Creative Writing: Short Stories and First Chapters (evening)

Everyone has a story to tell, whether a work wholly of the imagination or something developed from the experience of life.

Guided by your tutor, Martin Ouvry, this course will take you on a journey to find or further develop ways to express your ideas in writing, either in the form of a short story or a passage from a longer piece of work.

Our creative writing course seeks to educate the imagination and equip you with the technical and practical know-how to fulfil your writing aims.

Teaching on this interactive, discussion-centred course is delivered in a friendly and guided environment offering the necessary positive and constructive criticism appropriate to the emerging work of each member of the group. The sessions will be further supported by short extracts from great works of fiction and books on the craft, drawn from a diverse community of writers.

The sessions are designed to support emerging writers, offering a supportive space for experimentation and exploration in creative writing.

This is an adult education course open to everyone. While no previous experience is necessary, the course does welcome both newcomers and those with some experience of writing fiction.

Subject to sufficient enrolment, a course running late morning on Fridays is also available. The maximum group size for either course is 12 learners.

Reading material

There is no required reading material, but recommended texts include:

• The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook (London: Bloomsbury, 2023, 2024, 2025)

• Ailsa Cox, Writing Short Stories (London: Routledge, 2016)

• John Mullan, How Novels Work (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008)

• Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird (London: Doubleday, 1994)

Course term dates

•  Autumn Term: Wednesday 7 October until 9 December 2026 (no class on 28 October), and a final session on Wednesday 6 January 2027

For content enquiries: Contact the tutor, Martin Ouvry, at martinouvry@hotmail.com or via martinouvry.com

For enrolment and booking enquiries: Contact Christian Jacobi at c.jacobi@imperial.ac.uk

Class recordings

These classes are not recorded.

Imperial certificates

This course has no exams or assessments, so you can focus on enjoying your learning. If you attend regularly, you may also receive an Imperial attendance certificate. (T&Cs apply).