One Day Writing Retreats
in Birmingham
Stop fucking about and start writing
- Third Sunday of the month
- 10:30am - 4:30pm
- Alpha Works, Suffolk Street Queensway
- £45 (15% discount for Gold Star Members)
Book your next retreat here
No Distractions. No Excuses. Just Writing.
Rack up your word count
Develop your writing
Meet lovely people
Feel great
What happens at Birmingham Writers’ Retreat?
Writing! More writing! Some more writing! A bucket-load of writing!
At a WHQ creative writing retreat, you’ll spend the day in a room with a bunch of writers, limitless caffeine and a tasty lunch. We’ll help you set your writing goals for the day, celebrate your successes, and break through blocks.
We write together in short sprints – long enough to focus but not so long you burn out – with breaks for leg stretches, drinks, snacks and lunch.
A score board, gold stars, general silliness and supportive competitiveness will help you reach your targets and get your writing moving.
Who is Birmingham Writers’ Retreat for?
- Everyone! New writers! Emerging writers! Aspiring writers! Experienced writers! Not-sure-if-they’re-really-allowed-to-call-themselves-writers! (Hint: if you write, you’re a writer)
- Writers who want to tinker with some ideas or make a start on a brand new project
- Writers with a work-in-progress that’s stalled or been put aside while life takes over
- Writers who just wanna get shit done
- People writing fiction, non-fiction, scripts, academic texts, copy, articles, blogs, poetry, creative non-fiction, genre, high brow, low brow, and anything else that needs an alphabet shuffle
- People who want to drink tea and eat biscuits and write some words in a fun, supportive environment
Who hosts the Birmingham Writers’ Retreat?
Mara Livermore is a writer, host and storyteller with a background in personal, community and organisational transformation.
Mara writes about her relationship with her ancestors and the journey discovering ancient traditions and blending them with modern life, with a debut book forthcoming. She writes about her work in heritage and the arts, participatory democracy and how these intersect with her ancestral spiritual practices in visioning a new world.
Farquars
How much is a retreat and what exactly do I get for my cold hard cash?
Each retreat is £45, or £38.25 if you’re a WHQ Gold Star Member.
You get a place at a one-day creative writing retreat. We’ll support your writing, feed and water and caffeinate you. You’ll spend the day with a bunch of awesome writers all gunning for your success and you’ll get a whole bunch of words written.
Can’t I just write at home?
Sure. And if you do, then great! Keep doing you.
But for lots of us it’s not quite like that. We make Booker Prize winning plans but there’s always just one other thing to do or another cat to look at on the Internet.
Before you know it, it’s gone midnight, you’re sitting in your pants eating Dairy Milk, and you’ve written 25 words. Ugh.
Do we share our work?
Nope. WHQ creative writing retreats are strictly non-sharing events. We want you to focus on writing your story instead of getting anxious about other people reading it.
There is no workshopping or taught element to the retreats. It’s just about the writing.
For taught courses please check out our super-awesome range of online courses.
What if I get stuck or have questions on the day?
Speak to the facilitator or utilise the other amazing writers who’ll be there!
WHQ retreats are super friendly and super supportive. While they’re not set up for intense 1:1 feedback kind of scenarios, you can definitely slump on the desk and say ‘grargh I’m stuck!’ and a whole bunch of people will leap to your aid.
I have accessibility requirements. What do I do?
Let us know! We do our best to make sure our venues are accessible and we put accommodations in place where ever you need. Just email help@writershq.co.uk or fill in the little form when you book your place and we’ll leap into action with keenness and speed.
I’m a little bit (maybe a lottle bit) scared. Help?!
Book your tickets now!
- Six hours of uninterrupted writing
- Lunch, snacks, tea, coffee
- Lovely humans
- Gold stars
Sunday 14 June
- 10:30 am
- - 4:30 pm
- Mara Livermore
- Alpha Works, Floor 22, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham B1 1TT
- £45 (£38.50 with Gold Star Member discount)
Saturday 04 July
- 10:30 am
- - 4:30 pm
- Mara Livermore
- Alpha Works, Floor 22, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham B1 1TT
- £45 (£38.50 with Gold Star Member discount)
Sunday 09 August
- 10:30 am
- - 4:30 pm
- Mara Livermore
- Alpha Works, Floor 22, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham B1 1TT
- £45 (£38.50 with Glorious Writing Beast discount)
Who’s awesome? We’re awesome!
Well. You’re awesome, actually. You do the hard work, we just provide the warm embrace of swearing and tea and pep.