Advanced Writing Courses
Our advanced courses in fiction and poetry offer the next step for the committed writer – serious writing time, industry advice and expert guidance, along with a close-knit group of fellow writers to keep you on track.
Our advanced writing courses: an overview
The tutors on our advanced courses are all experienced writers and you’ll hear from industry experts too – you should leave your course with serious work done on your project and a clear idea of what to do next.
Most of our advanced creative writing courses require an application. Individual application requirements will differ from course to course – check the course page for details, or get in touch if you’d like to know more.
Many of our online advanced courses are designed to be flexible, allowing you to fit your writing and reading time around your other commitments. Some of them will feature live elements, requiring the group to be online at particular times.
Who are these courses for?
Writers in need of motivation
If you've been writing for a while but need the structure - and accountability! - to get a longer work finished, our advanced courses are designed to help you get the words on the page
Writers looking to start a career
As well helping you write the book you want to write, we want our advanced students to leave with a clearer understanding of the industry and how to take their next steps into it.
Writers ready to move to the next level
If you have some experience but aren't sure how to achieve more with your writing, our advanced courses are all about broadening your technical palette, deepening your knowledge of your chosen genre and refining your voice.
Advanced Writing Courses (18)
Writing a Novel (Online)
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Sarah May, Jessica Moor
Writing a Novel (Evening)
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Richard T. Kelly, Sarah May, Joanna Briscoe, Diana Evans, Sophie Mackintosh, Claire Daverley
Writing a Novel (Daytime)
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Shelley Weiner, Sabrina Broadbent, Nikesh Shukla, Sophie Mackintosh, Nicola Dinan, Leone Ross
Edit and Submit Your Novel
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Location
Length
Tutors
Rose Tomaszewska, Nelle Andrew
Masterclass: Editing
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Tutors
Richard Skinner
Finish Your Draft
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Natasha Bell
Writing a Novel (Newcastle)
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Richard T. Kelly, Yara Rodrigues Fowler, A. L. Kennedy, S. J. Watson
The Advanced Fiction Workshop
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Gillian Slovo
Advanced Course Tutors
The tutors on our advanced poetry and fiction courses are all successful published writers themselves, as well as experienced teachers.
Rose Tomaszewska
Rose Tomaszewska has worked in publishing for over ten years, helped to set up riverrun, the literary imprint of Quercus, and is...
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Nelle Andrew
Nelle Andrew joined RML in 2020. She previously worked as an agent at Peters Fraser and Dunlop for eleven years, and prior to that at...
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Richard Skinner
Richard Skinner is a novelist, poet and critic. His most recent book, The Mirror, was described as ‘beautifully written...
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Natasha Bell
Natasha (she/her) is a cross-genre author and researcher. She's published two novels...
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Sarah May
Sarah May is the highly acclaimed author of seven novels, including The Nudist Colony, (shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award...
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Jessica Moor
Jessica Moor grew up in south-west London and studied English at Cambridge before completing...
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Richard T. Kelly
Richard T. Kelly is the author of the novels Crusaders (2008), The Possessions of Doctor Forrest (2011) and The Knives (2016)...
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Joanna Briscoe
Joanna Briscoe is the author of the novels Mothers and Other Lovers, which won the Betty Trask Award; Skin; Sleep With Me, which...
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Shelley Weiner
Shelley Weiner is an acclaimed novelist, short-story writer and journalist who has, over the years, established a reputation...
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Sabrina Broadbent
Sabrina Broadbent's debut novel, Descent, won the WH Smith Raw Talent award. Her other novels are A Boy’s Guide to Track and...
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Nikesh Shukla
Nikesh Shukla is an novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of Coconut Unlimited (shortlisted for the Costa First Novel...
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Gillian Slovo
Gillian Slovo has published thirteen novels, a family memoir and has also written four verbatim plays. She started in crime...
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Guest Tutor
Diana Evans
Diana Evans is the award-winning, bestselling author of A House for Alice, Ordinary People, The Wonder and 26a...
Guest Tutor
Sophie Mackintosh
Sophie Mackintosh was born in South Wales, and is currently based in London...
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Guest Tutor
Claire Daverley
Claire Daverley was born in 1991 and has been writing stories ever since she was six years old...
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Guest Tutor
Nicola Dinan
Nicola Dinan grew up in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur and now lives in London...
Guest Tutor
Leone Ross
Leone Ross’s third novel, This One Sky Day (Faber/FSG) was published to critical acclaim in 2021. Her first novel, All the Blood Is Red...
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Guest Tutor
Yara Rodrigues Fowler
Yara Rodrigues Fowler grew up in South London. She is the author of two novels, Stubborn Archivist and there are more things...
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Guest Tutor
A. L. Kennedy
A.L. Kennedy was born in Dundee and has won a variety of UK and international book awards, including a Lannan Award, the Costa Prize...
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Guest Tutor
S. J. Watson
S. J. Watson is the award-winning author of the international bestsellers Before I Go to Sleep...
More About This Tutorclasses from a lot of different organizations in and since university, and this was by far the best.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is advanced creative writing? Do I need to have taken other creative writing courses to enrol on an advanced course at Faber Academy?
Advanced creative writing courses aim to deepen your understanding of the craft – be that poetry or prose – at a technical and stylistic level, encouraging you to develop your voice and finish a project, whether that’s a novel or a collection of poetry. Our Writing a Novel and Advanced Poetry courses, for instance, are designed to be practical alternatives to a creative writing MA. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have taken a course before to take one of our advanced courses; it might be the case that you’ve been honing your writing by yourself for some time and feel like now is the right point for you to sign up for something a bit more formal. Or you may have been on one or several shorter courses, either with us or other institutions, and now feel ready to study at a more advanced level.
I don't think I'm at an advanced level yet. How can I improve my writing skills?
It’s advice you’ll probably hear a lot, but read! Read as widely as you can, in the genre you’d like to write but in others, too. And practise – again, as much as you possibly can, whether it’s responding to creative writing exercises or prompts, or working on your own projects. Sharing work with a trusted writing friend or writing group can really help you figure out where your strengths are and which areas you might need to work on a little more. And shorter courses – whether it’s something focused on a specific area, like one of our masterclasses, or a twelve-week intermediate course – may also help you build your confidence and feel ready to take on an advanced level class.
How do you ensure that everyone in my group will be at the same level as me?
Most of our advanced courses are selective, meaning they have an application process. When the tutors and Academy team are working through applications, we’re looking to build groups who will work well together as well as benefiting from the course itself. Part of this is to do with the standard of writing, to make sure everyone is at the right stage to get the most out of the sessions, but there are lots of other factors involved too – we’re also looking for students who will bring a diverse range of experience, ambitions and inspirations with them, as that’s what makes for the most interesting and constructive discussions in class.
Can't find the right course?
Manuscript Assessment
Get comprehensive editorial feedback on your manuscript from our experienced readers – whether it’s still a work-in-progress or you’re preparing to submit to literary agents.
Find out more
Mentoring
We offer a range of mentoring options if you’d prefer to work one-on-one with an established writer to help you shape your project and realise your writing ambitions.
Find out moreBrowse the Reading Room
From author interviews and writing tips to creative writing exercises and reading lists, we've got everything you need to get started – and to keep going.
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