WRITING Inspiration

Cathy Hayward Cathy Hayward

Five Minutes With: Course Director and Author Cathy Hayward

Cathy’s second novel The Last Daughter of Highdown Hall came out on 1 May 2026. An alumna of the Creative Writing Programme, as well as the course director since 2023, here she talks about her writing routine and the inspiration behind the novel. 

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Writing advice Cathy Hayward Writing advice Cathy Hayward

Do I Need a Degree to Write a Novel?

The short answer is no. There are many successful authors who don’t have a degree and never went near a university. Having letters after your name, or spending years in a university’s hallowed halls, does not necessarily make you a writer. Becoming a writer is all about learning the craft of writing and actually sitting down and writing.

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Tutor news, News, Writing advice Cathy Hayward Tutor news, News, Writing advice Cathy Hayward

Meet The Tutor: Paula Lichtarowicz

Paula Lichtarowicz is the author of three novels and comes to writing after twenty years as a documentary-maker. She teaches at London’s City Lit and the University of the Arts and will be working with Rosie Chard on the new London-based Creative Writing Programme. Here she talks about how her first novel was inspired by a postcard, her journey to publication and offers some top writing tips.

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Student success, News Cathy Hayward Student success, News Cathy Hayward

Inspirational Student Reading

Congratulations to our seven students who shared their work at our spring reading last night at Kemptown Bookshop, Brighton. They read a mixture of novels and memoirs in progress, flash fiction and poetry inspired by everything from loss, motherhood, racism, violence and the current state of the world.

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Cathy Hayward Cathy Hayward

Our Top Five Writer Podcasts

We spend as much time as we can reading and writing but sometimes you just have to drag yourself away from the page. So when we’re doing household chores, walking the dog or on the commute to work, we take the chance to listen to a podcast. And of course it has to be about writing. Over the past few years we’ve found some brilliant writerly podcasts which have inspired and entertained us in equal measure. Here are the Creative Writing Programme’s top five writing podcasts. 

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