New writing short course helps Bath Spa alumni hone their craft

In October, Bath Spa University launched a new Writing for Young People - Writing Workshop short course in collaboration with the MA Writing for Young People team. The course is designed for alumni of the Master’s course who are looking to further refine their skills and continue writing with the support of a workshop group. 

Alexia Casale, Senior Lecturer in Writing for Young People, and Alex Campbell, Associate Lecturer in Writing for Young People, reflect on the success and highlights of the October short courses. 

Alexia Casale 

The course was a joy to teach. A traditional degree needs to provide students with a range of knowledge and skills, as well as preparing them not just for the world of work, but for the assessments required to award an accredited qualification. By sitting alongside the MA in Writing for Young People, the Writing Workshop short course extends what we're able to offer students. The course provides a space focused purely on developing manuscripts and dealing with an elevated level of technique.

Workshopping can be transformative for writers, so to be able to match a group of students who are all working seriously towards, or within, a book-related career path is a delight. The level of feedback they’re able to give each other and the readiness to hear feedback that will help them get where they want to go is wonderful. I've learnt so much from being part of the group, even as a tutor!

This short course is a fantastic window into how effectively the MA in Writing for Young People sets up students for continuing to work effectively on their books. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of the model beyond just our alumni, as the student who joined as a published author found it just as positive as a newcomer to the process.

Altogether, it's given me an extra level of confidence in what Bath Spa can offer in the field of Writing for Young People and fired anew my determination to keep developing our offering. We've made great strides in broadening access and this new short course shows we have the skillful, dedicated team needed to develop brilliant new programmes to support our alumni, authors needing to professionalise specific areas of their work, and the wider public who may not be ready for an MA but would like to know more about writing for children and young people.

“I learnt so much on this course, not just from receiving feedback from other course attendees, but also by reading their work and providing feedback for them. The class exercises and topics explored also gave me plenty of material for further exploration.” - Nell Griffin, Writing Workshop Student 

Alex Campell 

My students were such a joy to work with and facilitate. The eclectic range of writing genres and styles was a real asset to the group as it meant that the students could gain insights into the process of writing a picture book, a piece of non-fiction or a young adult comedy. 

We looked at these specific skills from the general lens of creative writing to see how exploring new genre structures can help your own manuscript - from story boarding to script writing to chapter arcs. 

Being a small group, we were able to use creative writing exercises to get to know one another as writers, as well as getting to know each manuscript. It became a safe and expressive space to identify connections between experience and writing, and development and confidence. This helped the students to explore any writing challenges and issues they had. 

The workshop element of the course supported students to take risks and to set deadlines. There was a wonderful openness and honesty within the group and a lovely sense of support and empathy. 

Find out more about the range of short courses offered by Bath Spa University by visiting our website.