There’s something uniquely inspiring about spending a summer as a young writer, and writing summer programs in Europe for high school students can place you in settings where creativity, culture, and academic growth meet. You might begin your morning drafting a short story in a quiet university courtyard, spend the afternoon discussing literature with students from around the world, and end the day wandering through streets that once inspired generations of novelists, poets, and playwrights.

These programmes often combine creative exploration with structured academic learning. You may work on narrative structure, editing techniques, genre conventions, and publishing workflows while receiving feedback through workshops and peer critiques. Some focus on fiction or poetry, while others explore journalism, screenwriting, or academic writing, giving you the chance to experiment with different forms of expression. Along the way, you also experience university-style learning through seminars, independent projects, and collaborative discussions.

Why should you study writing in Europe as a high school student?

Europe’s literary history, multilingual environment, and internationally known universities make it a compelling place to study writing. You are exposed to diverse storytelling traditions, artistic movements, and cultural perspectives that can deepen both creative and analytical thinking.

Many programs are also located near publishing centers, museums, theatres, and historic academic institutions, allowing learning to extend beyond the classroom. The combination of rigorous academics and cultural immersion makes these programs especially valuable for students interested in literature, communication, or the arts.

To help you explore your options, we’ve curated a list of 15 writing summer programs in Europe for high school students. They’ve been selected for their academic rigour, mentorship, and immersive learning experiences.

For adjacent opportunities, consider the online writing program.

15 Writing Summer Programs in Europe for High School Students

1. Guildhall School of Music & Drama – Creative Writing for Ages 14-17

Location: Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DT, United Kingdom
Cost: £230; bursaries are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; limited places
Dates: July 18-19
Application Deadline: July 3rd
Eligibility: Students aged 14-17; sufficient English language skills required to fully engage with the course; open to international students

In this course, you spend two days at Guildhall School of Music & Drama developing your creative writing under London writer Annie Hayter, exploring poetry and fiction while using artwork, photographs, and songs as prompts for your own work. You draft and develop your own stories, discover your individual voice, and learn practical methods to present, perform, and publish what you write.

Working in a welcoming workshop space, you join class discussions, explore a range of modern literature, and practise critical judgement and analytical reading. You receive individual feedback on one chosen piece, which you share in an end-of-course showcase for invited friends and family. Your writing can also be featured in a digital anthology.

Why it stands out: It pairs hands-on creative writing with a public showcase and digital anthology publication, all guided by an award-winning London writer and poet.

2. Immerse Education’s Creative Writing Summer School

Location: Oxford, and Cambridge
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: Students worldwide aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school

Immerse Education’s Creative Writing Summer School will offer you the opportunity to explore the art of creative writing through building skills in poetry, narratives, and fiction. You’ll participate in workshops, literary analysis, and collaborative projects. You’ll receive personalized guidance from experienced writers and explore different genres and writing styles as you find your unique voice as a writer.

Along with becoming a better writer, the program also gives you the experience of university life through thought-provoking discussions and a chance to make like-minded friendships. If you’re a high school student looking for a writing program that can help you master creative writing, build self-confidence, and earn a recognized certificate, then this one is a good option to consider.

Why it stands out: It immerses you in narrative craft, genre exploration, and editorial feedback, helping you develop stronger storytelling skills and a more compelling creative voice.

3. Nottingham Trent University – World-Building: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing for 15-17 Year Olds

Location: Nottingham, United Kingdom
Cost: £545
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; limited class size
Dates: August 3-7
Application Deadline: Rolling registration until the course reaches capacity
Eligibility: Students aged 15-17; 15-year-olds requiring accommodation must be accompanied by a parent or guardian; open to international students

In this program, you will develop your creative writing skills by designing your own imaginary world through a guided, step-by-step process. Throughout this short course, you will learn to structure narratives and craft character arcs while avoiding common pitfalls like info-dumping. You will tackle practical writing exercises that establish landscapes, legends, and magic or science systems for a consistent setting.

To organize your ideas, you will utilize timelines and maps to detail your world’s politics, economy, and transport. As you draft a short story, you will participate in peer editing sessions to refine your prose. Ultimately, you will finish the week with a second draft and knowledge of the creative writing industry.

Why it stands out: It guides young writers through the specialized process of designing cohesive science fiction and fantasy settings while producing a peer-edited short story in just one week.

