Join Voce Writer-in-Residence TAYLOR BURNS for the third in his series of free writer drop-in sessions, this one exploring the importance of reading as a writer.
‘Read, learn, work it up, go to the literature. Information is control.’
—JOAN DIDION
If you don’t read, you won’t write well. There are a million quotes from established writers of every stripe to this effect. Its ubiquity as preparation is in place for a reason; show Taylor a book by a writer who claims not to read (they really exist!) and he will show you either a liar, or a bad book. The common adage is to read far and wide and, again, this holds true.
But what about reading as a writer, as someone actively working on a book of their own? This is a completely different practice. If you’re writing an interior autobiographical first-person novel set in the service industry, reading The Old Man and the Sea isn’t going to help you much. Of course, the book in question’s quality may still stand out, but what we’re really looking for in this session is synchronising your reading for FORM and CONTENT. Reading as a writer involves a lot of careful curation — with at-hand recommendations as well as Taylor’s experience studying this very module, this drop-in will help you achieve that.
This event is supported using public funding by ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND.
This is one of our WORKSHOP events, with a specific focus on the craft & business of writing, & place-making for writers in the West Midlands.
TICKETS: Free
Please reserve your ticket here on our Eventbrite page.
VOCE BOOKS is located at 54-57 Allison Street, Digbeth with step-free access via BRIG Café. For further enquiries about the event, or to discuss any other access requirements please email info@vocebooks.com
