“A unique experience where you can concentrate solely on writing and being creative away from the stresses of life. It’s a friendly, very down to earth and human experience.”
Our writing courses run from Monday afternoon until Saturday morning and focus on giving you dedicated writing time. During your stay with us, you will live, eat and work with other writers. Each course is tutored by two professional writers plus a guest writer who visits mid-week to read their work and answer your questions. In the mornings, the tutors lead inspirational group workshops to help you explore specific aspects of writing, while in the afternoons you’re free to do your own work. You will also get the chance to have invaluable one-to-one tutorial time with each tutor to look at your writing individually in depth.
To get the most out of the week, you will be encouraged to share your writing with the rest of the group in an evening reading and to offer and receive feedback with your fellow students. We also strongly recommend that, before you arrive, you familiarise yourself with some of your tutors’ work; it will make a world of difference.
Throughout your course, all your accommodation and food is provided. The two Centre Directors will be your hosts and you’ll find they create a relaxed, friendly and informal atmosphere, where everyone prepares their own lunch and breakfast but takes a turn in teams to cook one evening meal for the group. (Don’t worry – the recipes and ingredients are provided and there’s lots of help at hand.) Many of our previous participants talk fondly about this uniquely collective, creative spirit of an Arvon course, and the chemistry of living and working with people from all walks of life is something you will carry with you long after the course has ended.
Courses do not rely on the use of a computer and it’s worth noting that the computer facilities vary widely from centre to centre. There is no IT support available at the centres, but centre staff will aim to fix any problems as soon as possible. You are welcome to bring your own laptop.
