Our courses start this week so it feels appropriate to share this quote from the inspirational Stephen King. Whether you’re a returning second year, or starting on a course, welcome and welcome back. We’re so excited to be teaching again after the long summer break. #backtoschool2025📚✏️

Philippa Groom, a graduate of our Life Writing Programme, is one of ten winners of this year's prestigious Fish Publishing Memoir Prize with an extract from her memoir, My Hummingbird Heart. bit.ly/4gOPCqP

Do you worry about not writing everyday? Don't. Novelist Elaine Chiew says instead of beating yourself up, it’s better to ‘visit’ your work. Open up your story, read your words, spend time with your characters. Think ‘care and nurture’ not output. bit.ly/4mfYUx7

Congratulations to Advanced Poetry Workshop alumni Lucy Heuschen whose debut poetry collection came out recently. Lucy was a student of John McCullough bit.ly/47Gpqw8

Congratulations to Life Writing Programme alumna Lisa Lintott whose play Going for Gold has won numerous awards and been commissioned by Radio 4 where it will be aired soon. She's now writing a novel! Find out more about her writing life and her top tips to writers starting out. bit.ly/4nmPYab

Do you have a novel or collection of short stories in progress? Are you looking for a critical and supportive environment where you can meet regularly and hone your work? There are just two places left in each group - maximum group size is nine writers. bit.ly/46afzMz

The Creative Writing Programme can take you from having no writing experience to having a first draft of a novel. You can study online or at venues across the south-east. It starts next month - why not follow in Lisa Fransson's footsteps and sign up? bit.ly/4kVTjfj

Well done to Dorian Nightingale whose poetry pamphlet Songs from Last Imaginations has been published by Flight of the Dragonfly Press. Dorian is an alumni of the Creative Writing Programme where he studied with Rosie Chard and John McCullough. bit.ly/484voaa @secretsoliloquies.bsky.social

Worried about writer's bottom? Author and creative writing tutor Laura Wilkinson has the answer. Check out her top writing tips #WritingCommunity bit.ly/47gWg6E @laurawauthor.bsky.social

Congratulations to student Ieuan Goodwin who was shortlisted for The Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers with his short story Lily. Ieuan finished the 2-yr creative writing course in July and was taught by Rosie Chard and Ruth Figgest in Kemptown Bookshop, Brighton.

Congratulations to Beth Miller whose seventh novel The Friendship List is published today by @bookouture.bsky.social The Friendship List is an utterly emotional and unforgettable page-turner about love and friendship. bit.ly/4fH804x

A short story by alumna Lisa Fransson has been included in an anthology of stories to bring hope in dark times. Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s famous poem, the stories included in HOPE: The Thing With Feathers have a feather motif and a hopeful ending. bit.ly/3Hwcdeu

Congratulations to our life writing tutor Katy Massey for winning the ILP John Creasey First Novel Dagger for All Us Sinners. Her book is set in Leeds in 1977, at a time when sex workers are being murdered by a serial killer they are calling the 'Ripper' bit.ly/3UOrEln

Our Tuesday morning programme in Kemptown Bookshop, Brighton is now full so we’ve introduced a new day-time course on Wednesday mornings at the Jubilee Library in Brighton starting in October. Find out more www.creativewritingprogramme.org.uk/our-courses-...

Your story matters. No one else can write it but you. You never know who might read your words and see themselves in them. Connection is key, especially in the fracturing times we are living. www.creativewritingprogramme.org.uk/inspiration/...

