One Day Screenwriting Course
Date: Saturday 14th November, 2026
Venue: Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX
Cost: £148.00
A one-day course about the wonderful art of SCREENWRITING.
This one-day course is designed for all levels screenwriters. You don’t need to have any screenwriting experience to take this course BUT it is ALSO suitable for more experienced screenwriters. It will look at the nuts and bolts of screenwriting but will also aim to be an inspiring and re-energizing refresher, reminding you of everything that is exciting about screenwriting.
*As a course delegate, you will receive exclusive course handouts with loads of screenwriting insights. And a FREE COPY of my book, SCREENWRITING: THE CRAFT AND THE CAREER (published last year by Nick Hern Books).
For the November 14th course, I am delighted to say that we have two of the 2026 BAFTA-winning TV screenwriters lined-up!
This will not be as interactive and participatory as my two-day courses – but there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the speaker in every session.
The day (10.00 am to 5.00 pm) will be followed up by a relaxed networking event in a nearby pub (5.15 – 7.30 pm). Here you can meet and share experiences with each other and ask me any further questions that you have. Above all, it will be a great opportunity to meet and talk to the other writers on the course.
Schedule for the Day
10.00 – INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE – and a celebration of the best screenwriting.
10.30 – WHAT IS SCREENWRITING? a nuts-and-bolts examination of how to write a screenplay – from outlines, treatments & pitches, formatting and laying out your script.
11.30 – BREAK
11.45 – 1.00 SCREENWRITING PRINCIPLES & TIPS – how story-telling works on screen – with a series of clips to illustrate the principles discussed. The elements of a screenplay – story, character, dialogue, structure, genre/tone, stylistic devices, format, etc.
1.00 – 2.00 LUNCH
2.00 – 3.30 ANALYSIS OF A SCREENPLAY + TV EPISODE
ARCHIE MADDOCKS, BAFTA-winning screenwriter, writer of TV, Film and Theatre, will undertake a SCRIPT-TO-SCREEN analysis of a favourite TV episode or feature film, using clips.
(NB: We will let you know which show Archie will be analysing/discussing so that you can watch in advance of the course.)
Archie will also answer questions about his own work – see biog below.
3.30 – BREAK
3.45 – 4.45 LIFE AS A WORKING SCREENWRITER
Screenwriter CATHERINE MOULTON will talk about – her work as a screenwriter including 2 series of BAFTA award winning CODE OF SILENCE (ITV), THE STOLEN GIRL (DISNEY+) and other shows she has worked on. Also – how she broke into the industry and tips on storytelling craft and sustaining a career as a screenwriter – see biog below.
4.45 – 5.00 Q & A SESSION – your chance to ask any screenwriting question – either following up on issues raised during the day or any questions on issues not covered.
BUMPER COURSE HANDOUTS WILL BE EMAILED TO EACH DELEGATE
Once you have paid, we will email to confirm your place on the course.
Meet the Course Instructors...
Philip Shelley
I have run the C4 screenwriting course for the last 16 years and will be running it again in 2027. I am also currently running the Greenlight Screenwriting Lab for writers in Ireland for the 4th year.
My book, SCREENWRITING, THE CRAFT AND THE CAREER was published in January this year. I ran the BBC’s in-house script editing courses for 10 years. I have run several courses for BBC writers (in London, Cardiff and Salford). Among many others, I have run courses for Warner Bros in London, BBC Studios, De Montfort University Leicester and Vice UK, Screenskills.
On top of this I run one of the most successful script consultancies in the UK, working with many different writers and independent production companies (eg Bryncoed Productions, Renegade Pictures, Silver Reel and Conker Films).
I have always hugely enjoyed working with screenwriters and helping them find their place in the industry. For instance, I produced and launched the podcasts series, tributepodcasts.co.uk which has acted as a great showcase for several new, exciting dramatic writers.
Archie Maddocks
Archie is an Olivier Award-nominated, Offie-winning screenwriter and playwright.
Archie has written and stars in CRONGTON, a YA series based on the books by the beloved Alex Wheatle, which won the BAFTA TV Award for Children’s Scripted at the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards. You can find CRONGTON on BBC iPlayer now.
His 2022 film Gassed Up premiered at the London Film Festival where it won the LFF Award for Best Feature.
His play A Place For We was produced by at Park Theatre, a co-production with Talawa theatre company in 2021, going on to win an Offie award for Best Ensemble performance, and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement In Affiliate Theatre. A Place For We was also previously nominated for the Alfred Fagon Award and The Bruntwood Prize prior to production.
In the past, he’s had work produced at the Bush Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Orange Tree Theatre, Royal Court, and in New York at the New Light Theatre.
He has previously been part of the BBC Writers Room “London Voices” and in 2018 he was selected as part of the prestigious 4Screenwriting course. He was also named as Writer in Residence at BBC Radio Drama London Production. He’s had two radio plays produced for BBC DRAMA RADIO 4 (Blend in 2019 and Domino in 2020).
