays include Under The Blue Sky, Festen (after the dogme95 film), Market Boy, The Knot of the Heart, In Basildon and recently Holy Warriors. His work has been performed at The Royal Court, the Bush, the Almeida, the Royal Exchange and the National Theatre, amongst others. He has adapted classic Scandinavian dramas, and written for TV, film and radio.

Tanika Gupta is a playwright and screenwriter. Her plays include The Empress, Sugar Mummies, Catch, White Boy, Wah!Wah!Girls and Love N Stuff. Her plays have been performed at the RSC, Royal Court and Sadlers Wells. She has also written extensively for BBC radio drama and television series.

Guest: Vivienne Franzmann’s plays include Mogadishu and The Witness and Pests. In 2008, she was one of the winners of the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition. She has written for radio and television.

Totleigh Barton, August 1 – August 6

66. RADIO DRAMA Develop your lyrical voice and your technical skills A course designed for confident writers who are keen to explore dramatic writing for radio, considering both the creative and the practical aspects of the art form. Alongside workshops, discussions, listening sessions and tutorials we offer the opportunity for you to make a short recorded piece with a leading sound designer.

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Simon Armitage has published over a dozen collections of poetry and writes extensively for radio, television and theatre. In 2015 he was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford University.

Susan Roberts, editor of BBC Drama North, is an award-winning director (including Sony Gold, Silver and Amnesty International) for radio, film and theatre. She has produced a wide range of BBC radio dramas and documentaries.

Guest: Eloise Whitmore, a radio and animation sound designer, has been working in broadcasting for 15 years. In 2013, she won the Radio Sound Designer and Producer of the Year Award.

August 8 – August 13, The Hurst

67. STARTING TO WRITE A PLAY Thinking in three dimensions Playwriting is one of the most exciting forms of writing, because you’re creating live action. This course will help you explore the key elements of drama. Beginning with basic story construction through to specific exercises and scene analysis, we’ll look at character, plot, structure and dialogue, before helping you shape your own work in individual tutorials.

You’ll leave with a full notebook and a play on the way.

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Jessica Swale is an award-winning theatre director and playwright. Her plays include Nell Gwynn, Thomas Tallis and Blue Stockings, one of 2015’s most performed plays, and numerous stage adaptations.

She recently won a JJ Screenwriting Bursary Award from BAFTA. Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright and performer.

Identity, displacement and destiny are recurring themes across his work. He mixes traditional African storytelling with contemporary poetry to create new stories.

Guest: Richard Bean is an award-winning playwright. He is best known for the international hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors.

The Hurst, August 29 – September 3

68. SCREENWRITING Defining and telling your story Screenwriting is always ‘work-in-progress’ and script development runs on for longer than anyone ever thinks it will.

Screenplays are written and revised countless times but the real work is always on the story, not the scenes. This course offers the chance to work on the story at the heart of your screenplay with two highly experienced screenwriting professionals. We will focus on your story in an intensive week of insight and inspiration.

Before the course, we will ask you for a one-page story synopsis, three-page treatment and the first ten pages of your script.

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Kate Leys is a feature film script editor who works on television and film screenplays at all stages of development. Recent projects include John Maclean’s Slow West and Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain’s Babylon.

Andrea Gibb is an award-winning Scottish film and television writer. Her screenplays for Dear Frankie and Afterlife won her the Scottish Screen Filmmaker of the Year Award and a Women In Film and Television script award. Her feature film adaptation of Swallows and Amazons is released in 2016.

Guest: Jonathan Asser worked in prison with violent inmates, then he wrote the multi-awardwinning Starred Up as his first feature.

October 10 – October 15, Totleigh Barton

69. TV COMEDY Sketches and sitcom, from script to screen Where do you get ideas for sketches? Are there rules for writing a sitcom – and can you break them? Why are some words funnier than others? How does an idea go from script to screen? If you love comedy and want to write for TV, this course run by industry professionals is full of practical advice and assignments to improve your skills. Participants are invited to submit three sketches and/or the first 10 pages of a sitcom (not mandatory) to Totleigh Barton by 10th September 2016.

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Sarah Morgan has written for Tracey Ullmann, Mitchell and Webb, Horrible Histories and many more. She is the creator of original sitcoms for the BBC and Sky. David Quantick is the Emmy-winning sitcom writer of HBO’s Veep, and a sketch-writer for Brass Eye, TV Burp, The Fast Show, David Quantick’s First Impressions and many more.

Guest: Isy Suttie is a comedian, actor and writer.

She starred in the sitcom Peep Show, and in 2013 won the Gold award for Best Comedy at the Sony Radio Academy Awards for her radio show Pearl and Dave.

Lumb Bank, October 24 – October 29

70. WRITING FOR PUPPETRY Writing the impossible Explore the possibilities of the stage. Traditional puppets are just the start of a process allowing your imagination to unfold in your theatre writing. This course will focus on writing for the theatre when you may want to include non-human characters, theatrical experiment or anything that doesn’t seem to fit the patterns of the traditional play. We will lead playful, practical sessions exploring the language of puppetry, and playwriting practice. An opportunity to try something different in your stage writing.

