HOWARD CUNNELL
Creative Writing Services
Howard Cunnell is the acclaimed author of Sun Country, The Painter's Friend and Fathers and Sons
Praise for Howard Cunnell
Cunnell's style is matchless; intimate, dark, sincere, wry, and exquisitely beautiful (Irish Times)
Cunnell's writing has an unforgettable visual and moral clarity (Melissa Harrison)
There's something special about the writing (William Leith)
Bloody brilliant (Olivia Laing)
Dazzlingly beautiful... this is truly heartstopping writing (Financial Times)
Behold, and rejoice (Tim Winton)
A wonderful writer who should be read by everyone (Sarah Winman)
Manuscript assessment, editing and mentoring
Here's an idea of what I do. If these services don't cover what you need, get in touch. I'll do my best to help:
Manuscript Assessment
I'll write a 2,000-3,500 word report on the quality of writing, plot, characters,
description, storyline and structure etc. I'll offer clear and practical suggestions for
key areas to look at in your next edit. A follow up consultation, by email or phone, is
included in the cost. £750 for manuscript up to 50k words. £1000 for manuscripts between 50-100k words. Manuscripts longer than 100k words to be costed on an individual basis.
Mentoring
For writers working on a full-length fiction or memoir manuscript. The service is bespoke and therefore flexible and intended to suit the writer's individual needs, but the basic template is to offer 9 meetings over a 6 month period. The writer will submit up to 5,000 words to me which I will edit prior to a meeting during which I'll offer feedback and guidance to complement my editorial work. In line with similar services I've costed this model at £2500 but other consultation models - a shorter or longer period of time etc. - can be available.
Combination of the Above
Send me a manuscript up to 5,000 words and for £450 I will provide a line edit and write a critical report. This can be open ended - you can send me any piece of writing or writing towards a longer mss. We can repeat the process for as long as it's helpful.
Bio
I have a PhD from the University of London and have been a Leverhulme Fellow at
the University of Sussex. Since 2003 I have taught Creative Writing at Kingston
University, Birkbeck College, the University of North Carolina and for the British Council in Athens and Thessaloniki. For five years I was a staff member for the
Complete Creative Writing Course. I have also worked as a Senior Academic Consultant for Mouseion, manuscript reader for Bloomsbury and editor/mentor for
The Writer's Workshop.
My most recent books are a novel, The Painter's Friend (2021), described as 'matchless' and 'one of the books of the year' (Irish Times), and Fathers and Sons (2017), my acclaimed, 'unique, and uniquely beautiful' memoir (Financial Times). A former scuba instructor and dive guide, I am the contributing editor of Jack Kerouac's On the Road - The Original Scroll (2007), which the New York Times called 'the living version for our time.'
Sun Country my new book, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2026.
Testimonials
Howard was an exceptionally helpful writing mentor for my first novel. I learnt in
my bones how important it is to weigh and test each word. I found Howard's laser-
like engagement with the art of writing much more pertinent than three previous
creative writing courses/tutors.
Mark Hudson, author of Beyond the Black Gate (The Conrad Press, 2025)
Howard Cunnell's teaching is one of the main reasons I'm still writing. When I
signed up for the course he was teaching on, I didn't see myself as a writer and by
the time I left his class, I did. His style is intelligent, questioning, encouraging and
practical. He allows students to discover, and be confident in, their own unique
voice.
Miranda Keeling, author of The Place I'm In: What I See When I Stop to Notice (Quarto,
2025), and The Year I Stopped to Notice (Icon, 2022)
Howard has been fundamental in shaping my writing. He is a challenging and
thought-provoking teacher who demands the best - and inspires you to achieve it.
Lizzy Barber, Richard and Judy bestselling author of My Name is Anna (Cornerstone,
2019, winner of the Daily Mail/Random House First Novel Prize)
Howard's early guidance and advice shaped a major plot point of my novel in progress and made it a hundred times better, and his encouragement gave me the confidence to progress and keep writing. A year later I won a major unpublished manuscript prize and in 2020 'State Highway One' was published by Hachette.
Sam Coley, author of State Highway One (Hachette
Winner of the Richell Prize for Emerging Writers, 2020)
Howard has an amazing ability to pick up on the kind of writer you want to be, and find a way to help you put that into words. The mix of his knowledge of the detail of the craft with his passion for making every word count meant that I left every class feeling I had been inspired, rather than just taught.
Kate Weinberg, author of The Truants (Bloomsbury, 2019)
Howard is a great teacher - not only is he exceptional at the craft of writing, he can also communicate his knowledge and passion about literature and writing in a clear and lively way.
Maya Wasowicz, author of Hang the White Washing (shortlisted for the First Novel Prize, 2022)
Contact
For more information please contact me at: hcunnell@gmail.com
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