Writing Tragedy That Actually Matters
Most tragedy feels hollow because writers rush to the suffering without earning it. We spend months teaching you how to build worlds where loss cuts deep—not through manipulation, but through genuine connection. Our 2026 programmes start in September, and they're built for writers who want their work to resonate long after someone turns the final page.
Explore Our Programme
Why Most Tragedy Fails
After working with over two hundred writers, we've noticed the same pattern: they know how to write sad scenes, but they don't understand tragedy. There's a difference.
Consequence, Not Coincidence
Real tragedy emerges from character choices that made sense at the time. We teach you to construct narratives where every disaster feels inevitable in hindsight yet surprising in the moment. It's harder than it sounds.
Building Investment Before Destruction
You can't break what readers don't care about. Our curriculum dedicates substantial time to creating characters worth mourning—people with contradictions, warmth, and the kind of flaws that make destruction heartbreaking rather than merely sad.
Structure That Amplifies Pain
Timing changes everything. We dissect classical and contemporary tragedies to show you exactly where hope should bloom before being crushed. It's calculated, yes, but that calculation creates authentic emotional response.
How Our Curriculum Works
Our twelve-month programme runs from September 2026 through August 2027. It's intensive, occasionally uncomfortable, and designed for writers who can handle detailed critique. We don't guarantee publication—we teach craft.
Foundation Quarter
We start with character psychology and moral complexity. You'll write short pieces that establish people we actually believe in. Most students hate this phase because it's slower than they expect.
Escalation Quarter
Once your characters exist as real people, we introduce conflict structures that push them toward impossible choices. This is where your plotting skills get properly tested.
Resolution Quarter
Endings make or break tragedy. We spend months on conclusions that honour what came before whilst avoiding both neat redemption and nihilistic pointlessness. It's a narrow path.
What Past Students Say
I came in thinking I understood tragedy because I'd read the Greeks. Turns out I understood sadness. The programme forced me to rebuild my approach from the ground up, which was frustrating and necessary in equal measure. My manuscript still isn't published, but it's infinitely better than what I started with.
Join Our 2026 Cohort
Applications open in March 2026 for our September intake. We accept thirty students each year and conduct interviews with everyone who applies. The process is thorough because the commitment is significant.
View Programme DetailsAttend Our Quarterly Webinars
Not ready for full commitment? We run free webinars covering specific tragedy techniques—character fate, structural timing, emotional pacing. They're shorter introductions to our teaching approach.
See Webinar Schedule