Quay Words Short Course: Life Stories with Susanna Crossman

About

PLEASE NOTE: This is a hybrid course consisting of two parts - 3 online sessions and one in-person weekend at Exeter Custom House. Depending on availability, you may book onto the online sessions, the in person weekend, or both.

Online Sessions on alternate Thursdays
6pm-8pm 5th June/19th June/3rd July

In person weekend at Exeter Custom House, Saturday 12th 10am-4pm/Sunday 13th July 10am-12pm

This Summer, Quay Words is delighted to be joined by award-winning writer Susanna Crossman for this hybrid short writing course on the theme of 'Life Stories'.

In this course we'll be looking at how to craft life into story. Online, we'll explore writing effective personal narratives, moving from situation to story, finding your voice, using memory enhancement, exploring the difference between auto-fiction, memoir and French 'autobiographical pact' (Ernaux, Edouard Louis), and dealing with ethics and truth.

At the Custom House, we'll also work on plotting and structuring your work, hybrid memoir, developing non-fiction essays/book ideas, and how to write 'memoir plus' powerful pitches .

About the Author
Susanna Crossman is an essayist and award-winning fiction writer. Her memoir, Home is Where We Start, was published by Fig Tree, Penguin, in 2024. Her new novel, The Orange Notebooks, will be published by Bluemoose Books in 2025. She has recent work in Aeon, The Guardian, Vogue, Paris Review, and more. A published novelist in France, she regularly collaborates with artists and film-makers.

Currently, when shes not writing, she works internationally as a lecturer and clinical arts-therapist. Susanna has run writing and creativity seminars on three continents (Sarah Lawrence College (NY, USA), Kangwon National University (South Korea), University of Botswana, Universit Rennes 2 (FR), EDF and more). Born in the UK, Susanna Crossman grew up in an international commune and has lived in France for over half her life

We are offering two bursary placesfor this course, which are available by application only (to quaywords@literatureworks.org.uk ) and will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis. The bursary is awarded on the basis of financial need not writing ability. You can find out about how to apply for a bursary,here [https://quaywords.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/QW2022.01-Quay-Words-bursary-policy.pdf].

We can accommodate free tickets for carers or personal assistants if needed. Please email us on quaywords@literatureworks.org.uk after booking to let us know if you would like to book one of these tickets.