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Mervyn Millar is a theatre director and puppetry specialist. He was in the original creative team for War Horse and artistic director of Handspring UK. He has worked in new writing throughout his career. www.significantobject.com Carl Grose is a member of the UK’s acclaimed Cornish company Kneehigh Theatre and has performed shows such as The King of Prussia, Nights at the Circus and most recently, Dead Dog in a Suitcase. He has also written for BBC TV and Radio.

Guest: Horse and Bamboo have been making visual theatre in Rossendale and touring internationally since 1978. Alison Duddle, joint artistic director, and Esther Ferry-Kennington, producer, will bring some puppets and talk about how they go about developing a show from initial ideas through to touring show.

November 21 – November 26, Totleigh Barton

71. MUSICAL THEATRE Using music and lyrics to tell the tale For those who want to experiment with how the story can be told through song and drama. We will cover setting the scene, assailing the heart, making the point and moving the plot along.

Each evening there will a presentation of the day’s completed work. This week is suitable for both tunesmiths and wordsmiths.

Please bring instruments where practical.

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Willy Russell is the author, lyricist and composer of Blood Brothers, one of the longest-running musicals in West End history. His other musical works include John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Our Day Out – the musical – as well as film scores for Mr Love, Terraces and Shirley Valentine. www.willyrussell.com Nick Stimson is a playwright and director. Musicals include Korczak (music by Chris Williams); NHS The Musical (music by Jimmy Jewell) and A Winter’s Tale (music and lyrics by Howard Goodall).

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72. SONGWRITING June 6 – 11, Totleigh Barton Tutors: Helen Porter & Helen Chadwick 73. GRAPHIC NOVEL June 13 – 18, The Hurst Tutors: Leah Moore & Kate Charlesworth 74. SONGWRITING September 12 – 17, Lumb Bank Tutors: Samantha Parton & Kathryn Williams 114

75. BOOK ART October 3 – 8, Lumb Bank Tutors: Rachel Hazel & Stevie Ronnie 76. LITERARY TRANSLATION November 7 – 12, Lumb Bank Tutors: Margaret Jull Costa & Daniel Hahn 77. COMEDY WRITING November 14 – 19, The Hurst Tutors: Richard Thomas & Ivor Baddiel

Totleigh Barton, June 6 – June 11

72. SONGWRITING In search of the song This course will feature daily group sessions to explore melody, harmony, accompaniment, rhythm and lyrics. You will try creating songs in different genres, and there will be plenty of time for solo and small group work and some individual coaching, including performance where desired. Bring texts for songs that inspire you or which you have written/half-written as well as something to record and play back your musical ideas (for example a smartphone and/or MP3 player). The course is aimed at those with some experience of songwriting or for experienced writers who want to expand their range. Please send examples of two songs you have composed as MP3 files to totleighbarton@arvon.org by 4th April 2016.

Helen Porter is a singer, composer, musical director and vocal coach. She composes music for theatre, arranges for choirs and teaches singing. She also writes for and performs with the quartet Misbehavin. www.counterparts.org.uk Helen Chadwick is a songwriter, performance creator and recording artist, who composes mainly for unaccompanied voices. www.helenchadwick.com Guest: Sam Lee is a folk singer, song collector and founder of The Nest Collective. His debut album was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Award and his new album, The Fade In Time, was called “one of the albums of the year” by the Guardian.

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June 13 – June 18, The Hurst

73. GRAPHIC NOVEL Writing pictures and drawing stories Are words just not enough? Do you aspire to collaborate on a comic or go solo with a self-drawn project? Do you want to explore memoir or embark on an epic? We’ll show you how to generate and flesh out ideas, write for visual narrative, and lay out pages. We’ll help you explore graphic styles and techniques to realise your vision on the page.

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Leah Moore has written comics since 2004.

She has written most genres, including original ‘Sherlock Holmes’ mysteries, horror, fairytales, and even Doctor Who. Kate Charlesworth has written and drawn strips and comics for many different publications.

Her books include a recent collaboration with Mary and Bryan Talbot – Sally Heathcote: Suffragette. She is currently scripting a graphic memoir. www.katecharlesworth.com Guest: Isabel Greenberg is a London-based comic artist and illustrator. Her first graphic novel The Encylopedia of Early Earth was published in 2013.

Lumb Bank, September 12 – September 17

74. SONGWRITING Off the beaten track This course, for songwriters with some experience, will guide you on a quest to find new inspiration and lead you out of your usual songwriting pathways, armed with all the essential equipment you’ll need for the journey. We’ll use exercises, such as first-person character writing, to distil big ideas into more original observations, helping you kickstart your creativity and hone your own idiosyncratic lyric voice.

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Samantha Parton is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known as a founding member of Canadian band The Be Good Tanyas.