Kickstart your writing summer with these top writing tips from Booker Prize shortlisted author Mick Jackson, who teaches on the Brighton-based Creative Writing Programme. bit.ly/4kt3Bmm

Have you always dreamed of writing a novel? Our 2-yr Creative Writing Programme will take you from having no experience to a first draft of a novel or short story collection. Why not come along to our next taster session on 8 July to see if it's for you? bit.ly/4k3Y0E8

It’s a difficult question. Strong visual imagination, ability to observe, curiosity? Some writers have a natural ear for dialogue. Others have the ability to put the subtlest of thoughts into words. But writing is not about the practical skills. bit.ly/4egTLCE

Congratulations to Carole Aubree-Dumont, alumni of the Creative Writing Programme, who won the Emerging Authors prize at the Brighton Book Festival today with her memoir Dumb. She's pictured with student Tee Mukumbira who was named runner up and lead judge Dorothy Koomson.

We're thrilled to welcome Julia Crouch, the author of 10 novels, as a tutor. She didn’t write prose until her mid-40s but went on to coin the term domestic noir to describe her own sub-genre of psychological thriller. Find out about her writing journey bit.ly/4n1G8eA

Huge congratulations to our students and alumni who shared their work at our summer reading last Thursday. Erin Martin, Alan Bonner, Karen Antoni, Tatenda Mukumbira, Janie Reynolds and Julie Ridlington read poetry, prose, memoir and fiction. bit.ly/43OaOqU

Congratulations to Holly Winter Hughes whose collection How to Leave a Body has been published by Verve. Holly twice attended JohnMcCullough poetry workshops and says ‘without John's inspiration, guidance and knowledge this book wouldn't exist.’ bit.ly/4kVTjfj

Life Writing is any writing based on lived experience – personal or researched – and has a narrator who is not an imagined construct – biography, autobiography, memoir, diaries, letters and travel writing. It often focuses on identity, memory and emotions. bit.ly/3T48K9a

Happy publication day to RJ Barron whose second novel A Cold Wind Blows is published today! Rob took the Creative Writing Programme from 2022 to 2024. Here he talks about his writing life and offers some top writing tips to new (and not so new) writers. bit.ly/4jvUZuW

If you’re a writer and you’ve got a book and you want to get it published, then you need to come to Publishing Day online on Saturday 31st May to find out how. bit.ly/43rTUhz

'Don’t get it right, get it written. I still recite that to myself whenever I get stuck.' That's bestselling author and tutor Beth Miller's best piece of advice she's been given about writing. Here she talks more about her writing life. bit.ly/4kyh7pw

If you’ve always dreamed of writing a novel, or collection of short stories, and live in Eastbourne, then why not sign up for a taster session for the Creative Writing Programme on Thursday 3rd July or Thursday 11th September to see if it’s for you? bit.ly/3S935yj

It feels like there's never been a more important time for the arts – just as the arts is under threat like never before.

Congratulations to Clare Finan for securing representation with Jennifer Thompson at Nordleyset Literary Agency for her book The Lobsterman. She started writing the novel on the Creative Writing Programme in 2018. Fingers crossed for Clare as she goes out on submission.

Erin Martin took our life writing course out of which emerged her memoir Trains, about her childhood growing up near a mental hospital where her mother was a patient. It received recognition with the Bridport Prize. Here she talks about her writing life. bit.ly/44ZTmBZ

What stories are you weaving this week? 💡🖋💻📚 #mondaymotivation #writingcommunity #learntowrite #nowornever #creativewritingclassBrighton #creativewritingclassWorthing #creativewritingclassTunbridgeWells #creativewritingclassEastbourne #onlinecreativewritingcourse

The Creative Writing Programme is coming to Worthing. If you’ve always dreamed of writing a novel and live in or near Worthing, West Sussex then why not sign up for a taster session on Friday 6th June or Friday 12th September to see if it’s for you? bit.ly/4k3Y0E8

Be generous with your writing self. Daydreaming about your project counts as work. In those moments, allow yourself to consider what possibilities lie ahead. Read more writing tips from author and short story writer Ruth Figgest here. bit.ly/3GpzjCK

Lisa Fransson started writing her debut novel The Shape of Guilt on the Creative Writing Programme in 2014 – the ending came from a class exercise. If you're interested in developing your writing skills, find out more about our two-year programme bit.ly/4gLhDht

