Inperson Creative Writing Programme
Write. Belong. Be Read.
Overview
structure
Pathways
Outcomes
enrolment
fees
overview
Write. Belong. Be Read.
What sets us apart
- Publishing House. Sahab Collective is an independent publisher registered in the UK. We bring industry insight directly into the work and room.
- Led by professional writers. Each instructor is published or award-winning, offering practice shaped by industry insight.
- Community. Develop lasting connections with writers and like-minded creatives through a programme that meets weekly.
- Weekly review of writing. Maintain momentum through consistent feedback, close reading, and clear editorial direction.
- Write toward publication. Work with intent. All writers are invited to submit to the Sahab Collective Journal and seasonal anthologies.
Key details at a glance
Name of Programme
Tuition Time
Mode of Learning
Venues
Start Date
Finish Date
Portfolio Development
What you will Produce
Format
Cohort Size
Entry Requirements
Fees
structure
Twelve Weeks
Inside the Seminar:
- Discussion of Reading. Each week, writers engage with selected texts, read in advance with a guiding question or theme.
- Literary theory. We ground the work in how readers read, using theory to shape decisions around voice, stance, and structure.
- Creative Writing. Seminars include generative prompts that produce new drafts and open directions for development.
- Workshopping. Writers share work with the cohort, receiving focused critique that sharpens the editorial eye and moves the work forward.
- Review of work. Submit up to 1,000 words each week for feedback, maintaining momentum and direction.
- Manuscript Circle. Join a live, online space with other writers every Wednesday for feedback on work in progress.
- Reading. Engage with assigned texts in line with the weekly theme, building context for discussion.
- Writing. Continue drafting outside the seminar, developing work through structured tasks and sustained practice.
Download Programme Brochure
Inperson Creative Writing Programme Pathways
outcomes
Work Toward Publication
Writers complete the programme with work ready to meet real readers. Each participant develops a portfolio and is invited to contribute to the Sahab Collective Journal, with opportunities for public reading that bring the work into communal space.
Alongside this, writers gain a sustained community of readers who offer accountability, critique, and momentum beyond the programme. They leave with a clearer voice, a disciplined approach to revision, and the confidence to continue writing with purpose.
Enrolment
Who this programme is designed for
It is for writers who are:
- New and Established. The programme is accessible. Most arrive with the desire to write and leave with clearer direction and control over their work.
- Desiring Community. Join a circle of attentive readers. Build connections with like-minded creatives and develop writing habits shaped by accountability and shared momentum.
- Aspire to Publication. Work toward public readership. Sahab demystifies the publishing process and provides a platform for your writing through its journal and wider network.
Enquire and Enrol Today
Programme Options and Fees
Inperson
Inperson - 1 Seminar: Craft Orientation
AED 500
Experience communal critique and reader response, and begin shaping intention on the page.
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1 seminar
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Curated Reading List
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Three hours of seminar-based learning
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Access to the Manuscript Circle
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Contact Sahab Collective to participate in a live trial session at discount
Inperson - 5 Seminars: Technique Progression
AED 2,000
Continue the momentum across multiple drafts. Develop consistency, explore form, and receive iterative feedback.
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5 seminars
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Curated Reading List
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15 hours of tuition and creativity
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Access to the Manuscript Circle
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One piece of extended writing workshopped in class
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Instructor feedback on short-form pages generated in session
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Flexible, with non-consecutive attendance
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Sessions may be applied across different pathways, subject to availability.
Inperson - 12 Seminars: Publication Portfolio
AED 4,500
Complete your manuscript, refine narrative intention, and prepare for publication with sustained, professional support.
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Full course of 12 weekly seminars (36 hours)
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Curated Reading List
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36 hours of tuition and creativity
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Access to the Manuscript Circle
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Two pieces of extended writing workshopped in seminar
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Regular instructor feedback on short-form pages generated in session
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Flexible attendance, with credit applied to alternative sessions if requested
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Access to parallel online sessions for added flexibility
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Two developmental meetings supporting manuscript progression and commentary strategy
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Submit up to 5,000 polished words for publication pathway in the Sahab Collective Journal
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Pay in full for a 20% discount, or via instalments
Frequently asked questions
Do I need prior study or a writing portfolio to join?
No. Curiosity, discipline and a willingness to be read are central. This programme supports both beginners shaping early pages and experienced writers refining longer manuscripts. You will encounter literary theory in accessible extracts, learning how ideas from thinkers such as Kristeva, Gusdorf or de Mann can refine intention and reader experience. The communal nature of critique means you learn as much from reading others as from having your own pages read. You do not need polished work to begin, only a readiness to draft, listen, revise and pursue clarity in language.
How much time should I expect to commit between seminars?
Weekly seminars provide the foundation for learning, but momentum is sustained between sessions. Most writers spend several hours across the week drafting new material, revising existing pages and completing short reflective prompts that prepare discussion. Reading selections are concise and chosen to sharpen craft, not overwhelm. The developmental meetings toward the end of the pathway provide personalised guidance, ensuring your independent work is purposeful. The expectation is not constant labour, but steady attention. This rhythm builds pages with intention and prevents projects from stalling in isolation.
What kind of feedback will I receive on my work?
Feedback comes through a combination of communal critique, close reading and one-to-one developmental meetings. You will learn to listen for how real readers experience tension, clarity, voice and structural movement. Comments focus on intention rather than taste, and emphasise revision across drafts rather than quick fixes. Communal critique cultivates an editorial eye that becomes transferable to your own pages; what you learn by responding to others often illuminates your own decisions. Developmental meetings guide portfolio cohesion and support the critical commentary, helping you articulate why your narrative choices matter.
Will my work be published?
Selected work from each pathway is published in the Sahab Collective Journal, a curated print and digital publication that brings emerging voices into conversation. Publication is accompanied by a public reading, which shifts your writing from private ambition into communal reception. Your final portfolio may include short stories, memoir fragments or chapters from longer projects, supported by a 2,000-word critical commentary that reflects on cultural positioning and reader response. These outcomes form a tangible artefact for approaching agents, editors and writing competitions, demonstrating disciplined revision and an awareness of audience.
Can I take more than one pathway?
Yes. Pathways may be taken sequentially to deepen craft and extend a manuscript over time. Many writers begin in fiction or nonfiction and later pursue Author’s Craft and Voice, or Genre and Form, to strengthen narrative stance and reader awareness. Because each pathway focuses on different experiential effects of storytelling—psychological interiority, cultural positioning, or structural clarity—returning writers encounter new tools rather than repetition. Continuing within the academy also strengthens community ties, expanding your network of attentive readers and sustaining accountability beyond a single semester.
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