Ultimate Novel Writing Course UK Europe – Jericho Writers
Jericho Writers
167-169 Great Portland street, 5th Floor, London, W1W 5PF
UK: +44 (0)330 043 0150
US: +1 (646) 974 9060

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The creative writing course for serious writers

Write a publishable novel in a year with The Ultimate Novel Writing Course. A flexible course for serious writers.

Ultimate Novel Writing Course | UK & Europe


This year-long course combines online mentoring, weekly tutorials and editorial feedback, literary agent feedback and an exclusive online networking event. Start with a work in progress – end with the tools and contacts you need to get published.

Applications for the Winter 2023/24 course are now closed. You can register your interest for the Spring 24 course below.

Questions? Book a call with our Courses team at a time that suits you.

UNWC interest form

This course at a glance

A One Year Course

October 2023 – September 2024

Online Learning

Combined with opportunities to get your work seen by agents

Flexible Payments

Pay upfront or in instalments

Key Information

Date: October 2023 – September 2024

Duration: 1 year

Price: £4,950 paid upfront or split into 11 monthly instalments of £495 (totalling £5,445).

Location: Online (open to students worldwide, with all calls taking place at GMT/BST).

Entry: By application only. Download a prospectus to find out how to apply.

Application deadline: 17 September 2023.

Questions? Contact our courses team via email or book a call for a time that suits you.

Our connections are now yours


We’re partnering with top literary agency Peters Fraser + Dunlop to give them an exclusive first look at our Ultimate Novel Writing Course students’ hard work and submissions. If you have a finished novel by the end of the course, we’ll send your submission pack to Peters Fraser + Dunlop for you, with the guarantee that an agent will read your work.

You’ll receive personal feedback to help you refine your manuscript and give you a head start on your agent search.

Get your work discovered


Make sure your words are seen by the right people! At the end of the Ultimate Novel Writing Course, a sample of each student’s work is sent to our database of top literary agents, including Peters Fraser + Dunlop, Madeleine Milburn, The Soho Agency, and more.

Last year, more than 30% of our students received a full manuscript request from the anthology alone, so what are you waiting for?

A flexible course for serious writers

We built this course to give you everything you’d get from an MA plus much, much more. Alongside weekly online tutorials, you’ll receive one-to-one support, editorial feedback, networking opportunities, and peer-to-peer feedback.

Weekly Tutorials

Detailed weekly tutorials will teach you the craft of professional writing – from plotting, to editing your own writing. You’ll also hear from special guest tutors such as top authors and literary agents.

Mentoring

Your personal tutor is here to give you regular individual feedback on your work. You’ll have monthly one-to-ones throughout the year as your work progresses and you enhance your creative writing skills.

Editorial Feedback

You’ll get a detailed, full-length editorial report on up to 100,000 words (worth more than £740!) from your assigned mentor after your first draft, and support as you implement any changes.

Publication Support

We’ll introduce you to literary agents through one-to-ones and guest webinars, and teach you how to self-publish successfully. You’ll also get a lifetime of ongoing publication support after the course from our team.

Community

You’ll be part of an exclusive student group in our warm online community. You can exchange feedback, ask questions or just hang out with new friends in your own private chat room.

Networking Events

You’ll attend an in-person celebration dinner, as well as an online networking event with handpicked agents. Plus have your work featured in our end-of-year anthology which is sent to top agents across the UK. Last year, more than 30% of all students featured received a full manuscript request.

Get to know your tutors

You will be assigned a personal tutor to help guide you through the course, providing monthly one-to-one sessions and regular feedback on your work. (You will have the opportunity to select your preferred tutor during the application process). You’ll also get to know the other tutors throughout the course during the various modules across the year.

Natasha Bell

Cross-genre author, editor, and tutor

Specialisms: Natasha loves narrative in all forms, but has a particular passion for psychological suspense, women’s fiction, queer fiction, and stories that blur the line between truth and imagination.  

Natasha is an author, researcher, and creative writing tutor. Her novels ‘His Perfect Wife’ and ‘This Nowhere Place’ are available from Penguin. She’s also published a memoir with HarperCollins and short stories in a variety of journals and anthologies.  

She holds an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths and is finishing off a practice-led PhD in autofiction. In addition to editing and mentoring with Jericho Writers, she teaches novel-writing at City Lit and Faber Academy and mentors for The Riff Raff. She’s also worked as a sub-editor at The Press Association.  