4. American University of Paris – Summer Creative Writing Institute

Location: The American University of Paris, Paris, France
Cost/Stipend: €2,304 for auditors or €4,608 for transferable academic credit + €50 application fee; three competitive travel stipends of up to €500 each are offered to outstanding Creative Writing Institute students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 30th – July 22nd
Application Deadline: June 24th
Eligibility: Students aged 16 and over; personal statement and academic transcripts required (or a copy of a tertiary degree for auditors) with a €50 application fee; students under 18 and recent high school graduates with no previous college credits are required to stay in AUP Housing for the duration of their session; open to international students

In this program, you join the Summer Creative Writing Institute at the American University of Paris and select a single workshop in Poetry, Fiction, or Creative Nonfiction, meeting three and a half hours per day, four days a week. The workshops are designed to help you read your own work objectively, develop a critical vocabulary, and work deeply on issues of craft in small groups guided by an accomplished faculty writer.

One evening per week, you attend readings and question-and-answer sessions with inspiring authors, followed by an informal discussion with the full cohort. Three-day weekends leave time for writing, travel, and exploring the 7th arrondissement near the Seine and the Eiffel Tower. You earn four transferable academic credits.

Why it stands out: It places your writing inside Paris’s living literary culture while pairing intensive genre workshops with weekly author events and transferable college credit

5. University of Amsterdam Pre-University Honours Programme – Media, Journalism & Society

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cost: €1,675 academic fee and €800 housing fee + €25 application fee; scholarships are available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; specific cohort size not published
Dates: July 28th – August 6th
Application Deadline: February 15th
Eligibility: Current high school students; at least 16 years old; open to international students

In this program, you will explore the foundational principles of modern journalism while actively developing your writing and reporting skills during this intensive academic program. As one of the more media-focused writing summer programs in Europe for high school students, it uses interactive workshops and university-level lectures to help you analyse news articles, conduct effective interviews, and separate fact from fiction. The curriculum challenges you to write and edit journalistic pieces, honing your ability to convey arguments clearly in your own distinct voice.

You also examine critical moral issues and the impact of social media on contemporary society. For your final project, you create and present an original piece of journalism showcasing your newly refined reporting and storytelling techniques.

Why it stands out: It requires participants to present an original piece of journalism at the conclusion of the program, allowing them to apply academic media theory directly to practical writing and reporting.

6. University of St Andrews – Summer Academic Experience: Creative Writing

Location: University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
Cost: £6,850
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; limited places
Dates: July 11th – August 1st
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18; open to international students

This course focuses on core writing elements like characterization, dialogue, metaphor, narrative structure, and experimental techniques through workshops, lectures, and self-directed projects. You analyze contemporary literature from a writer’s perspective while developing your own work through interactive exercises, collaborative projects, and detailed feedback sessions.

Beyond the classroom, the program draws inspiration from the landscapes and cultural heritage of Scotland, with excursions to places like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling Castle, and the V&A Dundee. By the end of the program, you will leave with an official certificate from the University of St Andrews.

Why it stands out: It combines multi-genre creative writing training with cultural immersion in Scotland, taught directly by award-winning contemporary writers.

7. Aberystwyth University’s International English Centre Pre-University Experience – English and Creative Writing

Location: Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, Wales, United Kingdom
Cost: Applies; group-booking fees are quoted on request by the International English Centre (tesol@aber.ac.uk) and are not individually published
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-competitive; specific cohort numbers are not published
Dates: June 30th – July 11th
Application Deadline: Registration is handled by contacting the International English Centre (tesol@aber.ac.uk) or its partner Academic Action to arrange a group booking ahead of the summer term
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18; minimum English level of CEFR B1/IELTS 4.5 up to CEFR B2/IELTS 6.0; generally enrolled through a school or nominated group leader; open to international students

In this program, you join a residential English-language and university-taster course on Aberystwyth’s seaside campus, spending roughly 12 hours each week strengthening written and spoken communication and eight hours sampling academic departments. Your writing development centres on academic English and study skills, giving this option a useful place among the many writing summer programs in Europe for high school students if you want to carry out small-scale research projects, build your own “academic voice”, and produce structured written work and formal presentations.

Among the rotating departmental sessions, the English and Creative Writing taster gives an interactive, beginner-friendly introduction to the subject, letting you explore the craft alongside disciplines like Computer Science and International Politics. You practise seminar participation and research writing while using the 24-hour campus libraries and the neighbouring National Library of Wales.

Why it stands out: It pairs intensive academic-English and writing instruction with hands-on tasters across six or more university departments, including English and Creative Writing, on a full UK campus designed specifically for international high school students.

8. Nottingham Trent University – Creative Writing for 15 – 17 Year Olds

Location: City Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Cost/Stipend: £545; accommodation available separately for about £266 per week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; around 32 total students
Dates: July 20-24; July 27-31
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 15-17; open to international students

Nottingham Trent University’s Creative Writing for 15–17s programme introduces you to the fundamentals of creative writing through workshops, guided exercises, and peer discussion. Over the week, you experiment with genres such as fiction, poetry, and scriptwriting while learning how to transform ideas into polished written pieces.

