Workshops

  1. Flash Fiction – Short Shorts & Restrictive Briefs
  2. LiverpOulipo – word play by the rules
  3. A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
  4. Graphic Novels – Thinking Inside the Box(es)
  5. Further into Flash Fiction – Feedback & Finessing
University of Liverpool Continuing Education banner featuring a mural of a Liver Bird and text overlaid that reads: Short Courses and Lectures - For the Sheer Enjoyment of Learning'.
Phil is part of the University of Liverpool's Continuing Education Part-time Tutor Panel and teaches Creative Writing evening classes in Flash Fiction and writing inspired by art (A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words), as well as Oulipo experimentation and a CE Saturday workshop on Graphic Novels.

Creative Writing Tutor — University of Liverpool Continuing Education (CE) programme.

In September 2024, Phil joined the CE Part-time Tutor Panel and began teaching Creative Writing from the second semester of the 2024-25 academic year. He taught an 8-week evening course in Flash Fiction between February and April 2025 and a 2-day Summer School Oulipo workshop in July 2025. A free one-off taster session workshop took place in autumn 2024, inspired by the Victoria Gallery & Museum (VG&M) exhibition, ‘Play of Light – A display of darkness and illumination.’

Also taking creative writing inspiration from art will be a new six-week Continuing Education evening course: ‘A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words,’ which is scheduled to run on Tuesday evenings (6-8pm) from 6 October to 10 November 2026.

‘Graphic Novels – Thinking Inside the Box(es)’ is a one-day ‘CE Saturday’ workshop (following a pilot in 2025), taking place on Saturday 7 November 2026 (10:30am – 3:30pm) and will be led by Phil Olsen and Chris Rodenhurst. 

‘Flash Fiction: Short Shorts and Restrictive Briefs’ first ran from 4 February – 1 April 2025 on Tuesday evenings. This 8-week course ran again in 2026 (3 February – 31 March), and is scheduled to take place in 2027 (2 February – 30 March)

‘Further into Flash Fiction – Feedback & Finessing’ is a new 4-week Term 3 follow-on course for writers who want to develop their story drafts and works-in-progress; taking place on Tuesday evenings from 19 May – 9 June 2026.

Pink and blue blended colours with black and white text overlaid diagonally that reads 'LiverpOulipo - word play by the rules'
On Tue 22 and Wed 23 July 2025, Phil ran a 2-day Storycraft Summer School workshop as part of University of Liverpool's Continuing Education programme. 'LiverpOulipo - word play by the rules' took place at ULMS (11am - 4pm on both days).
Floral Civilians June 2025 workshop. White text on a black background. Red shipping cranes and a blue coin operated telescope.
Phil ran three further Floral Civilians creative writing workshops in April, May and June 2025 at District House in New Brighton. These free Saturday afternoon workshops were made possible with funding from the Community Lottery Fund.
On Mon 7 April 2025, Phil was invited to run a short story workshop for The L20 Hub in Netherton Library. The L20 Hub delivers community-led services throughout Bootle and Sefton.
'Play of Light - A display of darkness and illumination' exhibition poster featuring a moon-lit street scene.
Phil ran a free creative writing workshop at the VG&M on Sat 30 Nov 2024 (10:30am - 12:30pm), inspired by the nocturnal paintings in 'Play of Light - A dosplay of darkness and illumination'. This workshop was part of the University of Liverpool's Continuing Education programme.
Phil with participants at a Floral Civilians creative writing workshop at District House, New Brighton.
In Oct and Nov 2024, Phil ran creative writing workshops at District House in New Brighton as part of the Floral Civilians project. He collaborated with artist Colette Whittington who ran zine-making workshops alongside. These workshops have been made possible with funding from the Community Lottery Fund.
Exterior of FireFit Youth and Community Hub in Toxteth, Liverpool. The building has a glass entrance and a red roof, and yellow railings on the steps in front.
On Wed 29 May 2024, Phil was invited to deliver a 2-hour short story workshop for 'Write Generation' — a group of 11–17-year-olds, at FireFit Youth and Community Hub in Toxteth, Liverpool. Write Generation is a creative writing development programme supported by Writing on the Wall.
Painting of the Baboo ship fallen over in Canning Graving Dock, Liverpool by E. D. M. Y.
‘Baboo overset in Canning Graving Dock, Liverpool’ by E D M Y. Collection of Merseyside Maritime Museum, 1987.248.2 — This painting was one of four writing prompts used in the Flashback: Canning Dock Flash Fiction Competition which Phil ran in summer 2023 in collaboration with Writing on the Wall and National Museums Liverpool.

In 2023, Phil ran the ‘Flashback: Canning Dock Flash Fiction Competition’ in collaboration with Writing on the Wall and National Museums Liverpool. This included providing writing exercises and prompts, delivering free creative writing workshops across several Merseyside libraries (Spellow, Garston, Toxteth and Birkenhead Central), and shortlisting the entries.

Flashback Canning Dock Flash Fiction final at the Museum of Liverpool
Special guest judge, poet Levi Tafari (left), announced the winner of the Flashback: Canning Dock Flash Fiction Competition, along with two runners-up, at a public event at the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday 28 October 2023.
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