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The huge success of recent novels examining the contemporary world – such as John Lanchester's Capital and Jonathan Franzen's Freedom – shows that people still look to novelists to hold a mirror to their age. Publishers and readers alike remain enormously interested in novels that capture the zeitgeist and make sense of the world around us. Suitable for writers of any level of ability, this wide-ranging course focuses on how to distil any of the challenges of the modern era into relatable fiction – be it climate change, globalisation, terrorism or overpopulation.
Curated by award-winning author Alex Preston (This Bleeding City; In Love and War) this full-day seminar provides a thorough overview of the crucial considerations when writing a contemporary novel. A panel of expert tutors, including Kerry Hudson, Mirza Waheed and Scarlett Thomas, show you how to draw inspiration from the world around you and weave complex issues into a convincing story.
Topics covered range from creative advice – including how to research your subject and find the human drama in major issues – to technical tips on plotting, pacing and characterisation. By the end of the event you will have the tools required to plan, plot and research a contemporary novel that defines its time.
This course is for you if...
- You're a writer interested in exploring contemporary issues and themes in fiction
- There's a current issue close to your heart which you want to explore through writing
Course description
This course teaches skills and techniques with which to write about complex and controversial social issues in a compelling way. Topics covered on the day include:
- Blending the personal with the political: how to address major contemporary themes through intimate, individual stories
- Expert research methods to ensure factual accuracy and inventive storytelling
- Stylistic tips to help create an immersive world that will enhance readers' empathy
- An introduction to life writing How to weave your own experiences into your fiction
- How to describe place and atmosphere evocatively
- Characterisation: how to form believable, rounded, sympathetic characters and protagonists
- Plotting, pacing and shaping the narrative of your novel
- Q&A with all speakers
Tutor profiles
Alex Preston's first novel, This Bleeding City, won the Spear's and Edinburgh Festival First Book prizes, and was chosen as one of Waterstones New Voices 2010. Alex's second book, The Revelations, was shortlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker prize, and his third, In Love and War, was recently published to critical acclaim. Alex also writes for GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Town & Country Magazine and the Observer's New Review, and appears regularly on BBC radio and television. Find Alex on Twitter here.
Mirza Waheed is a journalist and novelist. His first novel, The Collaborator, was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award in 2011 and the Shakti Bhat Prize, and longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize. It was also book of the year for The Telegraph, New Statesman, Financial Times, Business Standard and Telegraph India, among others. Waheed has written for the BBC, the Guardian, Granta, Al Jazeera English and the New York Times. Mirza's latest book, The Book of Gold Leaves, was published in 2014 to critical acclaim.
Kerry Hudson's first novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was published in 2012 by Chatto & Windus (Penguin Random House). It was the winner of the Scottish First Book Award, while also being shortlisted for the Southbank Sky Arts Literature Award, Guardian First Book Award, Green Carnation Prize, Author's Club First Novel Prize and the Polari First Book Award. Kerry's second novel, Thirst, was published in 2014 by Chatto & Windus and was shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize. Kerry founded The WoMentoring Project and has written for Grazia, Guardian Review and YOU Magazine. She teaches with the National Academy of Writing, Arvon Foundation, Writers' Centre Norwich and is a mentor for IdeasTap Inspires.
Scarlett Thomas is the author of nine books. Her most recent publications include Monkeys with Typewriters, Our Tragic Universe, and The End of Mr. Y. Her work has been translated into 24 languages, and has been longlisted for the Orange Broadband Prize and shortlisted for the South African Boeke Prize. In 2001 Scarlett was included in the Independent on Sunday's list of the UK's 20 best young writers. She has written short fiction, reviews and articles for various anthologies and publications, including the Guardian and The New York Times. Scarlett has also had stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and pieces of nature writing broadcast on BBC Radio 3. She is currently working on a new novel, The Seed Collectors.
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Details
Date: Sunday 8 March 2015
Times: 10am-4pm. Check-in begins 30 minutes before the start time.
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Price: £129 (includes VAT, booking fee, lunch and refreshments)
Event capacity: 100
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.
