Literary Atelier & Molly Aitken

The Art of Writing Short Stories

Date: 9th of May 2026

Time: 6 PM GMT

Duration: 2 hours

Do you want to write compelling short stories? Join prize-winning short story writer and novelist Molly Aitken for a two hour masterclass in the art of writing short fiction. This is for writers interested in honing their craft in what is considered by some the hardest writing to crack the short story. Through writing exercises and discussion we will explore what makes a good short story, and how to write our own. How do you use brevity to build a small world? What is the role of dialogue in the short story? Molly will answer these questions and more, breaking down her approach to writing, and editing short stories. 

For lovers of contemporary literary short stories from authors like George Saunders, Lucy Caldwell and Jhumpa Lahiri we’ll explore what makes these writers’ stories really work. Or if you are intimidated by the word count of a novel, but are keen to start honing your writing craft, this is the masterclass for you.

Your guide: Molly Aitken is a prize-winning short story writer published in The New Yorker, Ploughshares and Banshee. Her short fiction has also been dramatised for BBC Radio 4. Molly’s novel Bright I Burn was a BBC Culture Best Book of 2024 and was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Prize. Her debut novel was The Island Child. Both of her novels have been translated into several languages. Molly is an associate lecturer in Creative Writing at Sheffield Hallam University.

All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges unless the event is cancelled or rescheduled. All participants will receive a link to the recording after the session that will be valid for a limited time.