This four-day intensive course is designed to give participants a taste of life in the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, one of the UK’s most successful literary centres, and home to one of the country’s largest postgraduate English and Creative Writing communities.

The course will introduce you to tutors and current students and offer opportunities to develop your own writing – and reading – in a lively and supportive environment.

The programme will include a choice of in-person or online masterclass workshops, seminars and talks, delivered by practising writers and critics, with input from special guests. Sessions may include fiction, poetry, writing for children & young adults, scriptwriting, creative non-fiction, how to present your work for publication, performance skills, and talks/Q&As with industry experts.

The full programme will be confirmed and circulated in advance, and you will be asked to choose which sessions you would like to attend each day, which are all subject to availability. You will also be asked to let us know, when confirming your session choices, if you have any specific learning or accessibility needs.

Our 2025 Manchester Writing School Summer Festival will take place on the 16th and 17th June 2025 online and on the 19th and 20th June on campus. Core sessions will run between 9.30am and 5.30pm both days, with comfort breaks scheduled throughout, and optional evening events. You can come for all four days, or just two days (online or in person). Further details for 2025, including timetables, delivery modes and booking options, will be confirmed by early June.

This course is unaccredited and doesn’t carry any formal assessment or academic credits. It could help you develop or hone your writing portfolio, if you are working towards applying for one of our degree programmes. The cost of attending is £350 to attend for the four full days, or £250 to attend the 2 day online programme or £250 for the 2 day in-person programme, This course is free for Manchester Metropolitan University students. Find out more about the Manchester Writing School or contact Kim.Moore@mmu.ac.uk with any queries, including if you’d like to see copies of example Summer School programmes from previous years.

We also have five bursary places available – please contact Kim Moore on Kim.Moore@mmu.ac.uk for more information. These places are for writers on a low income who would not otherwise be able to attend. We do not need evidence or explanation, so just drop us an email to let us know you’d like one and you will be sent a code, subject to availability and confirmation.