Her songs have appeared in film and television shows such as Skins and Weeds.

Kathryn Williams is a Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter. Her first album, Dog Leap Stairs, was famously released on her own label with a budget of £80. Her tenth studio album, Crown Electric, was released in 2013.

Guest: Bill Ryder-Jones left The Coral after their fifth studio album Roots and Echoes. Since then Bill has released a fully orchestrated imaginary soundtrack to Italo Calvino’s novel If On A Winters Night A Traveller and a critically acclaimed second solo album A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart.

October 3 – October 8, Lumb Bank

75. BOOK ART Word forms Are you a writer interested in making, or an artist who would like to explore new ways of incorporating text into your work?

How does the physical format of the book affect the way in which we interpret a text? How can we play with form to heighten the reader experience? Starting with etymology, we will combine making and writing techniques to challenge conventional ideas of linguistic, literary and book forms.

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Rachel Hazel is a book-artist who has taught workshops in inspiring landscapes from Iona to Antarctica. She has been commissioned by Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Conran Shop and The National Galleries of Scotland. www.rachelhazell.com Stevie Ronnie is a freelance writer and multidisciplinary artist. His latest poetry collection is Manifestations and he is the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship, a Jerwood/Arvon menteeship and a Northern Promise Award.

Guest: Amy Shelton is a full-time artist and founder of Honeyscribe. Recent exhibitions have been at the Southbank, the Eden Project, The Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh and DAAD Gallery, Berlin.

Lumb Bank, November 7 – November 12

76. LITERARY TRANSLATION A writer’s instinct Literary translators write the world’s books for new readers.

But how? To be a translator you need to be the closest of readers in one language, and the most accomplished and versatile of writers in another. You need rich cultural understanding, detailed literary sensitivity and a writer’s instinct, as you strive to create a new piece of English writing that is identical to the original – apart from all the words. It is perhaps the simplest kind of writing, perhaps the most complex. This course will examine the skills needed to make a great translation, and a great translator.

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Margaret Jull Costa has been a literary translator for nearly 30 years, translating such writers as Eça de Queiroz, José Saramago and Javier Marías. In 2014 she was awarded an OBE for services to literature.

Daniel Hahn is an award-winning translator from Portuguese, Spanish and French, whose work spans fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, plays and poetry. He is a former Chair of the Translators Association.

Guest: Stefan Tobler is a literary translator from Portuguese and German and the founder of And Other Stories. His translation of Lispector’s Água Viva was shortlisted for the 2015 Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize.

November 14 – November 19, The Hurst

77. COMEDY WRITING Finding your comedy voice What makes something funny? How do you take your ideas and turn them into comedy gold? Whether you have work in development or you’re a complete beginner, this week is for you.

We will cover every aspect of comedy writing, from stand-up to musicals, from scriptwriting to prose. We will offer you guidance and top tips on how to pursue your passion for comedy in a seriously fun environment.

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Richard Thomas’s comedy roots are in stand-up.

He went on to be the creator, writer/composer of Jerry Springer The Opera, co-written with Stewart Lee. Other credits include Rose D’Or-winning Kombat Opera Presents, Tourettes Diva and Anna Nicole. He also wrote lyrics for Made in Dagenham.

He is currently working on a number of projects for BBC and Sky Arts.

For 20 years Ivor Baddiel has been writing comedy for television, radio and whoever pays. He’s written for Stephen Fry, Graham Norton and Joan Rivers (to name a few), and credits include The BAFTAs, Mock The Week and Comic Relief.

Guest: Claire Zolkwer is commissioning editor of comedy entertainment for ITV. She oversees a range of programmes across the ITV family of channels.

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78. RETREAT April 18 – 23, Lumb Bank 79. POETRY RETREAT WITH WALKING May 23 – 28, The Hurst

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See also 16. FICTION TUTORED RETREAT 20. FICTION TUTORED RETREAT

80. RETREAT WITH YOGA June 13 – 18, Totleigh Barton

59. FICTION TUTORED RETREAT

81. RETREAT August 1 – 6, The Hurst

33. POETRY TUTORED RETREAT

82. RETREAT October 31 – November 5, Totleigh Barton

44. POETRY TUTORED RETREAT 64. SCREENWRITING TUTORED RETREAT

Lumb Bank, April 18 – April 23

78. RETREAT

Leave the world behind and spend five days concentrating on your writing project, surrounded by 20 acres of steep woodland and rivers, weavers’ cottages, packhorse trails and ruins of old mills. Let the landscape inspire you, and give your writing the concentration and time it deserves.

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May 23 – May 28, The Hurst

79. POETRY RETREAT WITH WALKING The rhythm of walking

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“I was the world in which I walked”, wrote Wallace Stevens.

