This course runs for five days, 10am–1.30pm each day. You will also have access to the room for writing till 4pm.
Monday
THE STORY YOU WISH TO TELL
Julia Blackburn, Threads; Helen Macdonald, H is For Hawk
This is about defining the scope and content of your subject.
Tuesday
FINDING A VOICE
Jackie Kay, Red Dust Road, The Adoption Papers; Simon Gray,Coda
Jackie Kay is utterly honest without being confessional. It's interesting to read her poems (which are almost prose) alongside her memoir. Simon Gray turns his erratic interior thought processes into a wonderful narrative. We'll experiment with the impact of using different voices: child or adult; first, second or third person.
Wednesday
DECIDING ON A STRUCTURE
Stephen Bernard, Paper Cuts ; Julia Blackburn, The Three of Us; Penelope Lively, Amonites and Leaping Fish
Family stories which use very different structure to suit very different sorts of parents and childhoods. We'll discuss how to be personal without getting in too deep and how to balance the need for honesty with the wish to not hurt anyone.
Thursday
SHORT CUTS AND SIDEWAYS GLANCES
Helen Jukes, A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings; Primo Levi, The Periodic Table; Giles Waterford, The Long Afternoon
A memoir/ life story does not have to be a continuous narrative, nor does it have to be an orthodox narrative. The books mentioned here can give you an idea of alternative ways of approaching your subject. There are many more possibilities to think about and to explore.
Friday
THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG BOOK
On Thursday we'll have worked out what you want to discuss and have help with during the final session, setting you up for completing the work once the group has dispersed. We'll end with readings from your best pieces.