Writing Fiction: FAQ’s

Applicants must be 18 or over and living in Wales.  

You must be able to fully commit to attending the whole course in person at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre from 5.00 pm on Monday 24 November – 10.00 am on Friday 28 November 2025.  

For this course, we’re looking for applicants who are under-represented in Welsh society and within the publishing scene in Wales. The following list can be used as a guide, although you will also have the space to explain in your own words why you are applying for this opportunity: 

• Gypsy, Roma and/or Traveller communities 

• From a low-income background (this includes individuals who were eligible for free school meals or whose parents were in low-paid jobs, unemployed, or receiving benefits including disability allowances when applicants were 14 years old)  

• Deaf and/or hard of hearing 

• LGBTQ+ 

• Neurodivergent – including, but not limited to: Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette Syndrome and OCD 

• Individuals from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds  

• Refugees and/or Asylum Seekers 

• Writers with long-standing disabilities and/or health issues, i.e. has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months and has an adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. 

This course will be delivered in English. However, the skills and craft you will learn on the course will apply to your artform in whatever languages you practice.  

We are mainly looking for emerging and mid-career writers with potential.  

Emerging writers may have had individual short stories published in anthologies or magazines. Mid-career writers may have had one standalone publication. We welcome applications from writers who have been published in another genre and would like to explore writing fiction. We appreciate this is not an exhaustive description of where you may be on your current writing journey.

If you are unsure if this is the right course for you, please get in touch to discuss.  

You will be asked to answer three questions which focus on: 

• Your writing experience 

• Your writing ambitions 

• Why this course is right for you 

You’ll also be required to submit 1,000 words of fiction or a video recording of your creative work up to two minutes in length,  

Apply online here.  Or Dyslexia friendly and Large Print versions of the application form can be found on the Writing Fiction page.  

Only fiction is eligible for this course. Scripts, poetry, creative non-fiction, writing for children and YA, and comics are not eligible.  

If you are unsure whether your creative work is eligible, please get in touch to discuss.  

No. Most courses at Tŷ Newydd require a fee to attend, but some of our more strategic activity is offered free–of–charge to individuals through a competitive application process. Accommodation and catering are provided throughout the week. However, you will need to factor in travel costs to and from the centre. If this is going to be a barrier to attend, we’ll invite you to contact us to discuss before the course starts.  

ocated in Gwynedd, Tŷ Newydd is situated between the sea and the mountains- less than ten minutes’ drive from both Snowdonia National Park and the Llŷn Peninsula which is an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You can learn more about Literature Wales’ National Writing Centre, Tŷ Newydd, on our website. Here you can browse through photos and blogs written by past participants. 

For this course, the writers will be invited to arrive between 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm on Monday 24 November 2025, and the course will come to an end after breakfast, at around 10.00am, on Friday 28 November. Please see our website for travel information. We can help with travel from train stations (Cricieth or Bangor) – and will provide more information on travel closer to the time.  

The writers will be allocated a bedroom each. Some bedrooms are ensuites, others have shared bathrooms. Bedrooms will be allocated randomly, except for accessible bedrooms. 

All meals will be provided to you by our resident chef, including a self-serve breakfast, buffet-style lunch, evening meal with a dessert, and home-made snacks. We can cater for most dietary requirements and food allergies.  

We hope that you will have plenty of free time to enjoy the area and writing centre. But we kindly ask you attend all the activity organised as part of the course. A detailed timetable will be provided.  

A detailed timetable of activity will be shared with you before the course starts. The week will include: 

• group workshops 

• group discussions 

• talks by industry experts 

• one-to-one chats with the tutors 

• free time to network, socialise and to enjoy the local area 

• and a final celebratory event featuring readings by you, the cohort, of work developed during the week 

We are here to help. The Literature Wales team are available to discuss any access needs, requirements and concerns before and throughout the course. For individuals in a wheelchair or with mobility issues, we have an accessible bedroom, and we can welcome a personal assistant. Please contact us to discuss accessibility. Each successful writer will be invited to send an Access Rider, or supported in creating one, if needed. For more information about access at Tŷ Newydd, please visit our website.  

All applicants will be notified of the outcome by mid–October 2025.   

As we are expecting a lot of applications, we may not be able to provide detailed feedback on each one. However, where possible we will provide a short, personalised line of feedback, and advise on other opportunities Literature Wales and partners may have available.  

We are aware that correspondence regarding unsuccessful applications can have a negative impact on your health and well-being. We give our pledge to respect and value each individual application, giving it due consideration and attention.  

Literature Wales will continue to invest in the development of the writers after the course ends.  Staff will continue to check in with the group and share opportunities when they arise.