The 2012 programme of courses is now open for booking. We present 99 writing courses open to all - from our popular Starting to Write courses, to courses in Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction, Writing for Children and specialist courses in many other genres.

This year we are proud of our brand new courses: Creative Writing and Translation with Michael Henry Heim and Sasha Dugdale; Online Writing with Sarah Salway and Jon Reed; and Text and Image with Graham Rawle and Margaret Huber. And at Totleigh Barton, in our newly refurbished 15th century barn, we offer daily yoga as a stimulus to writing on retreat.

We have brought together some mouth-watering teaching partnerships including world-class poets Mark Doty and Leontia Flynn; edgy children’s writers Malorie Blackman and Melvin Burgess and historical fiction rising stars Maria McCann and Chris Wakling, with Sarah Waters as very special guest.

Our programme also features: leading poet Don Paterson; top playwright Simon Stephens; Gruffalo mother Julia Donaldson; poets laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Liz Lochhead; award winning novelist Tahmima Anam; Smack the Pony’s Sally Phillips; and Arvon stalwarts Mark Haddon and Jo Shapcott.

Click here for full details of 2012 courses