Philip Womack  

Children’s author with a love of myths in literature 

Specialisms: Philip enjoys children’s books, young adult, literary fiction, fantasy, sci-fi & literary biography. 

Philip Womack is the author of nine critically acclaimed fantasy books for children. His latest, ‘Ghostlord’, was released in May 2023. His first work of non-fiction for adults, ‘How to Teach Classics to Your Dog’, was published in 2020, being a lively guide to the world and literature of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. ‘Write Your Own Myths’, a Creative Writing guide for children, appeared in 2021. He also writes reviews for national newspapers, including the Times Literary Supplement, the Financial Times, the Spectator, and the Literary Review. 

Philip has been an editor and mentor at Jericho Writers for many years and has taught Creative Writing at both BA and MA level.

Ultimate Novel Writing Course

Wes Brown  

Author & lecturer 

Specialisms: Wes loves non-fiction narratives, memoirs, literary, crime, true crime, YA, dystopian, and speculative fiction. 

Wes Brown is a writer, editor, and critic with a background in the publishing industry and many years’ experience teaching creative writing. He has published novels, short stories, reviews, and poems. His autobiographical novel about pro wrestling, ‘Breaking Kayfabe’, was published in May 2023. Wes has taught Creative Writing at the University of Kent, the University of East London and the City Lit and was awarded a CHASE PhD scholarship to research Narrative Non-Fiction. Wes strongly believes in working with authors to help them achieve their own artistic ideals rather than project his own. 

Helen Francis  

Former editor at Faber & Faber, book doctor, & scout 

Specialisms: Helen loves contemporary, women’s fiction, literary, crime, and young adult fiction, amongst a long list of genres.

Helen Francis has worked in publishing for nearly 20 years, in both publishing houses and literary agencies. Helen previously worked as a fiction project editor at Faber and Faber for eight years, and a commissioning fiction editor at Head of Zeus for two. She also ran the Classics list at Vintage, Penguin Random House, and was a freelance commissioning editor for Arcadia Books. Helen has also worked at literary agencies Abner Stein Associates and MBB Creative, as well as an international book scout for many years. Helen has taught creative writing and editing at Bath Spa University and is a Jericho Writers’ editor. 

I love working one on one with writers for a whole year, and seeing their books develop from beginning to end.
Natasha Bell, UNWC Tutor
We’re not an academic course. We’re about getting people published, and how to future-proof yourself for a career in this business.
Wes Brown UNWC Tutor
Whatever stage you’re at, we will help you to create a novel that is strong and ready for agents.
Philip Womack, UNWC Tutor

Rosie Fiore  

Cross-genre writer, editor, and mentor  

Specialisms: Rosie specialises in a wide range of genres, including contemporary, literary, book club, romance, historical fiction, young adult, and crime and thriller.   

Rosie has worked as a novelist and as writer, mentor and editor in theatre, television, magazines, advertising, comedy and the corporate market for 30 years. As an editor for Jericho Writers, she has offered advice, support and mentoring to more than fifty novelists.  

Rosie Fiore was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has also studied playwriting with the National Theatre. She is a teacher of creative writing, effective business writing, and English.  

Rosie has had eight novels published. She is published by Struik, Quercus and Allen & Unwin under her own name. Last year’s ‘Black’ and ‘Babies in Waiting’ were both longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Award. Rosie is also published by Orion as Cass Hunter. ‘The After Wife’ was translated into nine languages and optioned for a film in China. 

Emily-Jane Clark 

Best-selling author, essayist, and comedy writer 

Specialisms: Emily-Jane specialises in contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, comedy/satire, historical fiction, picture books, children’s books, plays and screenwriting, memoir/autobiography, narrative non-fiction, subject-led non-fiction. 

Emily-Jane Clark is author of bestseller ‘SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK’.  This part-memoir, part-humorous survival guide for tired parents is five-star rated on Amazon and made the top one hundred of ALL books.    

Her first funny middle grade children’s novel ‘THE BEASTS OF KNOBBLY BOTTOM: ATTACK OF THE VAMPIRE SHEEP’ will be out in July 2023 as part of a two-book deal with Scholastic. She also writes features and essays for New Statesman, Metro UK, Huffington Post and Mirror Online.

