Date/Time
Date(s) - Mon 15th Sep - Sat 20th Sep, 2025
All Day
Location
Moniack Mhor, Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire , IV4 7HT
The Crime Writer’s Escape Plan: From Stuck to Finished
You started your crime novel with excitement, but somewhere along the way, you hit a wall. Maybe your plot isn’t clicking, your characters feel flat, or you simply lost momentum. You’re not alone—every writer faces this moment. The key is knowing how to push through.
In this immersive crime writing course for writers ready to break through, bestselling crime authors Johana Gustawson and Lilja Sigurðardóttir will guide you through the roadblocks keeping you from finishing your novel. Through focused workshops, hands-on exercises, and personalised one-on-one sessions, you’ll gain the tools, insights, and confidence to move forward.
Tutors
Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir was born in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. Also an award-winning playwright and screen writer, Lilja has written eleven crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavík Noir trilogy, the standalone political thriller Betrayal, and her latest out in English are White as Snow and Dark as Night. Her books are now translated into 20 languages and have hit bestseller lists worldwide and she has won multiple awards and nominations. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner but has a second home in Glasgow.
Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series, including Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, was followed by The Bleeding, shortlisted for the CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger in the UK. In 2023, she wrote Yule Island, winning several accolades, amongst which the Livre de Poche Best Crime Novel of the year. Johana’s novels are now published in more than 40 countries. She lives on the island of Lidingö, in Sweden, with her three sons.
Guest Reader
Karen Sullivan was born in Canada, and moved to the UK at the age of 21, ostensibly to travel around Europe. Unexpectedly landing her dream job in publishing, she settled in London and hasn’t looked back. After a few years working for an independent, starting as PA to the editorial director and eventually becoming commissioning editor, she left to raise her young family, working as a freelance editor and author of a wide range of non-fiction titles – predominantly relating to children’s health and wellbeing – and appearing on TV and radio. She returned to the ‘other side’ of publishing in 2013, taking on the role of managing editor for a small independent. This – and her own experience as an author – was the catalyst for founding Orenda Books, where author care and high-quality, culturally diverse, bold and original writing are paramount. Karen lives in London with her partner and two of her three sons, and remains a voracious reader and a passionate supporter of the book community.
Fees
The full fee for this course is £725. This includes your accommodation in a single room with shared bathroom, all meals, hot drinks and snacks from Monday afternoon until Saturday morning, and your tuition. For more information about the format and practicalities of our courses, tutored courses, and retreats, please visit our About the Residential Courses & Retreats page..
A limited number of en-suite rooms are available, which can be booked in advance for a £50 surcharge. We will also reserve an en-suite room for anyone who may need it due to a medical condition. This will be offered out as an upgrade nearer the course start date if it is not needed.
A limited number of Twin Room places are available at a discounted price of £675 per person. When booking a Twin Room place, please tell us in the comments box which gender you are and which gender(s) you are comfortable sharing a room with. This information will remain confidential.
A small single room with a skylight is available at a discounted price of £700. Please note this room does not have an ordinary window, only a small skylight.
A deposit is required to secure your place, which is non-refundable after a 14-day cooling-off period. The balance payment of £575 is due six weeks before the course begins. Refunds are not always available – please read our Terms & Conditions for full details about our cancellation policy. If you would like to pay the full amount in advance, please call our booking office on 01463 592 828 or email info@moniackmhor.org.uk.
Bursaries are always available, and you also have the option to pay in instalments. If you have any problems paying online, or wish to discuss paying in instalments or applying for financial help, or would simply like assistance, please contact us by emailing info@moniackmhor.org.uk or phoning us on 01463 592828.
Access
Please let us know in your booking form if you have any access requirements, for example a ground floor bedroom and / or access to a step-free accessible shower room. We also reserve one en-suite bedroom per course for anyone who may need this due to a medical condition. For more information about access to our courses, please visit our Access page.
Terms and Conditions
Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking.