Tom Bullough is the author of four novels and, most recently, Sarn Helen: a Journey Through Wales, Past, Present and Future (Granta Books, 2023), which won the 2024 Wales Book of the Year and the 2023 Waterstones Welsh Book of the Year. His first feature film, Mr Burton, about the early life of the actor Richard Burton, will be released theatrically in spring 2025. At present, Tom is the Story Associate at Hay Castle, working on an audio-visual project, Tarddle/ Source, about the River Wye, its ecology and the people of its banks. He grew up on a hill farm in Radnorshire and now lives in Bannau Brycheiniog with two children, a collie and a goldfish.
Climate Writing: Inspiring care, empowering change
Mon 12 May 2025 - Fri 16 May 2025
Tutors
/ Tom Bullough & Jay Griffiths
Guest Reader
/ Guest Reader
Course Fee
/
From
£650 - £750 per person
Genres
/ FictionNatureNon-Fiction
Language
/ English
What do you feel about living in an emergency? Grief? Courage? Love? There has never been a more important age in which to be a writer, to be a truthful witness to these times of crisis and dismay, of reckless bravery and ancient love for nature in all its forms.
This course will explore how the living world can be translated to the page in a way which is vivid, and full of story. How do we relate to the natural world? With wit, grace, play or fury? How can writing empower readers to enact change?
Ultimately, this course will teach you how to intertwine commentary on climate emergency within your work and question to what degree is it the author’s responsibility to do so within their writing.
Led by two award-winning climate activists Tom Bullough and Jay Griffiths, this course will consider the core skills of both creative non-fiction and fiction, looking at narrative structure, editing and the importance of character within the theme of climate and ecological emergencies. You’ll leave the week with a deeper understanding of how to create writing that matters and how our stories might be true to both nature and our human nature.
Bursaries
One £250 bursary space is available for this course. To apply, please complete this application form Deadline for applications: Wednesday 12 March 2025
For further information about the support available, please visit our Financial Assistance page: https://tynewydd.wales/courses-retreats/financial-support/
Tutors
Tom Bullough
Jay Griffiths
Jay Griffiths is the author of many books including Wild: An Elemental Journey (Penguin, 2006); Kith: The Riddle of the Childscape (Penguin, 2013); Tristimania (Penguin, 2017); Pip Pip: A Sideways Look at Time (Flamingo, 2000) and Why Rebel (Penguin, 2021). She is proud to have a criminal conviction for peaceful climate protest. She won the Discover Award for the best first-time author in the USA and the inaugural Orion Award, and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. She has held the Hay International Fellowship and has broadcast and written widely, including for Radiohead and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She wrote the script for 'Almost Invisible Angels', and her words were voiced by Mark Rylance. Her most recent book is titled Nemesis, My Friend: Journeys Through the Turning Times (Little Toller Books, 2022). She lives in Wales where she writes, walks, goes mountain biking, and lake swimming. She is a wild skater, whenever the Welsh lakes freeze.
Guest Reader
Guest Reader
The guest reader for this course will be announced soon