Emily-Jane is also a successful comedy writer at the UK’s biggest satirical newspaper The Daily Mash and has worked on Mock the Week, The Jonathan Ross Show and Mash Report. Her work includes the viral sketch ‘F**k Off, say women’ starring Ellie Taylor, viewed more than four hundred million times on YouTube. Her scripts have also won Craft of Comedy New Writing Award, Sitcom Geeks Script Challenge, reached the finals of Funny Women Awards and been shortlisted for BBC Writers Room twice.  

Sam Jordison  

Writer, publisher, journalist and industry insider 

Specialisms: Sam loves all kinds of fiction including contemporary, literary, science fiction, fantasy, crime, thriller, and satire. He’s also an experienced editor of creative non-fiction, including memoirs, autobiographies, and other narrative non-fiction. 

Sam is the co-director of award-winning Galley Beggar Press, publishers of Lucy Ellmann’s ‘Ducks, Newburyport’ and Alex Pheby’s ‘Mordew’. He has written more than a dozen non-fiction titles including the bestselling ‘Crap Towns’ series and ‘Enemies of the People’, a commentary on the folks who brought us Brexit and Trump.

As a journalist, he mainly writes for the Guardian, and mainly about books. He writes fiction and non-fiction reviews and for several years ran the Not The Booker Prize, and the Guardian’s online book club, The Reading Group.

I can’t wait to help emerging writers develop their writing and produce a full polished manuscript. The great thing about mentoring students through the entire novel writing process is that I get to see their seed of a story become a fully fledged book!
Emily-Jane Clark, UNWC Tutor
I can’t wait to meet our students and get to know them. In my own development as a writer, the support and thoughtful critique of a community of like-minded people has made all the difference. I know there are great novels out there, waiting to blossom and grow, and I look forward to seeing them unfurl.
Rosie Fiore, UNWC Tutor
I really enjoy seeing people work on their craft, making improvements and increasing their confidence. Writing can be a lot of fun – but it is can also often feel like a hard and lonely pursuit. Courses like this one are great for giving some much needed support and encouragement – not to mention definite things to aim for and concrete things that you can achieve.
Sam Jordison, UNWC Tutor
I would love to mentor students whose writing includes a big dose of humour – whether in a children’s book or contemporary fiction! I would also like to work with memoir writers who have an interesting, funny or quirky story to tell!
Emily-Jane Clark, UNWC Tutor
What am I looking for in a student? Courage and resilience. I’ve written twelve novels, so I know for sure there’ll be days when you won’t feel so brave and when sheer stubbornness is the only thing that’ll get you through. I look forward to meeting writers who are deeply passionate about their projects, who are excited to do the work and will fight for their vision. If that’s the case, I’ll pick up my editor’s pen and fight right alongside you!
Rosie Fiore, UNWC Tutor
I’ll be looking for applications that show potential – and also people with a desire to try out new things, test ideas and enjoy their creativity.
Sam Jordison, UNWC Tutor

We’ve helped hundreds of writers achieve their goals

But don’t take our word for it! You can check out what our students have to say about their experiences below.

This course was career-changing for Alan

I was really lucky to be in a fabulous and supportive tutor group… I also had an excellent mentor in Helen Francis. She believed in the book, but more than that, she believed in me as a writer and believed I could get published. Every time I thought I’d come to a dead end she encouraged me to keep going.

