Courses will focus on an abundance of poetry tutored by some of today’s leading poets, including the 2019 Forward Prize winner, Fiona Benson; fiction – in its short and long form featuring Deborah Kay Davies, Louis de Bernierès and Cynan Jones; creative non-fiction; song-writing; comics tutored by the current Comic Laureate, Hannah Berry; writing for performance; storytelling and more.

Themes will take participants on emotional and literal journeys. On the Writing Wales course Mike Parker will lead walks to explore myths, wildlife and geography; Patrick Jones’ Writing to Heal course will look at writing and reading as a way to deal with grief and trauma; and Pascale Petit’s wildlife themed course will lead us out into the gardens of Ty Newydd with field equipment to track and capture poems as though they were creatures which have a life of their own.

Two courses in 2020 will focus on writing for young audiences, with husband and wife team Helen and Thomas Docherty looking at writing and illustrating for children; and our very own Children’s Laureate Wales, Eloise Williams, joining forces with the Young People’s Laureate for London, Theresa Lola to focus on poetry and prose for young adults.

Courses at Ty Newydd Writing Centre are aimed at both beginners wanting to experiment with their craft, and also experienced writers. Our two Poetry Masterclasses tutored by Gillian Clarke and guest tutors provide opportunities for committed poets to further develop their poetry. 

Alongside our tutored courses, four seasonal retreats and a Yoga and Writing Retreat are available plus retreats at Nant – a newly refurbished Writers’ Retreat Cottage on site at the Ty Newydd Writing Centre.

To celebrate this launch, we are offering a 10% discount on all courses, except for the Poetry Masterclasses, until 5.00 pm on Friday 8 November. Use the code ‘2020programme’ when booking.

To view the whole programme, please visit the Ty Newydd website