So you want to be a travel writer?
Would you like to convey the wonder, frustration, humour and stories of your travels to others? Would you like to see your travel writing in print? Take the first step on this journey - join award-winning national newspaper journalist Dea Birkett and renowned author Rory Maclean on a day-long Travel Writing Workshop. Every Workshop also has a guest editor from a national publication.
The small, intensive Workshops are designed for beginners and those with some experience of travel writing. Whether you want to be published in top national newspapers or write a book about your trip, the Travel Writing Workshop will help you on the road.
Wander around our website to discover more about Travel Writing Workshops, those who lead it and those who have taken part. It could be the most important journey - and the best investment - that you ever make.
Click here for travel writing weekends to places worth writing about.
Sonia Shah, Bloomsbury workshop participant. See Sonia's articles at www.soniashahventures.com
I just thought I'd let you know that Tom Robbins from the Observer commissioned my pitch from the Travel Writing Workshop. I'm so pleased. I honestly don't think I would have cracked broadsheet if it wasn't for your help, so thank you.
Tracey Davies, workshop participant
I just want to thank you for the workshop. It was wonderful, absolutely fantastic, everything I could have hoped for and more. Dea and Rory really inspired me. I'll be coming back.
Jo, Travel Writing Workshop participant
I learnt more at the workshop than I have done in the five years I have been writing about travel! I now have a much better understanding of the pitching process and what makes a great story.I¹m just kicking myself that I didn¹t do it sooner, if I did who knows where I would be now.
Tracey, Travel Writing Workshop participant
Here's what the reviewers have said about Travel Writing Workshops:
Time Out - five star *****
For the increasing numbers of travellers who want to subject their wanderings to a deeper analysis but lack the wherewithal, Dea Birkett's course is just the ticket. Course organiser Birkett guides the group through the key components of travel writing. A long-time Guardian contributor and ardent advocate of travelling with kids, she is irrepressibly and infectiously enthusiastic, generous with her personally directed advice, and captivatingly irreverent (she's a fan of 'grammatically bonkers' sentences and tells us that 'Uh?' is the best question for getting information out of people.
Guest speaker Ed Grenby, editor of the Sunday Times Travel magazine, packs a 20-point plan for pitching ideas to travel editors that'll net a commission. Rory Maclean is next, the quiet Canadian who teaches the storytelling aspect of travel writing. Be prepared to do some close-to-the-bone writing: Maclean's most frequently used word is 'heart'.
Wanderlust - Watch out Bryson, here I come...
In the surroundings of the Guardian newsroom, the morning kicked off with Dea, a prominent travel writer and broadcaster. The two-hour session was lively, very interactive and great fun; I was on my way to writing that elusive opening sentence in no time.
With new ideas firmly implanted, the workshop then sprinted into a practical lesson on how to get published. We also go the chance to pitch our ideas to a guest editor and grill him for valuable insider tips.
For the novelists amongst us, the afternoon slot was with Rory Maclean. Rory concentrated on the more creative side of travel writing - be prepared to write something on the spot and from the heart.
After just one day I had a clearer view of what makes a truly good article, my ideas were more focused and my confidence rocketed. Time to get scribbling...
Send a message to getintouch@travelworkshops.co.uk
Travel Writing Workshops, PO Box 20479, London SE17 3WF, UK