Alan Fraser

UNWC student 21/22 and author of ‘The Muse of Hope Falls’
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I loved everything about the UNWC. The tutorials were thought-provoking, the group sessions were fun and the mentoring in particular was absolutely top-notch. This was the first time anyone had taken me seriously as a writer — my mentor both encouraged and challenged me. And when I had my manuscript ready, Jericho’s support was instrumental in my agent search. I’m hugely thankful that I had the chance to take this course!
Jack L, UNWC student 19/20
I signed up for the Ultimate Novel Writing Course in 2019 and this proved to be one of the best decisions of my writing career.
Carol L, UNWC student 19/20
The UNWC team is fantastic. They want every writer to succeed. Their support and encouragement made all the difference. The structure of the course is brilliant – moving monthly through different focuses such as POV, setting, character, pacing, voice, all the way to endings and publishing. My mentor, Philip’s notes gave me the inspiration and guidance I needed to finish my manuscript. If you’re thinking about signing up for the UNWC and wondering if it’s worthwhile: do it! I accomplished so much.
Victoria F, UNWC student 20/21
I am overwhelmed with how much I have learnt about the craft of writing over the last four months, and I have been writing for years. I have also attended many creative writing short courses but realize now how lightweight and inadequate some of them have been. UNWC really is the ultimate course in every way and I am thrilled to be a participant. The opportunity to be mentored by a successful author is awesome and she makes sure that we put our new skills into practice. Loving every minute
Wendy W, UNWC student 20/21
The course was amazing. I had never studied any form of creative writing past school so I was apprehensive about starting, knowing I might be swimming in the deep end. On the contrary, I really enjoyed it and my writing has excelled dramatically. I’ve received four full manuscript requests since finishing the course, including one from an agent who discovered my writing in the UNWC Anthology.
Verity H, UNWC student 20/21
Very worthwhile – I certainly wouldn’t have got this far with my novel without it. There’s been some really useful technical guidance and I’ve appreciated being part of the community.
Sophia S, UNWC student 20/21
I’ve found a friendship group of amazing writers for life.
JD, UNWC student 20/21
My reasons for taking this course are 1) To finish my novel, 2) To improve my writing skills, 3) To learn more about the craft of writing. I feel the course is helping me accomplish those three goals.
Kathleen P, UNWC student 20/21
My mentoring sessions have been BRILLIANT. Helen is superb: she seems to immediately get what I am trying to do and has lots of helpful suggestions and encouragement. We had a session this week and I think we could have talked all morning. In fact, if I could talk to her every week that would be amazing! I requested Helen as my mentor and I’m so pleased my request was successful because I think she’s exactly the right person to help me take my novel forward.
Joanna, H UNWC 20/21
My mentoring session was very productive. I like Lindsey’s style, she forced me to really think about the structure, characters and motivation within my narrative. She enabled me to see my novel from a different perspective.
Amanda R, UNWC student 20/21
Philip, I would like to thank you and Jericho Writers from the bottom of my heart for this past year. I believe, thanks to your guidance and the material provided, I have achieved exactly what the course had initially promised. […] I am 100% certain that none of this would have happened had I not spent money on the UNWC.
Gizelle K, UNWC 20/21
The course has enabled me to develop the characters, conclude a plot plan, decide on narrative voices and I am now developing firm plans for structure to enable me to begin to pull it all together… The course is proving extremely useful and interesting and I’m very much enjoying being part of my mentor group. The quality of the tuition material is impressive.
Ann T, UNWC student 21/22
[Jericho has] a wealth of information. It’s quite dangerous, once you’re in for one thing, you end up finding three other things that look interesting. There aren’t enough hours in the day!… Thank you to the team at Jericho.
Louise G, UNWC student 21/22

We helped Nicky turn her book outline into a novel

I started the course with just an outline for a novel and a fledging idea for my protagonist… If it wasn’t for the support of both my writing group and my mentor, Helen Francis, I wouldn’t now have a complete novel and a publishing contract.

Nicky Downes

UNWC student 21/22 and author of ‘Silent Fall’
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Frequently asked
questions

1

Who is this course for?

This course is perfect for anyone serious about writing a novel and seeing it traditionally published, or successfully self-published. Ideally, students on the course have already started working on a draft they’d like to write and polish. This is truly one of the best novel writing courses available. The mentoring aspect of the course will be completely personalised to you, so we’ll work from whatever your starting point happens to be, and provide you with all the writing tips and advice you need.

2

Do you handle all genres? What about creative non-fiction? What about children’s and Young Adult?

We warmly welcome writers in almost every genre, from very literary to commercial. Our tutors work across a diverse list of categories, including both creative non-fiction and fiction writing. We certainly also welcome YA writers. If you write for much younger children, the course may be less suitable – but feel free to ask. 

3

What is the application process?

We invite writers from all backgrounds to apply to this course, whatever their educational backgrounds or prior achievements. We do however ask that all applicants are genuinely committed to a career as an author. 

If you feel this best describes you, please download our course prospectus here and follow the links to the application page. This page will ask you to describe your idea, your personal goals, and upload a sample of your work. 

We aim to respond to all applications within 15 working days. All work will be forwarded to the course tutors who will make the final decision on entry according to which writers they feel show commitment and commercial viability. 