Sessions focus on narrative structure, character development, language choices, editing, and revision, helping you understand the full drafting process from concept to final version. You also receive tutor feedback on multiple drafts and build confidence by discussing and evaluating different storytelling approaches with other students. You’ll walk away with a portfolio of original pieces, sharpened writing and editing abilities.

Why it stands out: The programme emphasizes drafting, revision, and peer critique, giving you practical experience with the real creative writing process.

9. Dublin City University CTYI Summer Scholars Programme – Journalism

Location: DCU Glasnevin Campus, Dublin 9, Ireland (non-residential / commuter only)
Cost: €650; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: First-come, first-served; 15-20 students
Dates: Session 1: June 15-26; Session 2: July 6-17
Application Deadline: April 24th
Eligibility: Second-level students aged 12-17 (1st to 5th year); excludes students sitting the Leaving Certificate that June, and students should be born after 1 August 2008; sufficient English proficiency required as all courses are taught in English; open to international students

In this program, you take a single subject intensively for about 45 hours over two weeks, focusing on the writing techniques journalists use to produce compelling features, news, and opinion pieces. You learn how stories are crafted and told across different platforms while sharpening your investigative and reporting skills.

The course pairs hands-on writing with a critical look at the media, examining how outlets frame the same story differently, plus media bias, fake news, and how online algorithms shape what you read. Taught with an instructor and a teaching assistant, it builds reporting, drafting, and editing skills. You leave with the ability to write across journalistic formats and to read the media more critically.

Why it stands out: It combines practical journalistic writing across features, news, and opinion pieces with media-literacy training on bias, fake news, and news framing, run by the Centre for Talented Youth, Ireland, described in its own materials as the largest centre of its type in Europe.

10. Forth Valley College – Summer Club Creative Writing (Older Class)

Location: Stirling, Scotland
Cost: £70
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open registration; exact cohort size not specified
Dates: June 29th – July 3rd
Application Deadline: Rolling registration until filled
Eligibility: Aged 13-15 years; open to casual and aspiring professional writers; open to international students

In this program, you engage directly with the creative writing process through daily reading, discussion, and practical writing exercises led by a professional writer. Held at the Stirling Campus, this afternoon course is a more accessible option within writing summer programs in Europe for high school students, focusing on developing your imagination and storytelling abilities. You create original characters and set them off on brave new adventures. Throughout the five days, you experiment with diverse formats, including poetry, word-art, and zine-making, to expand your stylistic range.

Working collaboratively in a group environment, you build confidence in sharing your ideas and receive supportive feedback on your writing. The curriculum accommodates both casual writers and those aspiring to professional authorship by providing foundational techniques for bringing stories to life.

Why it stands out: It exposes young writers to unconventional literary formats like word-art and zine-making under the direct guidance of a professional author.

11. Ty Newydd Writing Centre / Literature Wales – Writing Courses

Location: Tŷ Newydd, Llanystumdwy, Criccieth, Gwynedd, LL52 0LW, north-west Wales, United Kingdom
Cost/Stipend: Roughly £27 for day courses to around £575 for week-long residential courses; financial support is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment; up to 14 participants
Dates: Several courses available from June to September
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions until each course fills
Eligibility: Writers at all levels and experience, from complete beginners to published authors; under-18 participation is possible within Literature Wales’ safeguarding policy; open to international students

In this program, you attend a residential creative writing course at Ty Newydd, the National Writing Centre of Wales, where writing is the focus of each day. Working with two professional author-tutors, you take part in workshops that run from early morning into the evening, share readings, and receive one-to-one tutorials on your own poetry, prose, or chosen form.

Between sessions, you draft independently, work through creative prompts, and explore craft elements such as structure, character, world-building, and editing. Meals and accommodation in the historic Grade II*-listed houses are included, and the coastal Llanystumdwy setting supports focused writing time.

Why it stands out: It is Wales’ national writing centre, where small groups learn directly from award-winning author-tutors through immersive residential workshops, readings, and one-to-one tutorials in a historic house overlooking Cardigan Bay.

12. Nottingham Trent University – Journalism for 15–17 Year Olds

Location: Nottingham Trent University, City Campus, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Cost: £545
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; cohort size not specified
Dates: July 20-24; July 27-31
Application Deadline: Rolling basis until filled
Eligibility: Ages 15-17; 15-year-old participants staying in university halls require an accompanying parent or guardian; open to international students

In this program, you will step into the fast-paced world of journalism during this practical, week-long summer course at Nottingham Trent University. Operating in state-of-the-art facilities, you focus heavily on researching and writing compelling stories while developing your unique journalistic voice. Your daily projects involve hitting the streets to gather current news, composing features, and drafting engaging columns and opinion pieces.

