12 Best Writing Classes in London

One-day Saturday course at City Lit, Keeley Street, Covent Garden, 10.30am to 4.30pm, with children's author Andrew Weale. GBP 79 full fee, GBP 51 concession. For adults who want to write for children: plot, characterisation and viewpoint, plus an orientation to how children's publishing currently works. Booking is already open.

One-day Saturday poetry course, 10.30am to 5pm, GBP 139. Unlike City Academy's other writing courses it runs at Photoion Studio in Waterloo rather than their Farringdon studios. Taught by City Academy's writing tutors rather than a single named instructor, and capped as a one-day intensive so you leave with drafted work rather than notes.

One-day poetry course at Faber's Hatton Garden offices, 10am to 4pm, GBP 75 - the cheapest single-day course Faber runs. Led by poet Richard Scott. You get direct feedback on your own poems during the day, alongside sessions on finding material and on reading as a poet reads. Places on individual dates are limited and some show only a couple remaining, so check stock before planning around a particular Saturday.

One-day Saturday beginners' course at Faber's offices in Hatton Garden, central London, 10am to 4pm, GBP 100. Class size is fifteen, and you write in the room from the start - experimenting with structure and technique and getting responses on the spot rather than workshopping something prepared. Faber runs it monthly, so 26 September, 31 October, 28 November and 12 December are all open if one date does not suit.

One-day Saturday workshop at City Lit's Keeley Street centre in Covent Garden, 7 November, 10.30am to 4.30pm. GBP 79 full fee, GBP 51 concession - among the cheapest ways to try a proper taught creative writing class in central London. Guided exercises rather than critique of work brought in, so nothing is required in advance. Further dates run 5 December and 14 March if the November one fills.

Eleven-week evening course at City Lit's Keeley Street building in Covent Garden, Thursdays 5.30-7.30pm from 24 September to 3 December, tutor Nicole Acquah. GBP 269 full fee, GBP 175 concession. Covers dialogue, character, story and structure for the stage, and you start work on your own play rather than only analysing others. Note that City Lit also runs this course online with a different tutor - this listing is the in-person section.

Six-week Sunday-daytime course at City Academy in Farringdon, 11am to 1.30pm from 27 September, with Conor Patrick Carroll, GBP 375. It is the follow-on from City Academy's beginners' course and assumes you have already written something: the goal is to produce your first full scene or chapter rather than to sample forms. Daytime scheduling makes it one of the few London options that does not require weekday evenings.

One-day Saturday course at City Academy in Farringdon, 26 September, 10.30am to 4.30pm, taught by children's author Andrew Weale. Currently GBP 130.50 with a 10 per cent early-booking discount, otherwise GBP 145. It is for adults who want to write for children and young adults - you look at how successful children's books work across picture book, chapter book and YA formats, then do practical exercises on your own idea. A second date runs Friday 27 November.

Six-week evening novel course at City Academy in Farringdon, Thursdays 6.45-9.15pm from 12 November, with tutor Jelena Curcic, GBP 425. Covers structure, character and voice with weekly writing and feedback, aimed at people who have an idea and want a working framework for the whole book. The earlier autumn section starting 16 September is discounted to GBP 382.50 if you can begin sooner.

Six-week evening course at City Academy's Farringdon studios, Tuesdays 6.30-9pm from 27 October, taught by Conor Patrick Carroll, GBP 375. It is a workshop format rather than a lecture: you write across several forms, share work with the group and get structured feedback each week, leaving with a folder of finished pieces. City Academy runs this roughly monthly, so if 27 October does not suit, a 30 November start is also open.

A first draft is a rough block of marble: there's a work of art in there, but to find it you're going to need some specialist tools. Over twelve weeks with an experienced editor and leading literary agent, learn the skills to turn your rough draft into an accomplished novel that captures the reader's attention from the start and satisfies it at the end.

This course offers in-person and online participation, practical sessions on writing publishable features, unlimited post-workshop coaching and feedback, interactive learning through Zoom for online participants.