If you have any questions about the application process, you can email us on courses@jerichowriters.com, or call us on UK: +44 (0)330 043 0150, or US: +1 (646) 974 9060. 

4

Where can I get a complete course outline?

You can find the full course outline in our prospectus.

5

I have a full time job / family commitments. Can I do this course in my spare time?

Yes. We purposely designed this course to fit in around your other commitments; flexibility is one of the many benefits of online novel writing courses. Bear in mind that we will be asking you to write (or rewrite) your novel, as well as engage with teaching material and other online/offline events throughout the year. If you think you can manage that, we’ll be happy to accommodate you – and of course we’ll be as flexible as we can be.

6

Do I need to be available at set times every week?

For the most part, you’ll be able to work to a schedule that suits you. There will be at least two monthly Zoom calls. All calls will be recorded, so if you can’t make the live session, you’ll be able to watch the replay. The only truly fixed part of the calendar is the in-person event at the end of the course. While access to our live events is included, students will be required to pay for their own travel to and from live events, including any additional expenses incurred.

7

Will the online elements of the course be easy to use?

We use an easy-to-navigate online teaching platform to provide our virtual classrooms. It’s incredibly user-friendly and you’ll have no difficulty understanding what to do. The course will also have its own private space within Jericho Writers Townhouse, and we’ll maintain that group permanently, so your course friendships can long outlast the end of the course. If you do need help at any stage, we’ll be on hand. 

8

Do you have bursaries available?

While we don’t have a full bursary available for this course, we want to help great writers get published, and if your personal circumstances make it impossible for you to fund the full price of this course, please get in touch. We can’t make any promises, but we’ll always do what we can.

9

Is this course suitable for international students?

Yes. We have a very international client base already and we welcome applications from anywhere in the world. It’s open internationally for writers from all over the world, and all online calls and live events will take place at Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

If you’re based outside of the UK and Europe, our Ultimate Novel Writing Course (International) might be more suitable and will take place at Eastern Time (EST). 

Your year at a glance

OCTOBER: Planning your novel

This month, you’ll learn how to plan and structure your novel and put this into action for your own work.

NOVEMBER: Point of view

We’ll explore all the different kinds of point of view; from omniscient and third person limited, to first person, and see how each one can inform our own work.

DECEMBER: Setting

It’s time to start writing your novel. This month, we’ll look at how you can maximise the potential of your setting.

JANUARY: Character

You’ll learn the techniques and tools you can use to strengthen and develop your characters.

FEBRUARY: Emotion and senses

This month, you’ll study the art of transferring weight of emotion onto objects and atmosphere.

MARCH: Pacing and tension

How do you keep your reader engaged? We’ll discover the importance of building tension, no matter the genre.

APRIL: Voice and style

A well-developed style is like a fingerprint: what can you do to practice yours, and to make your words flow?

MAY: Writing a great ending

By now, you’ll have a working manuscript and be aware of all the techniques that shape your world – so it’s the time to draw upon everything you have learnt so far and nail that ending.

JUNE: Self-editing

This month, we’ll look at your manuscript in its entirety and learn how to turn that first draft into a masterpiece.

JULY: Getting published

Through detailed tutorials, we’ll learn the art of perfecting your submission package and how to find the best agents for your work.

AUGUST: Author-led marketing and self-publishing

Learn the core tools of self-publishing – which also form the basis for any author-led marketing campaign.

SEPTEMBER: End of course networking event

Join us to celebrate your achievements! Meet your peers and tutors for our end-of-course celebration dinner in London. You’ll also get to take part in an online reading, where you will get the chance to showcase your work to top literary agents.

Hall of Fame

We’re so proud to see our students’ novels get snapped up by publishers and land in the hands of readers across the globe. Could yours be next?

Not the right course for you?

We have online courses for every stage of your writing journey.

JUMPSTART YOUR NOVEL

Jumpstart Your Novel: £900

Take the first step towards writing your book with this interactive course. Suitable for new writers. From £900. 8-week course.

CREATIVITY FOR WRITERS

CREATIVITY FOR WRITERS: £495

Harness your creativity in this short course designed for intermediate writers. From £495. 4-week course.

FICTION FOUNDATIONS

FICTION FOUNDATIONS: £495

Ideal for writers at the start of their journey wanting to learn the basics. From £495. Six-week course.