Many poets and writers have been keen walkers, knowing that the rhythms of travel can walk you into your best thoughts in the best order. As Rebecca Solnit said, “the rhythm of walking generates a kind of rhythm of thinking, and the passage through a landscape echoes or stimulates the passage through a series of thoughts… A new thought often seems like a feature of the landscape that was there all along, as though thinking were travelling...” Join us for a magical week of walking, natural history and writing poetry in the first Arvon Retreat of its kind in the inspirational woodlands, hills and valleys of Shropshire.

David Morley’s recent poetry collections include The Gypsy and the Poet, Enchantment and The Invisible Kings. The Invisible Kings: Selected Poems was published in 2015. He is a fully trained ecologist and Professor of Poetry at Warwick University. www.davidmorley.org.uk Guest: Steve Ely has published two books of poetry, Oswald’s Book of Hours and Englaland.

Totleigh Barton, June 13 – June 18

80. RETREAT WITH YOGA Stretch your creative muscles Stretch your body, relax your mind and tap into your most creative self. Writer and yoga teacher Lucy Greeves will help you get inspired this summer with tried-and-tested yoga and meditation techniques. Work on your writing project at your own pace, in the company of supportive peers and with the benefit of twice-daily classes designed to energise (8–9.30am) and unwind (4.30–5.30pm). Suitable for anyone with a genuine interest in yoga, including beginners. Single rooms for all writers.

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Lucy Greeves has been using yoga to support her own writing career since 1999, and has been leading retreats at Totleigh Barton since 2011.

She is particularly interested in helping her students to access a more expansive, authentic way of being – and writing – through yoga and meditation.

August 1 – August 6, The Hurst

81. RETREAT

If you are seeking space, time and tranquillity to write, then this week is for you. Come to The Hurst, set in 26 acres of beautiful Shropshire countryside. All rooms are en-suite and the friendly staff are on hand ensuring that you are well looked after.

Step aside from everyday distractions and commitments and give yourself the greatest gift of all: time. We look forward to welcoming you.

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Totleigh Barton, October 31 – November 5

82. RETREAT

No distractions but the occasional owl and the crackle of the wood stove. Retreat to Totleigh Barton, a cosy and tranquil 16th-century manor house in beautiful Devon, and find the motivation to get to grips with your work-in-progress or begin something new. With all day to yourself, near-infinite supplies of tea and cake on hand, and the invitation to dine with your fellow writers in the evening, you can really give your writing the time and focus it needs.

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COURSE FEES

HOW TO BOOK A COURSE

The fee for 2016 standard courses and tutored retreats is £750.

Bookings can be made online at www.arvon.org. You can also book by calling the centre where your chosen course is held.

This covers a single room, all workshops, tutorials and readings, and full board accommodation (not including alcohol).

A few places with shared rooms are available at Totleigh Barton and Lumb Bank at the reduced rate of £700.

Other courses All single rooms only: Retreat (untutored): £550 Retreat with yoga: £650 Retreat with walking: £650 Grants are available if you cannot afford the full fee (please see page 129).

To secure your place, you will need to pay a deposit of £150 at the time of booking (unless you’re applying for a grant). You are welcome to pay in instalments via our online booking system.

The full balance of your course fee is payable no later than six weeks before the course starts.

GRANTS FOR WRITERS

TEACHERS’ GRANTS

If you are a UK resident and cannot afford the full course fee, we encourage you to apply for one of our grants, which are awarded on the basis of financial need and not writing ability. Last year we were able to help more than 90% of all writers who applied. Priority is given to those coming to Arvon for the first time. You may apply for any amount up to the full course fee, although most grants are between £200 and £400. We offer higher amounts only in exceptional cases. To help us support as many people as possible, please apply only if you’d be unable to attend the course without a grant, and ask for the minimum amount you need.

Arvon supports the professional development of practising teachers of English, who may apply for a special fixed grant of £200 towards a course fee. You will need to send evidence that you are a practising teacher of English at a UK state primary or secondary school, or further education college. Teachers’ grants are limited in number and can be applied for in addition to the usual grant if further financial assistance is needed.

Find out how to apply for a grant overleaf.

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TO APPLY FOR A GRANT 1 Download a grant pack from our website, or ask us to send it to you. It contains full details of the application procedure and an application form.

2 Reserve a place on your chosen course, either online or by phoning the centre hosting your course, and make sure you indicate that you wish to apply for a grant. You do not need to pay a deposit at this stage.

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3 Complete the application form and send it along with your supporting documents to your chosen centre within a week.

4 Within seven days we will assess your application, contact you with a decision, and finalise your booking. If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate centre.

“To have had the opportunity to be inspired by such beautiful surroundings and people and meet and work with experts as impressive as our tutors has had a major impact on my writing and would not have been possible without the grant.”

—grant recipient If you would like to support Arvon’s grant fund with a donation please see page 132 for more details.

