In this interactive online masterclass with Simon Garfield, bestselling author of On the Map and To the Letter, you will have the opportunity to explore the creativity that goes into writing a non-fiction book, from conceiving your ideas to getting your book onto shelves.

This wide-ranging weekend masterclass will be split across two days. Ahead of the class, you will be invited to submit a short description or outline of your idea, and Simon will then tailor his teaching to provide you and your fellow attendees with unique advice for fine tuning your work and getting it in front of the right people. You will learn how to write a compelling and saleable synopsis, how to improve the architecture of your book, what the editing and production process entails, and how to secure an agent. Importantly, you will take big steps towards realising your dream of publishing your own non-fiction book.

A writing task will be set at the end of the first online workshop. To get the most out of this masterclass, please allow some independent writing time between the two sessions.

Course Content

A guide to the different genres within non-fiction
The architecture of a non-fiction book: what works and what doesn’t
The writing process: how to resolve problems when you get stuck, and when to stop writing
How to put together a convincing submission document to send to an agent or publisher
Writing the perfect synopsis
What editors look for in submissions - and why
The commercial market for non-fiction
An opportunity to receive tailored feedback on your idea
Q&A

This course is for ...

Writers with all levels of experience who have an idea for a non-fiction book that they’d like to develop for production
Writers, with some experience of publishing, who want to learn how to make their work more attractive to publishers
Anyone with expertise, knowledge or a life experience that they’d like to transform into a work of popular non-fiction

Tutor Profile

Simon Garfield is the author of 21 books of non-fiction, including the bestsellers Mauve, Just My Type and On The Map. His study of Aids in Britain, The End of Innocence, won the Somerset Maugham Prize, while his history of correspondence, To The Letter, was one of the inspirations for the show Letters Live.

Course Details

Date: Saturday 25 March – Sunday 26 March 2023
Time: 2pm-5pm (GMT) both days

A catch up recording will be shared after the class and will be available for two weeks.

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

2pm GMT | 3pm CET | 10am PST | 7am EST

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you do not receive the access link.

We aim to make Guardian Masterclasses accessible to all. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at masterclasses@theguardian.com.

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.

Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.

Writing & publishing non-fiction: A practical workshop with Simon Garfield