Explorations in Memoir - What is memoir and why do we write it? (1/6)

In this six part series, join memoir researcher Harley Ryley as we deepen our understanding of the memoir form and explore different approaches to writing it.

Suitable for writers who have started a memoir project and are wanting to develop their writing and thinking further. 18+.

In Workshop 1: 'What is memoir and why do we write it?, we will explore different types of ‘memoir’ and ‘life-writing’ and consider how memoir differs from other forms of life writing, to help you develop a working definition of what memoir means for you as a writer. We will work together to establish our reasons for writing memoir, clarify our purpose/aims in telling our story, and consider how this might impact the writing process.

Explorations in Memoir is a series of linked workshops designed to help memoir writers expand their writing practice and develop new skills within the form. The workshops will involve a mixture of taught content, writing activities and discussion, and hopefully lots of laughter and debate too! There will be opportunities in some of the sessions to share your work. Each workshop is designed to standalone, but there will be a central thread throughout. You will receive activities and prompts to take away after each session.

Block booking is available for all six sessions until 23rd January 2025, at £75 for members (£15 discount on single session price) and £120 for non-members (£12 discount on single price). Single sessions are £15 for members and £22 for non-members.

Workshops in this series:

Workshop 2: Memory & the Memoirist - Saturday 7th February 2-4pm

Workshop 3: Me and my Narrator - Saturday 21st February 2-4pm

(3 week break)

Workshop 4: Me and my Reader - Saturday 14th March 2-4pm

Workshop 5: Scene and Summary - Saturday 28th March 2-4pm

Workshop 6: Our Big Beautiful Truths - Saturday 11th April 2-4pm

Harley Ryley is a postgraduate researcher in Creative Writing at The University of Sheffield, funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. Her thesis is a memoir about writing a memoir, which seeks to unwrite all the strange and artificial rules that surround how you 'should' write memoir, to create an innovative and inclusive new approach. Her creative nonfiction has been published by Heroica, Route 57, The Sheffield Review and has been heard on BBC Radio Sheffield.

Please note:

1. Accessibility - The Writers Workshop’s space in Orchard Square, Sheffield, has no step-free access. If you have been excluded from this event due to inaccessibility, please let us know. We are committed to finding fully accessible premises and, in the meantime, making as many of our events available online as possible.
2. Advance bookings - All tickets must be booked in advance via Eventbrite: no walk ups on the day.

The Writers Workshop is a nonprofit social enterprise on a mission to enable everyone to experience the joy and power of creative writing, both at our venue in Sheffield and online. Members of the Writers Workshop get a discount on all our events and other perks. For more information, visit www.thewritersworkshop.co.uk.

Cover photo by Medina Spahić on Unsplash