Bournemouth Writing Sanctuary

16th January 2027 9:00am to 17th January 2027 5:00pm, Cottonwood Hotel

Join us at the Bournemouth Writing Sanctuary with workshops, 1-2-1s and dedicated spaces to write to get your word count up.

Located at the Cottonwood Hotel with stunning sea views, we've dissected the traditional writers' retreat to be more accessible and affordable.

Come for the day, the weekend or simply come along to write surrounded by other writers.

Our January 2027 writing sanctuary is our fourth, with Emma Scattergood (founder of the MA Creative Writing and Publishing course at Bournemouth University) and Sue Cheung (multi-award winning author) offering workshops and 1-2-1s.

All tickets include:

Lunch
Drinks
Snacks
Parking
Booking fees

Just Write Ticket

Just come along to write, surrounded by other writers, and get your word count up without the distractions of home.

Day Ticket

Join a workshop led by Sue Cheung with Emma Scattergood on either Saturday or Sunday.

Weekend Ticket

Go all in and come on both Saturday and Sunday and dinner is included as well as two 1-2-1s, one each with Emma and Sue. Plus, well have an informal get-together on the Friday evening if you are staying over.

So make a weekend of it in the New Year.

Accommodation is not included but we can help you (for free) find a place to stay suited to your budget.

Speaker profiles

Sue Cheung

Sue Cheung is an award-winning British Chinese author and illustrator best known for her acclaimed debut young adult novel, Chinglish.

Chinglish received widespread critical acclaim, winning the Young Adult category at the Diverse Book Awards and being named one of the year's best books by The Guardian. It is currently being adapted for television.

Sue is a passionate advocate for diverse voices in children's literature and regularly visits schools and literary festivals to encourage young people to tell their own stories.

Emma Scattergood

Emma has over 30 years’ experience of working for major publishing companies and had seven books published. She launched Bournemouth University’s MA Creative Writing & Publishing, Fresher Publishing Press and The Bournemouth Writing Prize.

She now mentors writers who are preparing for publication.

Booking & payment

All tickets include: