Our Programmes

Writing the Body

18th August 2025 - 22nd August 2025

Facilitator: Ali Millar and Ruth Allen

Towards an Embodied Practise

A recurring question writers face is how the body can be convincingly articulated and communicated. In this innovative and immersive week, Ruth Allen and Ali Millar will explore how to write and protect the body, creating an embodied practice that responds to the body and the many environments it finds itself in. This is a particularly vital component of writing when writing about nature, place, sickness, parenthood, sexuality and gender. Over the week you’ll become equipped with the skills and confidence needed to explore writing the body in various settings.

Event time: 18th August 2025 10:00am - 22nd August 2025 4:00pm

Interested in spreading the cost of this course? Select Clearpay at checkout.

Not seeing Clearpay? Email info@hawkwoodcollege.co.uk for your payment options.

What Is Included

For the majority of our courses, both residential and non-residential rates are available. Residential options are fully inclusive with all meals provided. Non-residential options include suppers, lunches and all refreshments and exclude B&B. Some of our short day courses, events and talks do not include meals and refreshments. For more details about this course, please see the Practical Information section below.

Additional Activities

Mindful walking through our woodland trails
Meditate in our Woodland Sanctuary
Go on a hike and explore the Cotswolds AONB
Discover surrounding charming market towns

At a Glance

Supportive, safe atmosphere
Calming movement workshops
How to articulate the body
Staying safe during life writing

What You Will Gain

How to articulate the body in various settings
How to return to yourself after writing uncomfortable things
How to create an embodied practise
Facilitate wellness during writing
Tackling writing bodies across fiction and non-fiction

Booking Options

Residential (single)Residential single rate

£950.00

18-26 Discovery Bursary18-26 Discovery Bursary - Residential Single

£425.00

Non-ResidentialNon-Residential Rate

£793.00

Interested in spreading the cost of this course? Select Clearpay at checkout.

Not seeing Clearpay? Email info@hawkwoodcollege.co.uk for your payment options.

Writing the Body Tutors

Ali Millar

Ruth Allen

More about Writing the Body

Irrespective of genre, all writers at some point encounter how to write bodies in not only their daily settings, but often the body in extremis. How do we do this well? How do we articulate the point at which the body encounters its surroundings, faces and surmounts physical challenges, falls in love, responds to its environment? All these are questions writers continually grapple with.

In this course, through a series of movement workshops, masterclasses and exercises, Ruth Allen and Ali Millar will enable participants to explore these questions, and together the group will move (quite literally at times) towards solutions. By the end of the week, participants will have a better understanding of how to articulate the body, respond to their own bodies, and to stay well in their practise. Although particularly suited to nature writers, memoirists and life writers, the universality of the problem of the body means this is a course suited to participants working across genres, spanning fiction and non-fiction.

Practical Information

All levels of experience are welcome, including advanced practitioners and published writers - this works to expand confidence when writing the body and facilitate wellness while doing so. Movement classes will be gentle and suited to all levels. Please bring sturdy walking shoes, a yoga mat and waterproof jacket just in case!
____________________

Not ready to book yet?
We understand that you might have a few questions before confirming your place. Whether you're wondering about the course content, schedule, requirements, or anything else, contact Cathy, our Bookings Manager, with your questions and she will be happy to help: info@hawkwoodcollege.co.uk

About Hawkwood

Hawkwood is a stunning Grade Il listed 19th Century country house, surrounded by 42 acres of sustainably managed woodland, farmland, and gardens. Set in the heart of the Cotswolds - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - it is a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. With a diverse selection of nearly 150 courses, there's plenty to choose from, including courses in transformative leadership, future thinking, inner life, music and the arts.

Other Courses You Might Like

Writing from Life

20th October 2025 - 24th October 2025

Discover how to Find and Hone your Voice Over the course of this immersive week, Ali Millar and Dan Richards will explore life writing and the many areas it spans, from the personal essay, to memoir, to biography. This deep dive into life writing is suitable for a range of levels and abilities. Through a combination of masterclasses and one to one tutorials, Ali and Dan will equip you with everything you need to develop your life writing.

Writing, Editing and Publishing Your Novel

3rd November 2025 - 7th November 2025

Whether you’ve finished a draft or have yet to put pen to paper, in this course you will immerse yourself in brainstorming, writing, and editing your novel, guided by award-nominated novelist Ally Wilkes and Cat Camacho, an editor with over 10 years’ industry experience. You will learn specific writing techniques to craft your story, including in-depth guidance on plotting and structure, the opening chapter, and other areas specifically chosen to benefit you – whatever stage you’re at. You will also be able to make the most of exclusive one-to-one sessions with the course tutors, along with targeted writing exercises on which you will receive feedback from your fellow course participants.

Travel and Nature Writing

24th March 2025 - 28th March 2025

Finding the Words for the Journey: How Travel and Nature can be turned into Prose. On this five-day residential course, tutors Nick Hunt and Joanna Pocock will introduce you to travel and nature writing. You will learn how to develop your experiences and observations of journeying in the world into engaging pieces of prose. The tutors will use practical exercises, focused writing assignments and workshopping as they help you develop and structure your writing. Our mid-week guest speaker is the 2024 Wainwright Prize Winner, Michael Malay.