Info

Date:
March 15 – May 24, 2025

Deadline:
February 10, 2025 at 5:00pm

Apply Here
Presented by the Irish Writers Centre and The Stinging Fly. The Ten by Ten is a new in-person, intermediate-level workshop for fiction writers organised jointly by The Irish Writers Centre and The Stinging Fly.

The Ten by Ten Workshop will provide a group of ten writers the opportunity to push forward with their writing over ten Saturdays. The Stinging Fly and The Irish Writers Centre want to enable the ten selected writers to develop their craft and engage more deeply with their work while working with a group of like-minded and similarly motivated individuals. Ideally this workshop is intended for writers already embarked on a specific fiction project, be that a short-story collection or a novel.

The workshop will run in the Irish Writers Centre on Saturday mornings from mid-March until the end of May 2025. Anyone applying must be available to attend all ten workshop sessions.

Each week two participants will submit works in progress (a draft of a short story or novel excerpt) to the rest of the group. All work will be shared in advance and closely read by the workshop leader and the other participants. Each participant will have two pieces of work read and discussed by the group over the course of the ten weeks.

In addition to the morning workshop sessions, participants on the Ten by Ten Workshop will be invited to attend two specially programmed Saturday afternoon events at the Irish Writers Centre during the workshop’s run. Further details for these will follow.

 


How to Apply

Applications for the Ten by Ten Workshop will be accepted via Submittable from Wednesday January 22nd until 5pm (Irish time) on Monday February 10th 2025.

Places will be offered based on work submitted and the information provided with your application.

We ask you to submit up to 2000 words from the short story or novel you are currently working on. You can also submit up to 10 pages from a previously published work (though this is not required).

The application form includes a cover note. You should use this space to give us as much information as you can about your current writing project(s) and to tell us how you believe your work will benefit from participating in the workshop.

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 return decisions to all applicants by Friday February 28th.


Workshop costs

The tuition fee for the Ten by Ten Workshop is €450 (€405 for IWC members).

Two concession-rate places (€360) and one free place will be available for writers who are unwaged or on a low income.

All fees due must be fully paid by Friday March 7th.


Workshop Dates & Times

Writers Cathy Sweeney and Nicole Flattery will lead the workshops. Cathy Sweeney will lead the first five workshops (March 15th to April 12th) and Nicole Flattery will lead the remaining five workshops (April 26th to May 24th).

The Ten by Ten Workshop will be held on the following dates:

Saturday March 15th, 11am – 2pm

Saturday March 22nd, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday March 29th, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday April 5th, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday April 12th, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday April 19th Easter Break

Saturday April 26th, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday May 3rd, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday May 10th, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday May 17th, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Saturday May 24th, 11.30am – 1.30pm

Please note, the ‘Ten by Ten’ workshops will be held In-person at the Irish Writers Centre (19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1). For Information on building access, please visit the Irish Writers Centre website. 

Any questions? Contact Eoin: admin [at] stingingfly [dot] org


About the Workshop Leaders

Cathy Sweeney is a writer living in Wexford. Her collection of short stories, Modern Times, was published by The Stinging Fly Press and by W&N in 2020 . Her debut novel, Breakdown, was published by W&N in January 2024.


Nicole Flattery is a writer and critic. Her work has appeared in the London Review of Books, The Stinging Fly and Granta, amongst others. Her story collection, Show Them a Good Time, was published in 2019 and novel, Nothing Special, was published in 2023.




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