Curtis Brown launches online novel-writing course

Curtis Brown Creative (CBC) is launching its first online creative writing course, open to "all-comers".

While there is a "rigorously selective" applications process for admission on its longer courses, this will be the first time the school has opened its doors to anyone with an interest.

Lead by Curtis Brown Creative’s m.d. Anna Davis, a literary agent and author of five novels, the course, named Starting to Write Your Novel, costs £200 and takes place on a new, secure online learning platform, specially designed for Curtis Brown Creative. It will run for six weeks from 24th May, with applications open from today (25th April). 

At the end of the course, "the most promising student" will be offered a free one-to-one tutorial with a member of the Curtis Brown literary-agent team.

Davis said: "We get contacted all the time by people who want to try writing a novel and are keen to find the right course to get off the starting block. Some lack the time, confidence or financial means to take one of our main courses – others simply feel they’re not ready to try for a place. We’ve worked hard to make Starting to Write Your Novel useful and satisfying. We also hope that some students will go on to use the material they’ve produced to apply for the selective courses, which remain at the heart of what we do at Curtis Brown Creative. As always, we are hoping to find some new writers with real potential."

Curtis Brown joint c.e.o. Jonny Geller added: "I am delighted CBC will be opening up some of its secrets to a wider range of writers. We were very conscious that one of the major attractions of this course to serious writers – learning in our agency and having access to our agents, publishing colleagues and authors – was also a challenge for those who lived outside London or those unable to make the financial commitment. I hope this affordable course will allow anyone to benefit."

Curtis Brown Creative launched five years ago and has seen 20 of its former students go on to secure "major" publishing deals, including Jessie Burton with The Miniaturist (Picador); Kate Hamer with The Girl in the Red Coat (Faber & Faber) and Nicholas Searle with The Good Liar (Viking).

Further details about the new course can be found here.