Oxford Creative Writing Summer Course
Advanced pre-university course in Creative Writing in Oxford colleges
The creative writing course in the summer offers the chance for you to develop your writing and enhance your creative writing skills by crafting the stimulating cultural setting of Oxford – the academic home to some of the world’s greatest literary and creative minds such as John Milton and William Thackeray.
Our creative writing courses for budding young writers encourages you to use this setting as inspiration and push the limits of your current writing abilities, working alongside expert university tutors and other like-minded peers. You will learn how to improve your work through various techniques – focussing on areas such as character and plot development, form and much more. Or, explore our other oxford summer program subject choices.
Learn directly from expert academics from world-class universities
You will explore novel concepts and share ideas in small groups of like-minded and ambitious peers from around the world. In small class sizes averaging 7 students, you will be guided by expert tutors who have honed their expertise through teaching undergraduate students at world-class universities, including the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard.
Our rigorous vetting process guarantees that all participants are taught by engaging and supportive educators who are, most of all, enthusiastic about sharing their expertise to ensure our summer school teaching is of the highest quality. Immerse™ is an unrivalled academic experience.
-
Average class size of 7
Maximum class size of 10 students -
1:1 tutorials
Supportive, challenging and engaging -
Academic workshops
Develop a practical understanding of your subject -
World-class tutors
Academics from Oxford and Cambridge
Boost your confidence and develop key attributes in academic skills workshops
Our workshops are geared towards unlocking participants’ potential, giving them the tools to prepare for the next steps of their education and future goals. Build upon existing study skills to support future university-level learning.
These workshops explore a diverse and enriching range of topics – past examples have ranged from ‘Productivity tips’ to ’21st Century Technology Skills’. We’re sure that you’ll learn something completely new. Unlike traditional schools, Immerse allows you to learn beyond the traditional curriculum.
This programme is designed for students with at least an upper-intermediate level of English (B2). If you are unsure if you meet this requirement, please contact advisor@immerse.education.
-
Certificate & detailed participant evaluation
All participants receive an individual report from their tutor -
Personal project or Creative portfolio
Develop a personal project or a creative portfolio to present at the end of the course -
Experience Oxbridge life
Live and learn like an Oxbridge undergraduate -
Enhance key academic skills
Interview skills, academic writing and presentation
Example tutor:
George M
Guest speakers from previous summers
Dr Lynda Shaw
Abi Oyepitan
Dr Nigel Warburton
Build your Creative Portfolio
As part of your programme, you will be given the opportunity to produce several pieces of creative work in your chosen subject which will form the basis of a portfolio. Portfolios are a great way to showcase your skill and accomplishments and are essential in university applications to creative subjects, demonstrating your ability in a way grades cannot. As part of this process, you will receive two 1:1 sessions with your expert tutor, who will give you advice and feedback on the development of your portfolio.
The Immerse Creative Writing programme has been great. Lesson times are a perfect 2 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the afternoon, with lots of time to go and experience the town and have activities in the evenings.
I’ve really enjoyed being around people who have the same interests as me. Being able to share opinions and listen to feedback has been really valuable.
My tutor has been great. He’s very passionate about writing and he’s very engaging with the class. He listens to all our thoughts and our opinions on everything that we study – he’s been brilliant.
The programme has been a very good opportunity to get a grasp on what university is like – It gives us an opportunity to make new friends, which is good for your social skills, and you get an idea of what university classes might be like.
The curriculum is nothing like I’ve ever seen before, which is great. It’s nothing like what I do at school, which means I have the ability to experiment, and learn new things and along the way just improve my general skills.
Work hard, play hard.
Action-packed social programme
Outside of lessons, we are proud to offer a busy and diverse social programme to help you get the most out of your time in Oxford. This includes activities such as punting on the River Cam, zorb football and a murder mystery night in the college.
There are also two excursions during the programme, one day trip to visit Oxford and its constituent colleges, as well as an optional day out in London, seeing the city’s most famous landmarks as well as some free time for shopping. Those who choose not to travel to London are invited to afternoon tea in Oxford.
Activities and excursions are run by our team of friendly mentors – whose main job is to maximise your enjoyment.
Work hard, play hard.
A unique social programme.
Experience traditional 'Formal Hall'
Formal Hall is a traditional weekly meal that takes place in every college. This is an opportunity for students to dress up, dine by candlelight in the magical surroundings of an Oxford University college’s dining hall.
As an Immerse student, you will experience formal dinner three times during your stay – once per week in Oxford, as well as in an Cambridge University college on the excursion day.
Formal hall is truly a memorable occasion, so remember to bring some smart clothes!
A unique social programme.
Live and study in colleges
of Oxford
Experience life as an Oxford University undergraduate
All participants will be allocated to a college a few weeks before arriving, based on their dates and subject choice.
If you would like to stay in the same location as a friend/sibling – please let us know and we will do our best to arrange this, where possible.
Males and females have separate accommodation in every college, and there is wi-fi available throughout.
For more information, please visit this page.
Student Welfare & Safety
An accredited provider of academic short courses
Immerse Education is accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), the leading mark of educational quality for the academic sector. Our accreditation with the BAC sends a positive and clear message to students and partners that they are studying with a trusted and reliable provider who has met a series of globally recognised quality assurance standards, both in terms of academic provision and student welfare.
The safety and well-being of our participants is our number one priority, and all staff undergo enhanced background checks and receive thorough safeguarding training before interacting with any students.
For more information, please visit our Pastoral Information page.
Meet some of our mentors and
college managers
-
FreyaFreya is a third year Medical student at St John's College, Oxford University. She is a keen runner and cyclist and has recently enjoyed taking up college rowing. -
JemMentor
-
Lily-MaeMentor
-
PoppyMentor
-
SophieMentor
Immerse™ Creative Writing Sample Modules
-
Module 1 - An Introduction To Creative Writing
In this introductory module, you will challenge conventional assumptions of writing in the 21st Century. You'll have the opportunity to discuss preferred writing methods and routines, what you hope to achieve on the programme and learn how to combat the dreaded blank page. -
Module 2 - The Importance Of Character
From Sherlock Holmes to Jay Gatsby, it is often believed that great characters drive great fiction. In this module, you will assess the clichés and tropes of a range of comedic and conflicted characters, as well as analysing how they can shift the tone and plot of a piece of work. -
Module 3 - Learning The Industry: The Basics
The very best of authors with a finished manuscript can still experience setbacks from not knowing how the publishing industry works. In this module, you will learn about the various publishing options, from competitions, magazines and traditional publishing, to e-books, self-publication and film writing. -
Module 4 - Written Portfolio
Over the duration of the programme, you will have written either a portfolio of creative writing or a novella. In the final module of the programme, you'll have time to complete your works and be given personal written and verbal feedback from your tutor to aid future development as a writer.
Request syllabus overview
Request syllabus overview
-
30th June – 13th July 2024
-
14th – 27th July 2024
-
28th July – 10th August 2024
