Short Story Workshop with Jenn Ashworth – Lancaster Literature Festival
Short Story Workshop with Jenn Ashworth – Lancaster Literature Festival
Short Story Workshop with Jenn Ashworth – Lancaster Literature Festival
18 October @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
18+
All abilities welcome
There are dark and alluring undercurrents to everything that Jenn Ashworth produces, and she has a brilliantly uncanny ability to unnerve at every turn. To me, her psychologically-driven work ranks alongside such singular spiritual ancestors as Muriel Spark, Jean Rhys and Shirley Jackson
– Benjamin Myers
Jenn Ashworth is well known for her novels and memoirs, but less well known is that one of her secret passions is the short story. In 2022 ‘Flat 19’ was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and read on BBC Radio by Maxin Peake, and in 2025 ‘The Hanging Stones’ was included in the collection Bog People – A working class anthology of folk horror (Penguin). This workshop in the busy Gregson Centre is for writers with previous experience or none who want to explore the key elements of the short story and to dive deeper into the craft of creating short fiction that hits home.
Short Story Workshop with Jenn Ashworth – Lancaster Literature Festival
Short Story Workshop with Jenn Ashworth – Lancaster Literature Festival
18 October @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
18+
All abilities welcome
There are dark and alluring undercurrents to everything that Jenn Ashworth produces, and she has a brilliantly uncanny ability to unnerve at every turn. To me, her psychologically-driven work ranks alongside such singular spiritual ancestors as Muriel Spark, Jean Rhys and Shirley Jackson
– Benjamin Myers
Jenn Ashworth is well known for her novels and memoirs, but less well known is that one of her secret passions is the short story. In 2022 ‘Flat 19’ was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and read on BBC Radio by Maxin Peake, and in 2025 ‘The Hanging Stones’ was included in the collection Bog People – A working class anthology of folk horror (Penguin). This workshop in the busy Gregson Centre is for writers with previous experience or none who want to explore the key elements of the short story and to dive deeper into the craft of creating short fiction that hits home.
Accessibility
Easy Access SeatsFor further information on getting here and accessibility, click here.
Find more Events at The Gregson
About the facilitator – Jenn Ashworth
Jenn Ashworth is a writer based in the north-west of England, writing short fiction, memoir and novels, and teaching creative writing at Lancaster University. She is a winner of the Betty Trask Award and has been shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize, The Portico Prize and the BBC Best British Short Story Award. Her novels include The Friday Gospels (2013), Fell (2016) and Ghosted (2021). Her most recent book is The Parallel Path (2025), a memoir of care, grief and walking across the North of England.
This event is part of Lancaster Literature Festival – an incredible event that has been showcasing literary talent in Lancaster and the northwest since 1978.
Additional Access Information
This event will be lit by filament lights only – no LEDS in the room.
There will be a maximum of 15 people in the workshop.
Easy Access Seats are always available at the side of the room if you want to sit out at any point.
There will be a short break about 60 minutes into the workshop.
Our award winning Community Cafe Bar opens at 10 am! Consider arriving a couple of minutes earlier to get a brew. You can take these up to the room with you.
Staying for lunch? Check out our Brunch menu, click here.
There are dark and alluring undercurrents to everything that Jenn Ashworth produces, and she has a brilliantly uncanny ability to unnerve at every turn. To me, her psychologically-driven work ranks alongside such singular spiritual ancestors as Muriel Spark, Jean Rhys and Shirley Jackson
– Benjamin Myers
Jenn Ashworth is well known for her novels and memoirs, but less well known is that one of her secret passions is the short story. In 2022 ‘Flat 19’ was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and read on BBC Radio by Maxin Peake, and in 2025 ‘The Hanging Stones’ was included in the collection Bog People – A working class anthology of folk horror (Penguin). This workshop in the busy Gregson Centre is for writers with previous experience or none who want to explore the key elements of the short story and to dive deeper into the craft of creating short fiction that hits home.
About the facilitator – Jenn Ashworth
Jenn Ashworth is a writer based in the north-west of England, writing short fiction, memoir and novels, and teaching creative writing at Lancaster University. She is a winner of the Betty Trask Award and has been shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize, The Portico Prize and the BBC Best British Short Story Award. Her novels include The Friday Gospels (2013), Fell (2016) and Ghosted (2021). Her most recent book is The Parallel Path (2025), a memoir of care, grief and walking across the North of England.
This event is part of Lancaster Literature Festival – an incredible event that has been showcasing literary talent in Lancaster and the northwest since 1978.
Additional Access Information
This event will be lit by filament lights only – no LEDS in the room.
There will be a maximum of 15 people in the workshop.
Easy Access Seats are always available at the side of the room if you want to sit out at any point.
There will be a short break about 60 minutes into the workshop.
Our award winning Community Cafe Bar opens at 10 am! Consider arriving a couple of minutes earlier to get a brew. You can take these up to the room with you.
Staying for lunch? Check out our Brunch menu, click here.
Accessibility
Easy Access SeatsFor further information on getting here and accessibility, click here.
Find more Events at The Gregson
There are dark and alluring undercurrents to everything that Jenn Ashworth produces, and she has a brilliantly uncanny ability to unnerve at every turn. To me, her psychologically-driven work ranks alongside such singular spiritual ancestors as Muriel Spark, Jean Rhys and Shirley Jackson
– Benjamin Myers
Jenn Ashworth is well known for her novels and memoirs, but less well known is that one of her secret passions is the short story. In 2022 ‘Flat 19’ was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and read on BBC Radio by Maxin Peake, and in 2025 ‘The Hanging Stones’ was included in the collection Bog People – A working class anthology of folk horror (Penguin). This workshop in the busy Gregson Centre is for writers with previous experience or none who want to explore the key elements of the short story and to dive deeper into the craft of creating short fiction that hits home.
Accessibility
Easy Access SeatsFor further information on getting here and accessibility, click here.
About the facilitator – Jenn Ashworth
Jenn Ashworth is a writer based in the north-west of England, writing short fiction, memoir and novels, and teaching creative writing at Lancaster University. She is a winner of the Betty Trask Award and has been shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize, The Portico Prize and the BBC Best British Short Story Award. Her novels include The Friday Gospels (2013), Fell (2016) and Ghosted (2021). Her most recent book is The Parallel Path (2025), a memoir of care, grief and walking across the North of England.
This event is part of Lancaster Literature Festival – an incredible event that has been showcasing literary talent in Lancaster and the northwest since 1978.
Additional Access Information
This event will be lit by filament lights only – no LEDS in the room.
There will be a maximum of 15 people in the workshop.
Easy Access Seats are always available at the side of the room if you want to sit out at any point.
There will be a short break about 60 minutes into the workshop.
Our award winning Community Cafe Bar opens at 10 am! Consider arriving a couple of minutes earlier to get a brew. You can take these up to the room with you.
Staying for lunch? Check out our Brunch menu, click here.