You practice writing in a professional journalistic style, identifying suitable markets for your work, and translating your field investigations into clear, effective prose. Additionally, you participate in a comprehensive newsroom challenge that tests your editing abilities alongside on-camera reading and reporting.

Why it stands out: It immerses high schoolers in an active newsroom environment where they investigate real-world campus stories and directly practice broadcasting their written scripts on camera.

13. University of the Arts London – Fashion Journalism for 16 to 18-year-olds Short Course 

Location: London, England, United Kingdom (London College of Fashion campus, University of the Arts London)
Cost: Starts from £450
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; limited cohort size
Dates: Runs as a short multi-day course in June and July
Application Deadline: Closes once it fills
Eligibility: Aged 16 to 18; applicants whose first language is not English are expected to demonstrate good written English; open to international students

In this program, you step into fashion journalism by learning what it takes to write features on topics like the inspiration behind a designer’s latest collection or the next big brand-celebrity collaboration. Among the more industry-specific writing summer programs in Europe for high school students, it helps you build the basics of fashion reporting, practise writing a fashion news story, use interview techniques to quiz designers, analyse a new-season collection, and spot emerging trends.

Through brainstorming feature ideas and exploring the importance of networking, you sharpen the editorial instincts and writing voice the field demands. Using a notepad, laptop, or tablet, and a camera, you produce written work while experiencing art-school teaching first-hand. The course is led by fashion journalist Angela Buttolph and concludes with a digital badge and certificate of attendance.

Why it stands out: It is taught by Angela Buttolph, a fashion journalist of more than twenty-five years who has worked on staff at magazines including Vogue, Elle, InStyle, and Grazia and covered fashion weeks worldwide, giving teenage writers direct access to an established industry voice.

14. University College Dublin – English, Drama, Film, Creative Writing & Music Summer School 

Location: UCD Newman Building, Belfield campus, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Cost: €35; a reduced rate of €15 is available for applicants whose families are in receipt of job-seekers or disability payments
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open registration; cohort size not specified
Dates: June 2
Application Deadline: First-come basis until capacity is reached
Eligibility: Students going into 6th year or Year 13 (A Level) in September; attendance in person at the UCD Belfield campus required; open to international students

In this program, you spend a single full day at University College Dublin exploring how English and creative writing are taught at the university level, attending sample lectures from leading experts connected with the programmes. You take part in interactive workshops where you can engage directly with creative writing, literary analysis, and the craft of shaping text across drama, film, and music contexts.

You also take a campus tour and receive information on the wide-ranging career opportunities available to graduates in writing and the humanities. The experience helps you test your interest in degree-level study and sharpen your sense of how critical and creative writing connect.

Why it stands out: It compresses sample lectures from leading academics, interactive writing workshops, a campus tour, and graduate career guidance into a single affordable day on UCD’s Dublin campus.

15. King’s College London Pre-University – Media, Communication & Digital Culture 

Location: London, United Kingdom
Cost/Stipend: £3,195 tuition per one-week session (£3,965 with residential accommodation)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; specific cohort size not published
Dates: July 13-17; July 27-31
Application Deadline: April 27th
Eligibility: Aged 16-17 before the program start date; enrolled in the final three years of high school; minimum B2 English proficiency level; open to international students

In this program, you engage directly with academic and professional writing as you explore the social, political, and economic dimensions of digital media in this one-week academic program. Through interactive seminars and university-style lectures at King’s College London, you examine how social networks, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms reshape modern communication.

You practice critical writing by analyzing digital culture case studies and drafting academic responses to contemporary technological challenges. The curriculum requires you to articulate complex ideas clearly, building foundational skills in research writing and media analysis. Guided by university faculty, you collaborate with international peers to evaluate digital trends and communicate your findings.

Why it stands out: It immerses high school students in university-level media analysis at a leading London institution while directly cultivating the academic writing skills needed to decode modern digital platforms.

Connect Creative Growth With University Goals

Strong writing begins when you test ideas against real readers, thoughtful feedback, and unfamiliar cultural settings that push your voice further.

The 15 writing summer programs in Europe for high school students listed here bring together storytelling, journalism, world-building, editing, and university-style discussion.

Through portfolios, peer critique, reporting projects, and creative exercises, you can identify the forms and themes that suit your ambitions.

Ready to turn that progress into application strength? Visit our University Preparation blogs for statements, interviews, academic writing, requirements, and supercurriculars.