Ultimate Novel Writing Course Application
Tutor groups are filling up fast – apply now to guarantee your first choice of tutor.
How to Apply
We want to ensure all Ultimate Novel Writing Course students are working to a similar, high standard.
For that reason, we ask all applicants to fill out a short form that tells us a bit about you, your intended novel, and what you’re hoping to get from the course.
If we think you might not be the right fit for this course, we’re always happy to suggest other options.
Applications close 16 February 2025.
Apply now
In order to apply, you will need the following information ready:
- Your background as a writer and your writing ambitions
- Why you want to take the course
- A summary of your novel
- The title and genre of your novel
- A 1,500 word sample of your novel
- Your preferred package: CORE (from £2950/$3695) or FULL (from £5450/$7000)
- Your preferred start date: April 2025 or October 2025
- Your preferred mentor (if applying for the FULL package).
Need more information?
Download our brochure to find out more.
Who will you choose?
Here’s a reminder of which genres our tutors are looking to work with, so you can select the best fit for you:
Meet Your Tutors
Meet your tutors below! As a student, you’ll be taught by all tutors, each of whom is a renowned author, but one of these will become your Personal Tutor to mentor your throughout the course. Your Personal Tutor will work closely with you one-on-one over the course of the year to perfect your novel. For more information download the brochure.
Rosie Fiore
Winter Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
- Awards
Rosie’s has had eight novels published. She is published by Struik, Quercus and Allen & Unwin under her own name. This 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.
- Contemporary Fiction
- Literary Fiction
- Book Club
- Romance
- Historical Fiction
- Young Adult Fiction
- Crime/Thrillers
- South African Sunday Times Literary Award (Longlist)
Philip Womack
Winter Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
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.
- Children’s Fiction
- Young Adult Fiction
- Middle Grade Fiction
- Literary Fiction
- Fantasy
- Sci-Fi
- Narrative Memoir
Lindsey Alexander
Winter Tutor • International (USA)
- Bio
- Genres
Lindsey Alexander (she/her) started her 20-year editing career at HarperCollins US. She’s helped authors across a range of genres launch their careers and has worked with numerous publishers and literary agencies to develop and hone some of the best-loved books of the last two decades. A number of books she’s edited have been optioned for film and published in translation.
- Historical Fiction
- Romance
- Mystery/Thriller
- Literary Fiction
- Young Adult Fiction
- Humour
Natasha Bell
Winter Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
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.
- Psychological Suspense
- Women’s Fiction
- Queer Fiction
- Any stories that blur the line between truth and imagination
Sam Jordison
Winter Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Sam Jordison is a publisher, author, and journalist. He is the co-director of the 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 Enemies of the People, a commentary on the folks who brought us Brexit and Trump, and Literary London.
- Contemporary Fiction
- Literary Fiction Fantasy
- Sci-Fi Crime/Thrillers
- Creative Non-Fiction
- Memoirs
Helen Francis
Winter Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Genres
Helen Francis has worked in publishing for nearly 20 years, in both publishing houses and literary agencies. Previously, Helen 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.
- Contemporary Fiction
- Women’s Fiction
- Literary Fiction
- Crime/Thrillers
- Young Adult Fiction
Eliza Knight
Winter Tutor • International (USA)
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
- Awards
Eliza (E.) Knight is an award-winning, USA Today and internationally bestselling hybrid (traditionally and self-published) author of over eighty titles. Her latest novel, Starring Adele Astaire, was released this year with William Morrow (HarperCollins). Her books have been translated into several languages.
- Romance
- Historical Fiction
- Young Adult Fiction
- Memoir
- Women’s Fiction
- Contemporary Fiction
- Book Club
- Literary Fiction
- Crime/Thrillers
- Romance Writers of America – PRO Mentor of the Year
- RWA Honor Roll
Liz Monument
Winter Tutor • International (Australia)
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Liz is a writer, editor and writing coach interested in fiction of all kinds, from sci-fi to historical. Her first two novels are science fiction; her third is a literary genre-fusion, written for a PhD in Creative Writing; her fourth work-in-progress is a triple timeline gothic thriller. Liz also collaborates with international literary agencies to accelerate the submission process for writers of talent.
- Dystopian
- Sci-Fi
- Fantasy
- Historical Fiction
- Literary Fusions
- Anything quirky or genre-bending
Emma Cooper
Spring Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
- Awards
Emma is the author of highly acclaimed book club fiction novels and is known for mixing humour with darker emotional themes. Her debut, The Songs of Us, was snapped up in multiple pre-empts and auctions and was short-listed for the RNA contemporary novel of the year award. Her work has since been translated into seven different languages.
- Contemporary Fiction
- Literary Fiction
- Book Club Fiction
- Women’s Fiction
- Romance Fiction
- Shortlisted for RNA Contemporary Novel Award
Anna Vaught
Spring Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Anna Vaught is an English teacher, mentor and author of several books, including 2020’s novel Saving Lucia and short fiction collection, Famished. 2023 saw Saving Lucia published to national acclaim in Italy as Bang Bang Mussolini, memoir These Envoys of Beauty and the magical realism novel The Zebra and Lord Jones. Anna’s shorter and multi-genre works are widely published in journals, magazines and anthologies.
- Literary Fiction
- Contemporary Fiction
- Book Club (gothic, magical realism and historic)
- Speculative Fiction
- Middle Grade Fiction
- Young Adult Fiction
- Short Story Collections
- Memoir
Holly Seddon
Spring Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
Holly Seddon is an international bestselling author and has worked in London as a journalist and editor. She also works with Jericho Writers as an Editor and Mentor. She has an MA in Creating Writing and lives in Kent with her family. Alongside fellow author Gillian McAllister, Holly co-hosts the popular Honest Authors Podcast.
- Crime/Thriller
- Women’s Fiction
- Literary Fiction
- Speculative Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Narrative Non-Fiction
Gavin James Bower
Spring Tutor • UK/Europe
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
- Awards
Gavin James Bower BA (Hons) PhD FHEA graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sheffield, before working as an editor and publisher in London. He is the author of two novels and one award winning nonfiction title. His journalism has featured in the Guardian, the Independent and Independent on Sunday, the Sunday Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, and BBC Radio 5 Live. He now teaches Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.
- Contemporary Fiction
- Short Story Collections
- Creative Non-Fiction
- Society of Authors Award
Megan Collins
Spring Tutor • USA
- Bio
- Books
- Genres
- Awards
Megan Collins is the author of a number of psychological thrillers all published by Atria/Simon & Schuster. Megan holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Boston University, and has taught creative writing at both the high school and college levels. Many of her former students have since had their work published and won prestigious writing competitions. Megan is also the managing editor of 3Elements Review, a prompt-based literary magazine.
- Mystery
- Thriller
- Suspense
- Women’s Fiction
- Book Club
- Literary Fiction
- Speculative Fiction
- Romance
- Horror
- 2022 Barnes & Noble Mystery/Thriller Monthly Pick
- 2019 Book of the Month Club pick