Congratulations to alumnus Stuart Gillespie whose hybrid memoir Food Fight is published today. Here he talks about his experience on the Life Writing Programme and how he started his writing journey. bit.ly/43O8h1M @stuartgillespie.bsky.social

The Creative Writing Programme, the two-year degree-level course which kickstarted the careers of many writers, is coming to Tunbridge Wells. If you’ve always dreamed of writing a novel, or collection of short stories, why not sign up for a taster to see if it’s for you? bit.ly/4gLhDht

What a fantastic weekend of masterclasses at Brighton's Jubilee Library. We had Beth Miller talking about managing pace, Roy Mcfarlane on boosting your creativity and students battled through Brighton Marathon chaos on Sunday to hear Laura Wilkinson do a deep dive on creating memorable characters.

Congratulations to our seven fantastic students and alumni who read a range of poetry and prose at our student reading last week – Pepe Erskine, Meriel Whale, Kymm Coveney, David Bleiman, Rosie Hadden, Sandra Noel and Roz Doe. Our lovely audience included host John McCullough's new kitten Zephyr.

'You don't need to write every day. However, if you leave a book unattended for too long, it will wander off, like a toddler. Keep it in mind when you're not working on it.' Read more of bestselling author Beth Miller's writing tips: bit.ly/4hXp7yE

We love this x-ray analogy from the fabulous Aldous Huxley. What have you read (or written) recently which has pierced you? 💡🖋💻📚 #mondaymotivation #writeanovel #writeabook #becomeanauthor #memoirs #becomeawriter #wannabewriter #creativewriter #writingcommunity #learntowrite #nowornever

We love this 'show not tell' advice from Anton Chekhov. What are you writing this week? 💡🖋💻📚 #mondaymotivation #writeanovel #writeabook #creativewritingclassBrighton #creativewritingclassWorthing #creativewritingclassTunbridgeWells #creativewritingclassEastbourne

Jacq Molloy is an award-winning short story writer and performed playwright. Working with Rosie Chard, she's leading a new course – the 10-week Introduction to Creative Writing starting in May. Here she talks about her writing life. bit.ly/3DFvkkq

If you're in editing mode at the moment, here's some inspiration from Thomas Jefferson. 💡🖋💻📚 #mondaymotivation #writeanovel #writeabook #becomeanauthor

To celebrate World Book Day, we’re sharing some of the many books published by our amazing alumni. Fancy following in their footsteps? We’re opening for enrolment for October 2025 next week. Happy hashtag#WorldBookDay everyone.

Do you have an idea for a story but haven’t yet captured it on the page? Our new 10-week online creative writing course will enable you to develop and share your stories within an encouraging and supportive writing community. Fulfil your writing dreams bit.ly/4auYnU2 #onlinecreativewritingcourse

Are you a night owl or a morning lark? 💡🖋💻📚 #mondaymotivation #writeanovel #writeabook #becomeanauthor #becomeawriter #wannabewriter #creativewriter #writingcommunity #learntowrite #creativewritingclassBrighton #creativewritingclassTunbridgeWells #onlinecreativewritingcourse

Always be prepared to show your work and take constructive criticism. Not everyone is going to like it, and that’s ok. Competitions are great, but so are public readings, podcasts and networking events. Read more from British American writer Kristin Burniston about her writing life bit.ly/4gLhDht

What are you writing this week? Here's some Monday motivation from American historical fiction novelist Edgar Lawrence Doctorow. Turn on those headlights and get writing. 💡🖋💻📚 #mondaymotivation #writeanovel #writeabook #becomeanauthor #memoirs #becomeawriter #creativewriter #writingcommunity

What are your writing goals this week? 💡🖋💻📚

Congratulations to our students and alumni who shared their work last night at Kemptown Bookshop. It was particularly wonderful that three of our readers are in the first year of the creative writing and life writing courses. Why not join us next time? bit.ly/40H2NCs