About the course
Want to tell your own life story in a fresh and dynamic way? Creative non-fiction takes autobiographical writing to the next level with literary and poetic techniques. Looking at examples of brilliant contemporary life writing from authors such as Maggie Nelson, Carmen Maria Machado, Cyrus Grace Dunham and Claudia Rankine, we will explore how to find the emotional truth of your personal narrative. Whether you want to write about childhood, adolescence, or a day in your life from a week ago, nothing is off limits.
This course is ideal for all underrepresented writers who are open-minded and willing to dive into the depths of our lives. The aim is to create work that is based on fact but is as entertaining and engaging as the best fiction. The goal is funny, moving and daring prose, no matter what type of life you have led.
About the tutor
Harper Walton is the author of the fiction collection Midnight Movies (Femmesocial Press) and the poetry collections The Ballad of a Bloodless Hangnail (New Words Press) and Common Only in Name (Rival Books). They edited the anthology Carnival at the End of the World (Buoy Press). They are a literary editor for Seedlings Press. They have a Master’s Degree in creative writing from the Paris School of Arts and Culture. Their work is featured by Fourteen Poems, Magma, 1883 Magazine, Whitechapel Gallery, Venice Architecture Biennale and more. They teach creative writing at City Lit.
Who is it for?
All underrepresented writers—those who face barriers to opportunities dbut ue to mental health issues, physical health/disability, sensory impairment, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, substance misuse, survivors, carers, working class backgrounds, and those from the LGBTQIA+ community, Black, Asian, traveller, mixed heritage or other global majority backgrounds.
This course is best suited to intermediate writers, but beginner and advanced writers are also welcome.
Dates & Time:
Tuesdays: 4 – 25 November
6-8 pm
This course takes place online via Zoom. Links will be sent seven days prior to the first session, and again the day of the first session.
Access:
You can see our full access commitments here.
- When you book, you can let us know about any access needs you have and we will do our best to accommodate them.
- Workshops are not usually recorded. A recording can be requested by someone if they have a specific access need. All participants will be told in advance if this is the case.
- Presentations and course handouts will be provided.
- Our full workshop guidelines are here.
Cost:
£50 / £25 concessions
In order to make our resources stretch further, we have to subsidise some workshops with nominal fees well below most online courses. The more who book at full price, the more we’ll be able to offer.
Concessionary places are available for those on benefits, pensioners, unemployed/underemployed or on low wages. We do not ask for proof that you qualify.
If concessionary spaces are unavailable and/or the course is fully booked, we can add you to the waiting list if you e-mail info@creativefuture.org.uk.
Our workshops are very popular and we want to make sure everyone has a chance to take part. We limit registration to one course per person in each round of workshops opening in January, April and September. Thanks for your understanding.
Other workshops
We are offering as many workshops and as many places as our resources allow—they are heavily subsidised by our limited funding.
You might also want to have a look at other workshops on offer elsewhere.
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