How to write and research contemporary fiction

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How to write and research contemporary fiction

By The Guardian Masterclasses

Date and time

Sunday, November 2, 2014 · 10am - 4pm GMT

Location

The Guardian

Kings Place 90 York Way London N1 9GU United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Contact the organizer to request a refund.

Description

Learn how to create empathetic stories out of complex, contemporary issues

The huge success of recent novels examining the contemporary world – such as John Lanchester's Capital, JK Rowling's A Casual Vacancy 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.

Curated by award-winning author Alex Preston (This Bleeding City; In Love and War) this full-day masterclass is designed to provide a thorough introduction to the art of writing a contemporary novel – from how to draw inspiration from the world around you, to how to weave complex issues into a convincing story. By the end of the event you will have the tools required to plan, plot and research a contemporary novel.

This course is for you if...

You're a writer interested in exploring the contemporary universe and current themes, or have an issue close to your heart which you want to explore in a literary form with emotional impact. This course is suitable for writers of any level of experience.

Course description

This course teaches skills and techniques with which to write about complex and controversial social issues in a compelling and relatable way. Topics covered on the day include:

  • Research methods to ensure factual accuracy
  • Stylistic tips to help create an immersive world that can enhance readers' empathy
  • Blending the personal with the political
  • An introduction to life writing
  • Writing about place and atmosphere
  • How to craft convincing plots

Tutor profiles

Alex Preston was born in 1979. His first novel, This Bleeding City, was published by Faber & Faber in the UK, and across twelve further territories. It won the Spear's and Edinburgh Festival first book prizes and was chosen as one of Waterstones New Voices 2010. His second book, The Revelations, was shortlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker prize. His third, In Love and War, was published to critical acclaim in July 2014. Alex appears regularly on BBC Radio and television. He writes for GQ, Harper's Bazaar and Town & Country Magazine as well as for the Observer's New Review. He studied English under Tom Paulin at Hertford College, Oxford, and holds a PhD on Violence in the Modern Novel from UCL. Find Alex on Twitter here.

Evie Wyld's first novel, After the Fire, a Still Small Voice, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and a Betty Trask Award, and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers, the Commonwealth Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin literary award. In 2013 she was included on Granta Magazine's Best of Young British Novelists list. Her second novel, All the Birds, Singing, won the Miles Franklin Award, the Encore Award and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, and was shortlisted wards including the Costa Novel Prize and the James Tait Black Prize. As well as being a writer, Evie runs Review, a small independent bookshop in Peckham, South London.

Mirza Waheed is a journalist and novelist. His first novel, The Collaborator, was nominated for the Guardian first book award in 2011. Mirza's new novel, The Book of Gold Leaves will be published in Autumn 2014 by Penguin.

Amy Sackville is an author and a teacher of creative writing at the University of Kent. Her first novel, The Still Point, was published by Portobello Books in 2010 – it won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and was long-listed for the Dylan Thomas and the Orange Prizes. Her second, Orkney, was published by Granta Books in February 2013.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website

Organized by

Welcome to Guardian Masterclasses – a unique programme of learning embedded within one of the world's most forward-thinking media organisations.

We offer a broad range of short and long courses across a variety of disciplines from creative writing, journalism, photography and design, film and digital media, music and cultural appreciation.

Harnessing the expertise and specialisms within the organisation, our courses are led by first class and award winning guardian professionals whilst also drawing on the skills and expertise of other leading figures at the forefront of the creative and digital industries.

The programme is aimed at anyone interested in personal or professional development whether that be refining your skills, focusing your ambition or simply broadening your mind and gaining inspiration.

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