Creative Writing Courses

Our much-praised Creative Writing courses, led by author and professional tutor Sarah Hymas, promise the exploration of new techniques. The daily workshops will expand the imagination using writing games and exercises that rely on play, memory and a sense of adventure.

Reading as well as writing, talking, thinking and offering feedback - our focus will be to limber up, stretch ourselves and write with renewed vigour and joy.

Sarah will offer her long experience as a published author of poetry, plays and short stories to advise on the business side of being a writer, including discussing ambitions, expectations, and the sort of publications people might best target for getting work published.

Sarah has won the Arvon Foundation 2010 prize for the Six-Word Short Story competition.

Sarah's 2013 course:

19 June - 23 June : Creative Writing

Testimonials:

'As I said hello to my fellow classmates over a glass of Champagne as the sun set on the Languedoc, I knew I was in for a treat...Beautiful countryside, lovely people, amazing food and, above all, a really gifted tutor.' - Maria McGeoghan, Manchester Evening News.

'Sarah was a very skilled, empathetic instructor who developed our confidence.' - Zayneb Allak.

'I had never been on a writing course before and did not know what to expect. I was a little anxious...but it was a brilliant few days. I was met at the airport and immediately put at ease. The house was comfortable, the food and wine excellent; the company entertaining and pleasant and I left feeling happier about my writing and feeling generally cosseted and cared for. I would recommend it absolutely without reservation.' - Ann McGrath.

Information on Sarah Hymas

Sarah Hymas lives in Lancaster. She is primarily a poet – her poetry collection, Host, was published by Waterloo Press in 2010 - but she has also published a collection of short stories, written plays for the stage and a libretto for an improvised opera.

Her play, I Wish You Love, a conversation between Marlene Dietrich and Edith Piaf, has toured across Europe.

She is the editor and coach for Lancaster’s Literature Festival and their publishing imprint, Flax, as well as being the North West Co-ordinator in the UK for the Poetry School. She facilitates writing workshops in the community for adults and in schools with children.

She has collaborated with other writers and artists. Her writing has appeared in single collections, anthologies, magazines, multimedia exhibits, dance videos and theatre brochures. She also performs her work, with a musician and singer, as Mouthtrap, alone and with puppets.

Sarah is an accredited coach (PCT) and has coached one-to-one sessions for over 100 hours.

More information and examples of her work can be found at her blog, Echo Soundings http://sarahhymas.blogspot.com

Creative Writing Course

Course Tutor: Sarah Hymas

Texts:

Tutor

Sarah is a poet, a puppeteer and short story writer. Her short story collection, Closet Collection, was published by Businesslike in 1994, and since then her writing has appeared in numerous publications.

From 2004–2006 she was the inaugural poet in residence for Calderdale Libraries, contracted to promote poetry reading throughout the borough, and worked with two visual artists in creating an art book, Reading is Believing. Before that, for five years, she was a member of a company of writers, 3dV, who wrote collaborative performance texts they toured around the North West.

Currently she works for Litfest in Lancaster, as the editor of Flax Books. She delivers professional development sessions for writers throughout the region, both on a one-to-one basis and for groups.

She has worked as a creative writing tutor for the past ten years. She also collaborates with a musician, as Hymas & Lewis, to create sonic art which they perform all over the north-west of England. She has written the libretto for an improvised opera, ‘Flocking’ and writes lyrics for the Afro-funk band ‘DC Dansette’ and other singers. This year she has been devising, scripting and performing puppet shows for children, based on classic fairytales.