Join us for 6 days of writing masterclasses this September in the superb comfort and bohemian atmosphere of a 13th-century castle, deep in the Tuscan countryside.

Following on from their successful course last year, bestselling author Helena Attlee and acclaimed biographer and travel writer Julian Evans will help you to discover new writing skills and ways of seeing and experiencing your surroundings.

Guided by bestselling author Helena Attlee and acclaimed biographer and travel writer Julian Evans, this is a perfect opportunity to discover new writing skills and ways of seeing and experiencing your surroundings. Whether you want to write about travel, history, biography or autobiography, landscape, food or nature – any form of creative non-fiction – our 6 days at Castello di Potentino are the ideal moment to start a new project or look at an existing one with fresh eyes.

During the week you’ll watch Tuscan shepherds making cheese, taste wines made from the castle vineyards, explore unspoiled landscapes with a local botanist, make pasta with acclaimed food writer Rachel Roddy, and immerse yourself in village life: lived experiences that you’ll learn to capture on the page. Helena and Julian will work with you in small groups, introducing new approaches to strengthen your writing voice and helping you to find the most compelling way to tell your story. You will also be invited to a one-to-one tutorial, where you can discuss your writing in detail.

Our special guests this week will be Rachel Roddy, whose books and weekly column in the London Guardian have won her many fans, and Derek Johns, who recently stepped down from running London’s oldest literary agency.

We designed this course for non-fiction writers who want to capture lived experience in their writing, strengthen their voice on the page, and find the story they want to tell.

Each day is built around an activity, whether it’s making cheese with shepherds from a neighbouring village, making pasta with Rachel Roddy, walking the valley with a local botanist, or tasting wines made in the castle winery.

These experiences are coupled with workshops and one-to-one tutorials designed to help you build your skills and confidence and explore essential elements of the writing process.