WRITING FROM THE HEART - TWO WORKSHOP DAYS OF CREATIVE WRITING

21 + 28 FEBRUARY 2026

What does it mean to write from the heart?

In this two-day creative writing course we will explore authenticity, feeling, memory, lived experience, research—and how to balance the conscious and unconscious when we craft stories.

We will learn ways to deactivate the inner saboteur. We’ll get past feeling stuck. We’ll tackle storytelling with emotional truth. We’ll look at fine-tuning language and shaping structure. What emerges from the workshops may be fiction, non-fiction or the in-between.

Drawing on 20+ years of writing and teaching, award-winning author Elise Valmorbida has designed this unique new course to explore writing from the heart.

In the workshops, there’ll be lots of discussion, writing exercises and supportive critical feedback. Together we will consider the themes that emerge from creative exploration. We will work on inspiration, point of view and language. You’ll gain a fresh understanding of how to craft your material. You’ll approach your storytelling with a greater sense of confidence and direction.

Even if you attended last year’s one-day workshop, you’ll find plenty of new activity and insight here.

After the first workshop day, there’s an interval of one week, during which time you’ll be writing and editing in depth for the second workshop day.

The course is suitable for both new and experienced writers of any heritage or background.

About the Tutor:

Elise Valmorbida grew up Italian in Australia, and lives in London. She is a graduate in English language and literature, an experienced teacher and multi-published author. In 2019, she won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for her fourth novel, The Madonna of the Mountains. Published internationally in several languages, The Madonna of the Mountains was a New York Post ‘must-read’, an Edward Stanford Awards nominee, and one of the Walter Scott Prize 'Academy Recommends' List. For her work as script consultant, producer, and author of SAXON: The Making of a Guerrilla Film, Elise won the Edinburgh International Film Festival Trailblazer award. She teaches creative writing with Central Saint Martins, Faber Academy, Writers Victoria, Arvon, Guardian Masterclasses, literary festivals and community-building organisations. Her latest non-fiction, The Happy Writing Book, is an inspirational guide to creative writing and wellbeing. ‘There are many guides to good writing but none as valuable as this.’ —Oliver Kamm, author and columnist for The Times. You can follow Elise on Instagram @elisevalmorbida and find out more at www.elisevalmorbida.com