Arvon Free Word Centre 60 Farringdon Road London EC1R 3GA

Tel: 020 7324 2554 national@arvon.org www.arvon.org

ARVON NATIONAL OFFICE Chief Executive: Ruth Borthwick Director of Operations: Nick Murza Finance Officer: Tufel Miah Administrator (National office): Suzie Jones Head of Learning and Participation: Becky Swain Learning and Participation Coordinator: Joe Bibby Founders John Fairfax John Moat Patrons Simon Armitage CBE Lord (Melvyn) Bragg FRS, FRSL Alan Brownjohn FRSL Lady Caroline Chichester-Clark Dr David Cohen CBE Carol Ann Duffy CBE Jerry Hall Professor Sir Andrew Motion Nigel Pantling David Pease MBE Salman Rushdie FRSL Wole Soyinka FRSL Pete Townshend

Head of Development: Kathryn Beale Development Officer: Dean Stigwood Development Administrator: Meg Rumbelow Hemsley Head of Communications: George Palmer Communications Administrator: Livia Filotico Digital Communications Officer: Somshun Khan Joint Presidents Sir Robin Chichester-Clark Terry Hands CBE Board of Trustees Alistair Burtenshaw (Chair) Dr Judith Abbott Patience Agbabi Sir Andrew Cahn KCMG Tony Cohen Kate Donaghy Marion Gibbs CBE Michael Symmons Roberts Sophie Rochester Meriel Schindler Simon Trewin Virginia Wedgwood Andy Wimble

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HOW CAN I MAKE A DONATION?

Arvon is grateful for donations of all sizes, which support young people and adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend an Arvon course.

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You can make a donation via our website, or write a cheque payable to Arvon, posting it to Development, Arvon, Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA. Or you may prefer to discuss your gift first – we would be delighted to hear from you.

Why not become a Friend of Arvon, and help others whilst staying inspired to write?

For an annual fee of £45 you’ll have first choice on our courses, and you’ll receive specialist writing tips and exercises. (See the inside back page for more details.)

Remember Arvon in your will and help us grow our work for future generations.

If you would like to start this conversation, do please contact us.

See page 10 for more details on how your donation helps Arvon.

To discuss supporting Arvon, contact Kathryn Beale, Head of Development: kathryn.beale@arvon.org 020 7324 2576 www.arvon.org/supportus

ARVON RELIES ON YOUR GENEROSITY Thank you to those who support our work The Fagus Anstruther Memorial Trust

The Hollick Family Charitable Trust

The Elizabeth and Gordon Bloor Charitable Trust

The McGrath Trust

The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

The Finnis Scott Foundation

The John S Cohen Foundation The Barbara and Philip Denny Charitable Trust The Eranda Foundation The Hedley Foundation The Golsoncott Foundation

The Rayne Foundation The Tedworth Charitable Trust The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society Amazon Betsy Tobin and Peter Sands

Arvon Friends, Angels, Trustees, and those who wish to remain anonymous

The Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Scheme is generously supported by

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STAY IN TOUCH

TWITTER News and writing advice from Arvon and the writing community @arvonfoundation @TotleighBarton @Hurstonthescene @Lumb_Bank 134

@ ENEWSLETTER www.arvon.org/ mailing-list Sign up to our emailing list for monthly updates on new courses, writing tips from tutors and updates from Arvon centres, and to receive our annual e-brochure.

FACEBOOK arvonfoundation Daily snippets of inspirational quotes and literary news

INSTAGRAM arvoninsta The best images from our centres and from our national office

PINTEREST arvon Inspiring photos from Arvon centres, writing tips and quotes

TUMBLR arvonwriter A resource for writers, with writing advice from Arvon tutors

PHOTO CREDITS Arvon is very grateful to all the photographers and photo agencies who kindly gave us permission to reprint their author portraits. We aim to credit every photographer. Please let us know if we have been unable to credit you.

Simon Armitage by Paul Wolfgang Webster Mona Arshi by Amanda Pepper Jenn Ashworth by Martin Figura Michael Brooks by Andrew Perris N.M. Browne by Paul Browne Colette Bryce by Christopher Phyliss Tom Bullough by Juilian Broad Lucy Burnett by Alex Hewitt Paul Burston by Adrian Lourie Sarah Butler by Eva Sajovic Helena Chadwick by Hazel Holder Kate Charlesworth by Dianne Barry Kayo Chingonyi by Naomi Woddis Tom Chivers by Travis Elborough Clare Wigfall by Troy Giunipero Nagra Daljit by Lucinda Douglas-Menzies Ian Duhig by Gerry Cambridge Patricia Duncker by Keith Morris Petina Gappah by Bathsheba Okwenje Rebecca Goss by Rosie Bennett Colin Grant by Maya Grant Jay Griffiths by Timothy Griffiths Romesh Gunesekera by Yemisi Blake Jen Hadfield by Tineke De lange Emylia Hall by fayetography.com Samantha Harvey by Matt Lincoln Rachel Hazel by Uli Schade Bill Herbert by Isobel Taylor-Herbert Tania Hershman by Lou Abercrombie Kathryn Heyman by Luke Stambouliah Sarah Howe by Hayley Madden Kapka Kassabova by Marti Friedlander Mimi Khalvati by Caroline Forbes Michael Laskey by Jovita Valaityte Jonathan Lee by Tanja Kernweiss Sam Lee by Frederic Aranda Chrissie Manby by Michael Pilkington Adam Marek by Jayne Odell Kathryn Maris by Marion Ettlinger

