This comprehensive course will teach you how to create poignant stories based on events in your family history. Through a mixture of talks and practical exercises, you’ll learn the key skills of autobiographical writing, as well as simple techniques to bring your writing to life.
The course is led by novelist Nick Barlay, whose non-fiction work, Scattered Ghosts, tells the story of his Hungarian Jewish family over two centuries. During the course, Nick will give advice on everything from how to research your family history, to how to interview people and create a compelling narrative for readers.
Course content
- The ingredients that make any family history compelling to read
- How to find the universal in the particular
- Form and voice: the ‘I’ of autobiographical writing
- How to develop a distinctive writing style
- Character description and representation
- How to write about place
- Dialogue – using voices and quotations to create scenes
- Narrative development – the dynamics of structure and plot
- Key research skills
- How to research your own family history
- Q&A and group discussion
This course is for you if...
- You’re currently writing or planning a story based on events in your family history
- You’re researching your family history and would like to discover new ways to bring your research to life
Tutor profile
Nick Barlay is the author of four highly acclaimed novels and was mentioned among Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists in 2003. He has just published his first work of non-fiction, Scattered Ghosts, which tells the story of his Hungarian Jewish family over two centuries. He has also been a journalist, and wrote a long-running and popular series about London for The Times. Other writing ranges from short stories to award-winning radio plays. Click here for his website.
Details
This course is no longer running – but we update our programme all the time. For information on our full range of masterclasses, sign up to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, or keep an eye on our calendar.
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.
Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 14 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
