‘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 the programme is to allow writers to develop their writing practice through engagement with similarly motivated individuals. We bring groups of writers together – in-person and online – so they can learn to engage more deeply with their own work and the work of others.
We aim to offer all our workshops at an affordable rate. Concession rates are offered to writers who are unwaged or on low income. We also make at least one free place available on every workshop.
2024 Summer School
Applications are now closed for our 2024 Summer School. A big thank you to everyone who applied. We aim to send out offers for all workshop places by the end of April.
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2024–25 Writing Workshops
We intend running two 6-month writing workshops again this year: a hybrid workshop with a mix of online and in-person sessions and a fully online workshop.
The workshops will run from late September 2024 until the end of March 2025.
Applications for both workshops will be accepted from June 26th until July 24th 2024.
The tuition fee for each workshop is €1800. The concession rate for anyone who is unwaged or on low income is €1350. One free place will be offered in each group.
More information will be available here soon.
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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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