Catherine Moulton
Catherine’s writing credits include THE STOLEN GIRL for Disney + and her original series, CODE OF SILENCE, starring Rose Ayling Ellis, which won the 2026 BAFTA for Best TV Drama Series. Catherine is now working on season 2 of CODE OF SILENCE.
Catherine has written episodes of BAPTISTE series two for BBC One, THEN YOU RUN for Sky and HIJACK for Apple TV.
Before she became a screenwriter, Catherine worked in drama development and production. She made the move to writing after taking part in the 2019 4Screenwriting course. She was also on the BBC TV Drama Writers Programme for 2020.
Previous Course Instructors...
Nathaniel Price
Nathaniel is a writer for film, television, theatre and radio.
Nathaniel’s eight-part adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo’s novel Mr Loverman for Fable Pictures/BBC, starring Lennie James, aired in 2024 on BBC1. Lennie James and Ariyon Bakare both won BAFTAs for their roles in Mr Loverman.
Nathaniel has a number of original projects and adaptations in development including Lisabeth Posthuma’s Baby & Solo for Tiger Aspect, Nathan Oates’ A Flaw in the Design for Carnival and three parter The Wreck for Gaumont.
In film, Nathaniel has written original screenplay The Last Rhino commissioned by Dancing Ledge Productions/Film4, and is adapting Andrea Levy’s Small Island for the big screen.
Earlier credits include episodes of the acclaimed BBC1 drama Noughts & Crosses (Mammoth Screen/BBC), Tin Star II & III (Kudos/Gaumont/Sky) and The Outlaws S2 and S3 for Big Talk/BBC 1.
Nathaniel’s first full length play First Touch, was produced at Nottingham Playhouse in 2022. His Afternoon Plays Baller and Brother of Mine (both Drama of the Week) were commissioned by R4 and his shorts – monologue Special Delivery for The Break II, and script for Five by Five went out on BBC 3.
Nathaniel was selected for the 2017 BBC New Talent Hotlist, and is a graduate of the BBC Drama Writer’s course, the Channel 4 Screenwriting course, and the NFTS’ MA in Screenwriting (where he was a David Lean Scholar).
Anna Ssemuyaba
Anna Ssemuyaba is one of the UK’s most in demand screenwriters, as predicted by Deadline when she was named one of their ‘10 Rising British Scribes to Watch Out For’. After script editing Academy Award winner John Ridleys’ first UK series GUERRILLA and Lucy Kirkwood’s ADULT MATERIAL, she wrote her pilot script ON THE VERGE. ON THE VERGE was selected for a SKY Table Read, featured on The Brit List, and then bought by Netflix. In 2020, Anna wrote I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS, a single film starring Adelayo Adedayo and Joe Cole, for ITV. Since then, she has been busy staffing in many writers’ room and has written episodes of hit shows like Greg Daniels’ UPLOAD (Amazon), HIJACK (Apple), THE BUCCANEERS (Apple), and SMOTHERED (Sky). She is currently writing an episode of HOW TO KILL YOUR FAMILY for Netflix, starring Anya Taylor-Joy. She is also developing original TV and Film projects with the BBC, Channel 4, Film 4, BBC Films and ITV studios.
Jamie Hewitt
Jamie Hewitt, Development Producer, Tiger Aspect Drama. Jamie began his career as assistant to Jonathan Cavendish and Andy Serkis at The Imaginarium before working on Channel 4’s new talent course 4screenwriting precipitated a move into television. He worked as a script editor for BBC Drama, on Doctors, Father Brown and Holby City. From there, he worked on a range of pan-European developments and productions for Studio Canal’s TV division, before working on Left Bank’s rebooted Strike Back for Sky One and Cinemax, and two series of Bad Wolf’s A Discovery of Witches for Sky One and AMC. As Development Producer, Jamie is working across a variety of projects on the slate and seeking out new projects and talent to add to it.
Testimonials
Philip Shelley has a wealth of experience which he delivers with generous clarity – thank you!
If you want to be a screenwriter, then you should seriously consider attending one of Philip’s courses. You won’t be disappointed.
The organisation was of a high standard and we had access to a very useful networking event in the evening. We met many past graduates of Phil’s longer course and industry professionals; again testimony to Phil’s reputation that so many attended and gave their time and spoke with us so generously. Left me hungry for more. Now to sign up for the two-day course – Yes, it was that good and worth every penny or pound…!
My head was buzzing when I left and I hardly slept (which is a good thing) as I was thinking about all the idea’s I have. I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to gain some direction and help with their scriptwriting. I cannot wait until the next two-day course.
The networking afterwards was very insightful. The writers and producers that were there, gave me some great tips and hints on what to do next with my scripts.
Thank you, Philip, and everyone else who attended to make this course a fantastic day.