Developing Your Intuition with Claire-Louise Bennett

The Irish Writers Centre is delighted to present a one-day, in-person, intermediate-level workshop with Claire-Louise Bennett.

About the workshop

In this immersive, one-day workshop, author of Pond and Checkout 19, Claire-Louise Bennett, will guide a group of fifteen emerging writers on a journey through their writing practices, returning them back to their formative influences, and shedding light on that most mysterious of impulses: writerly intuition.

The first half of the day will consist of an open dialogue between Claire-Louise and the participants based on the theme of listening to one’s instincts while writing. This will be followed in the second half of the day by a series of writing exercises aimed at practically developing one’s intuition. Topics covered over the course of the day will include:

• How, and why, you began to write
• Where you feel you are flourishing in your writing practice, and where you are experiencing blocks
• Maintaining your writing practice
• The meaning (or lack thereof) of ‘professionalism’, and grappling with your outward persona as a writer
• Nurturing your inner voice: confidence, inspiration, motivation, etc.

The workshop will be held in-person at the Irish Writers Centre from 10.30am – 3.30pm on Saturday 14 June. Participants will be selected via a short application process.

The tuition fee for the workshop is €25. All fees must be paid by the chosen applicants by Friday 6 June.

How to apply

Applications will be accepted via Google Forms from Wednesday 30 April to Wednesday 21 May 2025 at 5.00pm.

Applicants are asked to submit up an extract from a short story, novel or essay they are working on (max. 1,000 words), alongside a short biographical statement (max. 200 words) telling us about their writing experience to date, what they’re working on, what they like to read, and how they feel they would benefit from the workshop.

We also ask that you supply us with:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your postal address
• Your phone number

Places will be offered based on the quality of the work submitted and the information provided as part of the application.

This opportunity is limited to writers aged 18 years and over who are currently resident on the island of Ireland.

We are committed to pursuing a proactive approach to diversity and inclusiveness. We strongly encourage writers from underrepresented areas of society to apply for these workshops. If you are such a writer, we hope you feel encouraged to join us. If you know such writers, please spread the word (with our thanks).

We aim to get back to all applicants by Monday 2 June 2025.

This is the first in a series of intermediate-level workshops aimed at emerging writers, to be held at the Irish Writers Centre in 2025. The price of the workshop has been adjusted so as to ensure it remains accessible to writers in differing economic circumstances.

About the facilitator

Claire-Louise Bennett is the author of Pond (Stinging Fly, 2015; Fitzcarraldo, 2015) and Checkout 19 (Jonathan Cape, 2021). Her forthcoming novel, Big Kiss, Bye-Bye, will be published by Fitzcarraldo in October 2025.

Got a question? Email us at projects@irishwriterscentre.ie.