Stephen May by Jonathan Ring Melanie McGrath by Patricia Grey Jamie McEndrick by Caroline Forbes Andrew McMillan by Innes Morrison Dreda Say Mitchell by Hugo Dixon Leah Moore by Mitch Jenkins Helena Nelson by Peter Everard Smith Katharine Norbury by Robin Farquhar Thomson Lisa O’Donnell by C.J Monk Adam O’Riordan by Mark Pringle Lauren Owen by Urszula Soltys Jenny Parrott by Mark Rusher Peter Sansom by Charlie Hedley Pascale Petit by Kaido Vainomaa Lumb Bank by Susan Elliott Wright Jacob Polley by Mai Li Lin Hannah Pool by Aida Muluneh Max Porter by Lucy Dickens Aarathi Prasad by Wang Wei Rachel Seiffert by Charlie Hopkinson Ross Raisin by Angus Muir Richard Bean by Johan Persson Michele Roberts by Viv Pegram Monique Roffey by Abigail Hadeed Stevie Ronnie by Colin Davison James Runcie by Charlotte Runcie Willy Russell by James Maloney Sunjeev Sahota by Simon Revill Sukhdev Sandhu by Gail O’Hara Lawrence Scott by Eugene McConville Penelope Shuttle by Jemimah Kuhfeld Piers Torday by James Betts Jack Underwood by Laura Lewis Emma Jane Unsworth by Darren Hall Sarah Winman by Patricia Niven Sarah Wise by Katie Vandyck Tod Wodica by Michael Lionstar Totleigh Barton by Meg Rumbelow Hemsley

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TERMS & CONDITIONS In making a course booking, by phone or online, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

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Bookings All bookings must be accompanied by the appropriate deposit. For standard Arvon weeks the deposit is £150. You should not consider your booking as definite until we have confirmed it in writing or by email. The balance of your course fee is payable no later than six weeks before the course starts and we do not send reminders. Unpaid or late balances may be treated as a cancellation.

If we do not receive your balance when it’s due, we reserve the right to offer the place to someone else.

Travel insurance We cannot reimburse travel costs or other losses incurred by you in the event of cancellation by us or you.

You are strongly advised to take out travel insurance to

cover potential loss arising from cancellation or other eventuality affecting your booking, including course fees and travel costs. You should check that any policy you take meets your needs.

Cancellations Cancellations will be accepted up to six weeks before the course takes place. Your deposit will be returned less a £50 cancellation charge.

If a place is cancelled after this time, we will retain the full deposit of £150. For cancellations later than six weeks, we will do our best to find someone else to take your place and, if we succeed, the balance of your fee (less the deposit of £150) will be returned. If we cannot re-fill your place, we will retain the full fee.

Transfers At our discretion, you may be able to transfer your booking to another course at the same or another Arvon centre, subject to availability. We will normally accept transfers up

to six weeks before the course takes place, and all of the fee paid will be allocated to the new course. If we receive a request to transfer a booking after this time, we will do so only if we have already received the full course fee from you and we are able to re-fill the place on the original course. If either of these conditions is not met, we regret we are unable to transfer the booking and will treat it as cancelled, retaining all of the fee paid. Please note that we can only transfer a booking to a course within the same year, and that once a booking is transferred, we are unable to offer any refunds for subsequent cancellation, or further transfers. We cannot accept transfers from weeklong courses to any other type of course.

Changes to the programme Arvon reserves the right to make changes to the advertised programme and tutors. As we plan the Arvon programme in advance, changes will inevitably occur to some courses, and occasionally the original tutors are unavailable. We always endeavour to replace

tutors with someone of similar experience, and to give you as much notice as possible. On very rare occasions we may need to cancel a course; in this case we will offer you an alternative course or return all of the fee paid. Please note that where we have to change tutors, you do not have additional rights of cancellation and our standard terms still apply. We cannot pay travel or other costs, which you may however be able to reclaim from your travel insurance policy, and our liability to you in all cases is limited to the course fee you have paid.

Conduct Arvon courses rely on a level of tolerance and understanding of others and their creative work and we ask that you are thoughtful and respectful of other students. Arvon reserves the right to refuse a place and to exclude from a course any student who, in the opinion of the Centre Director, behaves in an abusive or disruptive manner or engages in any discriminatory conduct. No refund will be given if exclusion is made for these reasons.

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Privacy and data By booking, you agree that we may collect and store personal information about you and your interactions with Arvon.

These include: your personal contact details; gender; details of your booking and course booking history, including any access and dietary needs you have told us about; records of payments (not including credit/debit cards numbers etc.); details of any grant applications, any correspondence and any other information we need to keep in order to administer your booking. All personal information is kept securely on electronic systems. We do not store payment card details.

We will use this information to communicate with you about your booking and we may, unless you tell us otherwise, communicate with you occasionally about our work and other courses and support for writers that we offer.

We never share or sell information about our course participants with any third party, either in aggregate or in individual form.

Grants All grant applications must follow the guidelines on our grant application pack. Only UK residents are eligible for our general grants scheme and teachers’ grants are only available to those currently employed and practising as a teacher of English in a UK state primary or secondary school, or further education college.

Individuals are eligible for up to three grants in total but no more than one in any given year; each successive grant will be smaller than the last. It is a requirement of the grant that a written report is completed within two weeks of the course. Other restrictions and conditions may apply to other grant schemes run by Arvon.

Under-18s Anyone under 18 wishing to book on one of the public open courses shown in this booklet must provide written consent from their parent or guardian at the time of booking. We do not accept bookings from anyone under 16. Please note that under-18s may only book into single rooms. Parents should note that Arvon does not act in loco parentis.

Loss Arvon cannot accept responsibility for any loss, damage or expense sustained by students as a result of an event or circumstance whether arising from natural cause, human agency, or beyond its control otherwise. Where Arvon is unable to provide a course place to you for any reason, our liability is limited to return of the fees paid.

Participation and access Arvon is committed to providing a supportive and welcoming environment to all. During a week’s stay, course participants should expect to take part in daily group workshops, one-to-one sessions with tutors, group readings and discussions.

You will also be expected to share in domestic duties with your group, such as preparing a meal and washing up, for which guidance is provided. Arvon staff provide some general support to all participants but not continuous care, and participants should be able to live independently. Depending on circumstances, we may be able to accommodate a personal

care assistant. While we offer some accessible facilities, our centres do vary considerably and we regret we may not be able to accommodate some requirements. If you have specific needs, it is important that you discuss these with the centre prior to booking, to establish whether your needs can be met.

Comments and complaints While Arvon makes every effort to maintain high standards and provide high quality experiences for all writers, you may on occasion want to offer comments or make a complaint. At the end of every Arvon week, we give you the opportunity to provide feedback through our evaluation form but if you feel this is not sufficient, you may wish to make a formal complaint. A copy of our complaints procedure can be found on our website. Note that all complaints should be made, in writing, within ten working days of the end of your course.

139

Centre

Page

Fiction Work-in-Progress Young Adult Fiction Playwriting Retreat Starting to Write Poetry Fiction Work-in-Progress Historical Fiction Poetry Life Writing: Family History Poetry: Tutored Retreat Editing a Novel Starting to Write Fiction Poetry Poetry Retreat with Walking Memoir Short Story Children’s and YA: Tutored Retreat May 30 – Jun 4 Editing Poetry May 30 – Jun 4 Screenwriting: Tutored Retreat Jun 6 – 11 Crime Fiction Jun 6 – 11 Non-Fiction: Work-in-Progress Jun 6 – 11 Songwriting

No.

140

Apr 11 – 16 Apr 11 – 16 Apr 18 – 23 Apr 18 – 23 Apr 18 – 23 Apr 25 – 30 Apr 25 – 30 May 2 – 7 May 2 – 7 May 2 – 7 May 9 – 14 May 9 – 14 May 16 – 21 May 16 – 21 May 16 – 21 May 23 – 28 May 23 – 28 May 23 – 28 May 30 – Jun 4

Course title

Date

COURSE INDEX

7 58 63 78 1 31 8 9 32 47 33 10 2 11 34 79 48 12 59

TH LB TH LB TB TB LB TH LB TB TH TB TH LB TB TH LB TB TH

39 97 104 123 30 66 40 41 67 84 68 42 31 43 69 124 85 44 98

35 64 13 49 72

LB TB TH LB TB

70 105 45 86 115

Date

Course title

No.

Centre

Page

Jun 13 – 18 Jun 13 – 18 Jun 13 – 18 Jun 20 – 25 Jun 20 – 25 Jul 11 – 16 Jul 11 – 16 Jul 11 – 16 Jul 18 – 23 Jul 18 – 23 Jul 18 – 23 Aug 1 – 6 Aug 1 – 6 Aug 8 – 13 Aug 8 – 13 Aug 8 – 13 Aug 15 – 20 Aug 22 – 27 Aug 22 – 27 Aug 22 – 27 Aug 29 – Sep 3 Aug 29 – Sep 3 Aug 29 – Sep 3 Sep 5 – 10 Sep 5 – 10

Graphic Novel Writing a Novel Retreat with Yoga Poetry Playwriting Non-Fiction Romantic Fiction Nature Writing Poetry Starting to Write Fiction: Tutored Retreat Retreat Radio Drama Starting to Write a Play Picture Books Writing a Novel Starting to Write Flash Fiction Poetry Non-Fiction Screenwriting Editing Fiction Children’s Fiction Memoir Poetry

