‘Quite simply, I know that without The Stinging Fly I would never have had a single thing published. I attended the six month workshop in 2015–2016 and it was a transformative experience. That sounds a little excessive, but it was. It changed quite profoundly the way I think about what I read, and it made me an infinitely better writer.’—Wendy Erskine
Our workshop programme includes our annual summer school and our six-month fiction workshops.
The principal aim of our workshop programme is to allow writers to develop their writing practice through engagement with groups of similarly motivated individuals.
2023 Summer School
In-person Workshops at the Irish Writers Centre: July 3rd to July 7th 2023
Fiction: Mia Gallagher | Non-Fiction: Roisin Kiberd | Poetry: Annemarie Ní Churreáin
Online Workshops via Zoom: July 10th to July 14th 2023
Fiction: Wendy Erskine, Mary Morrissy and Joanna Walsh
Non-Fiction: Arnold Thomas Fanning | Poetry: Martina Evans
Open for applications: Monday April 3rd to Tuesday April 18th 2023
More information here.
2023–24 Fiction Workshops
Applications for our 6-month fiction workshops will be accepted from June 26th until July 20th 2023.
The workshops will run from late September 2023 until the end of March 2024, with both in-person and online options available.
More details will be announced before the end of March 2023.
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‘The Stinging Fly’s 6-month fiction workshop is a game changer; challenging, exhilarating, and unforgettable, it completely alters the way you read and write fiction… At the end of the course I had completed a short story collection I was proud of that went on to be critically acclaimed. If I could Groundhog Day this course, I’d do it again and again for every book. Magic.’ —June Caldwell
‘I attended the Stinging Fly summer school in 2018, and I thought I knew what to expect because I’d attended a few writing workshops before this, but the Stinging Fly school was different—the discussions were more rigorous, more challenging, more frank and generous in spirit; it was joyful. The class completely changed the way I think about the fiction I read. It pushed me to investigate what I’m interested in, in my own writing, with more commitment and care.’ —Chetna Maroo
‘It is a rare privilege to be in the company of people who understand the insecurities and anxieties that arise when you are struggling to create fiction out of all the embarrassing stuff that’s inside your head. The Stinging Fly continues to create a space where writers can learn to support and champion each other’s aspirational worlds.’ —Louise Nealon
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