National Writers' Centre Norwich Workshops and courses 2016 programme

The workshops and courses programme for 2016 for the National Centre for Writing has just been released, detailing the writer at work series and the day masterclasses, details below:

February 2016   Workshops and courses 2016 programme   Places on all courses are limited to ensure a tailored experience. For booking, please visit www.writerscentrenorwich.org.uk or click on the event title. Any queries, get in touch by phone 01603 877177 or by email info@writerscentrenorwich.org.uk   Writer at Work series     A behind the scenes look at the technical and creative processes of guest writers. During these intimate masterclasses, our writers' will share practical advice and field your questions. Bring your notepad!   Truth and Tales: The pleasures and pitfalls of Creative Non-Fiction Writing with Ian Thomson Monday 11 April, 7-9pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £15 Ian Thomson ('An author of great range and sensibility' - The Guardian) draws on his personal experience to host a discussion on the tensions between truth-telling and fabrication in creative non-fiction. Writing Common People: Family History and Creative Non-Fiction with Alison Light Friday 29 April, 7-9pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £15 Alison Light ('A talented historian of forgotten people' - The Guardian) discusses her own experience of writing family history and ways of taking your own writing forward. Writing Across Lines: History, Memory and the Imagination with Elleke Boehmer Saturday 18 June, 3-5pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £15 Nelson Mandela's biographer, Elleke Boehmer, Professor of World Literature in English at Oxford University, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of her new book The Shouting in the Dark. A must for anyone interested in life writing. Threads: Writing the lives of others with Julia Blackburn Wednesday 26 October, 7-9pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £15 How does a writer's life and personal tragedy overlap with their writing about others? Julia Blackburn, author of the 'wonderful' five-star novel Threads: the Delicate Life of John Craske (The Telegraph) shares her personal experiences of writing. Book all four sessions at the discounted price of £48. For individual tickets, click on the relevant title.   Buy package £48     Day Masterclasses   Writing for Children Saturday 2 April, 10am – 6pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £40 / £30 conc Join us for a day-long masterclass with four expert practitioners from the world of publishing, poetry, prose and illustration.   Writing Modern MenL Prose Fiction with Nikesh Shukla Saturday 9 April, 10am-4pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £75 / £65 conc Writer and Guardian columnist Nikesh Shukla guides you through how to maximise your personal experience and put it to use in your writing.    Twisting the Tale: Literary Crossover and Big Concept Writing with Emma Healey Friday 6 May, 10am – 4pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £75 / £65 conc Find new ways to transform your prose fiction and explore big concepts with critically acclaimed author of Elizabeth is Missing, Emma Healey.   The Edge of Words with Daljit Nagra Friday 13 May, 2-4pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £15 In this exclusive workshop, Daljit will share his creative process and offer advice to aspiring writers (poets and prose) on how to unlock the hidden potential of language, take imaginative risks and lift your creative work to a new level.   Agent Day with Jenny Brown Friday 3 June, 10am-4pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £75 / £65 conc Gain invaluable knowledge on the contemporary publishing landscape from Jenny Brown, founder of Jenny Brown Associates, the biggest agency in Scotland and one of the leading literary agencies in the UK.    Ancestor Tales: Interpreting and Writing Engaging Family Histories Saturday 9 July, 9.30am – 5.30pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £75 / £65 conc How do you turn your own family drama (or lack of!) into compelling fiction? Expert family historians Toni Neobard, Kate Broad and Gill Blanchard will guide you through making the most of the material you’ve got.   Self Critique and Editing Prose Fiction with Kerry Young Saturday 16 July, 10am-4pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £75 / £65 conc Learn the vital skill of how to self-critique and edit your work effectively with Kerry Young, writer and reader for The Literary Consultancy.   Nature Writing Day at Blackwater Wood, with Mark Cocker Saturday 10 September, 10am – 4pm, Blackwater Wood, £75 / £65 conc Award-winning author, Guardian columist naturalist and environmental activist Mark Cocker invites you to Blackwater woods, a private fen woodland on the banks of the River Yare.   Agent Day with Isobel Dixon Friday 2 December, 10am - 4pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £75 / £65 conc Gain invaluable knowledge on the contemporary publishing landscape from Isobel Dixon, director at the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.    Christmas Poems with George Szirtes Saturday 10 December, 10am – 4pm, WCN Dragon Hall, £75 / £65 conc Explore how poetry can capture a mood, convey the subtle shifts of a wintry landscape or give voice to the silent ghosts that seem even more ‘present’ at this time of year.     Creative Writing Online     Booking is open for beginner and intermediate courses in fiction and poetry starting April 2016. Study Creative Writing with WCN and the University of East Anglia and benefit from UEA's international teaching expertise and reputation in the field. Writing Fiction: The Essentials (online) with Anjali Joseph 11th April - 11th July 2016, £450 Learn the building blocks of how to create a good short story; how to create credible, interesting characters, and develop a plot. Writing Poetry: The Essentials (online) with Liz Berry  16th May - 15th August 2016, £450 Join prize-winning poet Liz Berry on a journey into the transformative world of poetry. Explore how poems take shape, and begin to create and share your own work with a friendly supportive group. Writing Fiction: The Essentials (face to face) with Ian Nettleton 12 April - 21 June 2016, £230/£195 conc. WCN Dragon Hall Have your work assessed in a supportive, critical and encouraging environment. Writing Fiction: Intermediate (face to face) with Sarah Bower  12 April - 21 June 2016, £230/£195 conc. WCN Dragon Hall Find a sense of play and adventure in your writing and back it up with strong research and story-telling techniques in this course led by novelist Sarah Bower.     In conversation - free entry   National Lives and National Dictionaries Friday 22 April, 6 - 8pm, free entry - booking required, WCN Dragon Hall For the first time in a public forum, the former head of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Lawrence Goldman, and head of the Australian Dictionary of National Biography, Melanie Nolan, will meet in conversation. Hear them discuss: the concept of ‘national biography’, the histories of the two dictionaries, how individuals are selected for inclusion, challenges presented by scandal and the implications of digitalisation. A must for all interested in biography and memoir.     Coaching and Mentoring   Coaching and mentoring sessions with Katherine Skala and Heidi Williamson From January 2016, WCN Dragon Hall, from £35 Our coaching and mentoring packages, designed to help you with practical questions or editorial feedback on your work, take place on a 1:1 basis and are flexible to your needs.     Writers' Centre Norwich and the National Centre for Writing is a partnership between WCN and:         Copyright © 2015 Writers' Centre Norwich, All rights reserved. Registered charity number: 1110725 Our mailing address is: Writers' Centre Norwich Dragon Hall 115 - 123 King Street Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1QE United Kingdom