Thank you to our fabulous tutor Jacq Molloy who ran a short story workshop at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne as part of the inaugural Eastbourne Lit Fest last weekend. A sell-out group of writers joined Jacq for a brilliant morning looking at how to create the perfect short story.

Iona Hepburn’s debut novel Bonfire comes out in October, inspired by the Lewes November Fifth bonfire festivities. An ICU doctor, she is an alumna of the Creative Writing Programme which she started in the pandemic. Here she talks about her journey to publication and her writing routine.

Jackie Engelberg, an alumna of our 10-week Introduction to Creative Writing course, has self-published a novella PRIDE AND JOY.

Holly Dawson is a Sussex-based writer and editor, whose first book All Of Us Atoms, a collection of memoir-ish essays, was published by Canongate in May 2025. Since 2018, she has been Reader in Residence at Charleston, where she runs workshops, courses and literary events. Her acclaimed plays, drawing on Bloomsbury diaries and letters, have been performed by actors including Helena Bonham Carter, Miranda Richardson and Jonathan Pryce. She teaches on our Life Writing Programme. Here she talks about her writing life. 

Congratulations to alumni Janie Reynolds who was given an honorable mention in The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize 2026 for the first page of her historical literary novel LOST WITHOUT TRACE.

Congratulations to our tutor Laura Wilkinson whose latest book WHAT THE OCEAN KEEPS publishes in eBook and paperback today.

Congratulations to our brilliant creative writing tutor Bethan Roberts whose BBC Radio 4 drama is out today.

Huge congratulations to former student Stuart Gillespie for winning a host of awards for his book FOOD FIGHT: FROM PLUNDER AND PROFIT TO PEOPLE AND PLANET.

Happy Publication Day to our life writing tutor Katy Massey whose thriller THE BURNING FEARS is published today by Sphere in paperback. The story is set in Leeds in 1982.

What skills does a writer need to have? It’s a difficult, if unanswerable, question. A strong visual imagination and an ability to observe and recall are important skills, as is curiosity. You also need to be a keen reader.

Happy Publication Day to our course director Cathy Hayward whose third novel THE MISSING MOTHER OF ROSE COTTAGE is published today by Lake Union in paperback, on Kindle and audiobook. The story is a dual timeline tale of twisted family secrets set in Berwick-upon-Tweed and Brighton.

Louise Tondeur writes (mainly) novels, short stories and poetry, and is a writing coach and creative writing tutor. She has previously been a full-time university lecturer, a secondary school drama teacher, a bookshop worker, a washer upper and a chambermaid. Here she talks about her writing life.

Congratulations to second year student Qian Liu who has had a short story published in the online literary magazine Books & Pieces.

Many writers looking to improve their writing craft ask whether they should take a Masters degree in creative writing or study on the Creative Writing Programme.

Congratulations to our former student Hannah Doyle who has signed with with Stephanie Glencross at David Higham after receiving five offers of representation for her literary suspense/psychological thriller set in Paris.

Congratulations to our seven fabulous students and alumni who shared their work at our student reading last night at Kemptown Bookshop. We heard poetry and prose, fiction and memoir.

Joy Persaud is a biographer and a highly experienced journalist. She is the author of the forthcoming book Where Are You Really From? which tells the life stories of 45 people who work for, or worked for, our NHS. Joy teaches on both the Life Writing Programme and Creative Writing Programme. Here she talks about her writing life.

Congratulations to former student Clive Edwards, whose second book LOST IN A YELLOW WOOD comes out in September. It’s a thriller with a supernatural twist.

Julie Corbin has written nine psychological/suspense thrillers, translated into eight European languages. An alumni of the Creative Writing Programme in 2008, here she talks about her writing journey.

The Creative Writing Programme, the two-year degree-level course which has kickstarted the careers of many writers, is coming to the capital.