73 14 80 36 65 50 15 51 37 3 16 81 66 67 60 17 4 18 38 52 68 19 61 53 39

TH LB TB TH LB TH LB TB TH LB TB TH TB TH LB TB LB TH LB TB TH LB TB TH LB

116 46 125 71 106 87 47 88 72 32 48 126 107 108 99 49 33 50 73 89 109 51 100 90 74

141

Centre

Page

Starting to Write Fiction: Tutored Retreat Songwriting Non-Fiction: Popular Science Fiction: Work-in-Progress Poetry Poetry Starting a Novel Short Story: Towards a Collection Oct 3 – 8 Book Art Oct 3 – 8 Starting to Write Poetry Oct 10 – 15 Young Adult Fiction Oct 10 – 15 Starting to Write Non-Fiction Oct 10 – 15 TV Comedy Oct 17 – 22 Starting to Write Oct 17 – 22 Poetry Oct 17 – 22 Fiction: Psychological Thriller Oct 24 – 29 Writing for Puppetry Oct 24 – 29 Life Writing Oct 31 – Nov 5 Poetry: Tutored Retreat Oct 31 – Nov 5 Fiction: With a Gothic Twist Oct 31 - Nov 5 Retreat Nov 7 – 12 Starting to Write a Novel Nov 07 – 12 Literary Translation

No.

142

Sep 5 – 10 Sep 12 – 17 Sep 12 – 17 Sep 19 – 24 Sep 19 – 24 Sep 19 – 24 Sep 26 – Oct 1 Sep 26 – Oct 1 Oct 3 – 8

Course title

Date

COURSE INDEX

5 20 74 54 21 40 41 22 23

TB TH LB TH LB TB TH TB TH

34 52 117 91 53 75 76 54 55

75 42 62 55 69 6 43 24 70 56 44 25 82 26 76

LB TB TH LB TB TH LB TB LB TB TH LB TB TH LB

118 77 101 92 110 35 78 56 111 93 79 57 127 58 119

Course title

No.

Centre

Experimental Fiction Comedy Writing Poetry Starting to Write Fiction Non-Fiction Historical Fiction Musical Theatre Speculative Fiction Poetry: Towards a Collection

27 77 45 28 57 29 71 30 46

TB 59 TH 120 LB 80 TB 60 TH 94 LB 61 TB 112 TH 62 TB 81

Page

Date Nov 7 – 12 Nov 14 – 19 Nov 14 – 19 Nov 14 – 19 Nov 21 – 26 Nov 21 – 26 Nov 21 – 26 Nov 28 – Dec 3 Nov 28 – Dec 3

143

GIFT VOUCHERS

Do you have a friend with a flair for fiction? Or a relative who is harbouring a desire to pen poetry?

144

Find out more at www.arvon.org/giftvouchers or call 0207 324 2554

An Arvon Gift Voucher is an inspirational present. Arvon Gift Vouchers can be made up to any amount – perfect for a friendly nudge or a grand gesture.

ARVO G IF T N VOUC HE R

Welcome 2 What is Arvon? 4 The Arvon week 6 Choosing a course 8 Arvon is open to all 10 Arvon centres/ facilities 12 2016 course programme - Starting to Write 28 - Fiction 36 - Poetry 63 - Non-Fiction 82 - Writing for Children/YA 95 - Theatre/TV/Film/Radio 102 - Other 113 - Retreats 121 Course fees and grants 128 Terms and conditions 136 Course index 140

ARVON FRIENDS

“I became a friend as I wanted to support the great work Arvon do, having got so much out of my course last year, and also to have the chance to book onto courses earlier.”

—Mark, Arvon Friend 2

Priority Booking – book onto Arvon courses one month before public release Writing Resources – browse exclusive writing tips and exercises from Arvon tutors Monthly Motivation to Write – receive new writing tips by email to keep you writing Support Young Writers – your Friends payment helps bring young people to Arvon

Find out more by contacting Meg Rumbelow Hemsley meg.rumbelow@arvon.org 020 7324 2558 www.arvon.org/arvonfriends

FROM £45 PER YEAR

Arvon’s residential creative writing courses are renowned for their ability to release your imagination and transform your writing. Come to one of our beautiful rural houses in Shropshire, Devon and Yorkshire for a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials with highly respected authors. Choose from a wide range of genres. You’ll have time and space to write, and the support of your fellow writers. Grants are available to help with course fees.

“For writers, Arvon can be a truly inspirational and unforgettable experience, a time of companionship, enjoyment of literature and intense learning. It is unique among writing programmes.”

—Sarah Hall, author of Wolf Border “A perfect place to write. I loved the format of the workshops, tutorials and readings being woven together by food, friendships forming and the time to work on your own pieces too. The way the day is broken up made me feel as though I had received ten days of focused education in five.” —Lorraine, course participant www.arvon.org

2016 Arvon is a registered charity (Charity No. 306694) and a company limited by guarantee (registered in London No.1086582).

RELEASE YOUR IMAGINATION

Creative writing courses 2016