The Oxford Writers Workshop
A seven-day development workshop at Keble College, University of Oxford
August 14th – 20th, 2026
Learn the art of writing
in the city of dreaming spires
World-class mentorship
In the exclusive and historic environment of Keble College at the University of Oxford, you will study the art and craft of writing with our top-class team of authors, editors, and educators. Craft seminars each morning give you the tools to tell your story. One-on-one sessions in the afternoon cultivate your personal development as a writer.
An inspirational environment
The city of Oxford has more published authors per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Come and enrich your writing through an inspiring program of curated cultural excursions, including tours of Oxford's iconic libraries, museums, and archives. Learn and grow in the surroundings that inspired authors from Shelley to C.S. Lewis, Tolkien to Philip Pullman.
Ongoing writing support
Our pre-workshop advisory meeting matches you with a personalised mentor from our team of experts who will help you get the most out of your week at Oxford. After the programme, follow-up sessions at three and six months give you the guidance and accountability you need to complete your project.
Inclusions at a glance
Exclusive accommodation in historic Keble College at the University of Oxford
Breakfast & lunch in the Keble College hall; dinner in the luxurious Senior Common Room for university lecturers & fellows
Intensive seminars on the craft of writing taught by authors, book coaches, and creative writing professors
Nightly drinks, readings, and fellowship in the Keble college bar
One-on-one mentorship sessions giving tailored advice on your manuscript and publishing goals
Specially curated programme of events and cultural excursions throughout the city and university of Oxford
Check-in sessions before and after the workshop to ensure ongoing progress
Guest lectures and talks from authors and industry professionals
Who is the Oxford Writers Workshop for?
The Oxford Writers Workshop welcomes writers at every stage of their journey, from those with a half-formed idea to those holding a finished manuscript. Whatever your experience or ambition, Oxford's extraordinary literary atmosphere provides the perfect setting to deepen your craft.
For authors who haven’t started writing
You have a story inside you — this workshop will help you find it. Through guided exercises, inspiring locations, and supportive group sessions, you'll discover your voice, unlock your ideas, and leave Oxford with the confidence and tools to begin.
For authors who have just started writing
You've taken the first brave step — now build on it. This workshop offers the structured guidance, peer feedback, and creative immersion you need to develop your emerging work and establish the writing habits that will carry you forward.
For authors with a completed manuscript
You've written the book — now make it the best it can be. Through focused critique sessions and one-to-one guidance, you'll gain the editorial perspective needed to refine your manuscript and navigate the path toward publication with clarity and confidence.
For authors of fiction and non-fiction
Whether you're crafting a novel, a memoir, or narrative journalism, the workshop addresses the craft principles that underpin all great writing — structure, voice, character, and truth — with tailored mentorship for both fiction and non-fiction writers.
Are you a budding poet, screenwriter, or playwright? The Oxford Writers Workshop is a bespoke program that can be tweaked and tailored depending on the aspirations of its attendees each year. Get in touch and let us know and we can shape the workshop around you.
Guests
Not a writer yourself but travelling with one? Oxford rewards the curious. While your companion is in workshop sessions, the city offers world-class museums, architecture, gardens, and guided cultural experiences to make your stay every bit as enriching. See below for guest attendance fees.
Dynamic masterclasses
Sample courses at the Oxford Writers Workshop
Inspiring Openings
Hook your reader from the first line. Explore techniques for crafting unforgettable beginnings that demand to be read.
Finding Your Voice
Discover what makes your writing unmistakably yours. Develop a distinctive authorial presence that resonates across every page.
Building a World
Learn to construct vivid, believable spaces and environments. Master the art of immersive setting that feels fully alive.
Shaping a Story
Understand the architecture of narrative. Explore structure, pacing, and the choices that give your story momentum and meaning.
Creating a Character
Bring people to life on the page. Develop complex, convincing characters whose inner lives drive your narrative forward.
Mastering Genre
Work with and against genre conventions. Learn how expectations can be used, subverted, and transformed into something wholly original.
Styling Sentences
Discover the power of the sentence as a unit of art. Craft prose with rhythm, precision, and expressive force.
Developing Dialogue
Write conversations that crackle with tension and subtext. Learn how characters reveal themselves through what they say and don't.
Note: masterclasses may be subject to change depending on mentor expertise
Expert mentorship
The foundation of the Oxford Writers Workshop is our mentorship program.
We meet with all attendees virtually before the program to understand your writing experience and goals.
In Oxford, we assign each attendee a personal writing mentor for one-on-one development sessions, which take place every afternoon.
After the programme, we offer virtual check-in sessions with every attendee after three and six months to ensure you continue to develop as a writer, finish your book, and get published.
Meet the team
A rich cultural program
After dedicating yourself to your craft each morning, the afternoons and evenings are given over to an array of events and activities.
Get inspired by guest lectures from authors, publishers, and industry insiders.
Enjoy private tours of Oxford's museums and archives, or discover the literary heritage of its incredible range of libraries, colleges, and pubs.
In the evenings, share your work and learn from others in our nightly writers salons, hosted in Keble's hallowed halls.
All activities included with fees.
Guest author lectures & publishing events
Enjoy inspiring cultural lectures by published authors and academics, such as BookGo author Dr. Richard Major (Magdalene College, Oxford), historian and Oxford fellow Dr. Adam Smith (University College, Oxford), theater director Nick Hutchison (Balliol College, Oxford), and more.
Literary tours, historic archives, art & theatre
Delve into Oxford's incredible literary past and experience its vibrant cultural present, from Shakespeare performances in the grounds of the medieval castle, to tours of the colleges that inspired Tolkien, Lewis, and Pullman, and journeys through the city's incredible array of museums, archives, and libraries.
Writers salons, support & fellowship
Nobody writes alone. At the Oxford Writers Workshop, you'll enjoy the support and fellowship of other authors and writers, sharing your work and reading with others in our nightly writers salons, celebrating a love of literature over a glass of wine in the college bar or one of Oxford's historic pubs.
Sample itinerary
1pm ~ Arrival
Check in to historic Keble College, Oxford
3pm ~ Literary Tour of Oxford
Explore Oxford's legendary streets, colleges, and literary landmarks together.
5pm ~ Welcome Drinks
Meet your fellow writers over drinks and warm conversation.
6pm ~ Dinner in Senior Common Room
Enjoy dinner in Keble's elegant professors’ dining room with your writing cohort.
7pm ~ Guest Author Lecture
Be inspired by an acclaimed author sharing their journey.
Attendance
$7,000
Sole-occupancy ensuite room with double bed. Includes accommodation, tuition, and all programme activities
Room Share
$6,000
Share a room with another attendee, e.g. a friend or partner. Includes accommodation, tuition, and all programme activities.
Guest
$3,500
One guest per room may accompany participants. Includes accommodation and programme activities only
Starts Aug 14