What Are the Best Creative Writing Courses in the UK?

 Creative writing is relatively new as an academic subject and one that's often dismissed contemptuously — which is odd, considering that few people have ever challenged the need for formal training in art, music or drama. Needless to say, a creative writing course can't teach you inspiration. However, it can teach not only the considerable amount of craft that's required, but also how to prepare for and manage your career as a novelist or screenwriter. In general, the best creative writing courses tend not to be at the highest-rated institutions — don't expect to find Oxford or Cambridge in the list. However, the universities you'll be aiming for are good quality, often offering a combined course with other subjects.

Creative Writing at Lancaster University

 Lancaster University offers what many authorities rate as the best creative writing course in the UK. Both the staff in its faculty and the teaching they provide are second to none. Lancaster provides three-year joint honours degree courses. This means that your creative writing can be combined with another related subject, such as English Literature, film or fine art, to give a more rounded education.

Creative Writing at Newcastle University

 Newcastle University also has an excellent creative writing department, which includes well-known professional writers — for instance, Andrea Levy and Paul Muldoon. Like Lancaster, Newcastle offers creative writing as one component of your degree. In this case, however, it has to be studied alongside English Literature.

Creative Writing at the Open University

 As an institution that's always offered non-traditional degrees, it's not surprising that the Open University provides one of the best creative writing degree courses. Again, the course runs alongside studying literature. Degree courses with the Open University are conducted remotely, normally online. They're also flexible, so that you can pace yourself and take however long you need to.

Post-Graduate Creative Writing Courses

 Besides first degree courses, writers who already have a bachelor's degree can take a masters or doctorate in creative writing. In general, these allow you concentrate solely on creative writing. Among the best are:

• University of Manchester — the master's degree at Manchester includes sessions at the Centre for New Writing, working with established writers.
• University of Aberdeen — Aberdeen's MLitt is a popular course that's assessed by means of a folio of coursework together with an analytical essay.
• University of Birmingham — Birmingham offer a PhD in creative writing, studied over 3-6 years, depending on whether you're studying full-time or part-time. You can study either in person or remotely.

Short Creative Writing Programmes

As well as degree courses, there are a number of highly prestigious short programmes in creative writing offered around the UK. These include:

• Arvon — perhaps the best-known creative writing institutes, Arvon offers courses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire including poetry, screenwriting and dramatic writing.
• Moniack Mhor — in the heart of the countryside not far from Inverness, Scotland's Creative Writing Centre offers five-day course all year round.
• The Faber Academy — in the heart of London, the Faber Academy offers short courses with high-profile writers offering insights on anything from creating characters to editing.

 As with any subject, of course, you can improve your chances of being accepted at one of the best universities by preparing with private tutoring. Register with TutorExtra to find the many creative writing tutors available.