Writing History & Biography
The Deadline for this Course has Passed
With Greg Mosse,
Rachel Holmes & Paul Arnott
Use this link to see a local map showing the location of West Dean College. For more information on booking and accommodation, please call 0844 4994408 from the UK or +44 1243 811301 from abroad.
Writing History & Biography is an intensive non-fiction weekend short course. It will define the variety of approaches required for the different kinds of historical and biographical writing, including writing for different age groups, TV and radio tie-ins, the use of humour, the impact of the author's personal history, techniques of research and scholarship, local history, oral history, the use of photographs and other visuals and many other elements. (It will briefly touch on the popularity of historical fiction and fictionalised biography or memoirs.)
The goal of the weekend is to help participants to refine their own understanding of the kind of history or biography they would like to write and to provide insights into effective patterns of research and styles of expression, including opportunities for participants' independent writing and brief editorial feedback.
Tutors
Greg Mosse is a writer, translator and immensely experienced creative writing teacher. His most recent book, a history entitled Secrets of the Labyrinth, was published in May 2007.
Rachel Holmes is an experienced biographer with a strong academic and commercial background. Her publications include the ground-breaking biographies Scanty Particulars and Hottentot Venus.
Paul Arnott is an experienced writer and producer of film, TV drama and documentary who has also published fiction and non-fiction works, including the acclaimed autobiographical books A Good Likeness and Let me eat cake and Is anybody up there?
COURSE TIMETABLE
Friday
19h00-20h00
Dinner
Please meet in the Steward's Room / Bar from 18h30
Friday
20h15-21h15
Session 1 - Review
A rapid and enjoyable introduction,
assessing the different styles of writing history and biography, including newspapers,
periodicals, books and documentaries.
Saturday 9h15-10h30
Session
2 - Autobiography
Outside of the celebrity market, who can write one? Where
is the 'hook' to catch the attention of the audience? Partial or complete?
Saturday
11h00-12h30
Session 3 - Biography
What makes an interesting subject
for biography? What amount of detail is a life 'worth'?
Saturday 14h00-15h30
Session
4 - Historical context
In biography, the subject must be 'placed' in their
time and culture. Where does biography end and history begin?
Saturday 16h00-
Session
5 - Independent writing
From this session until dinner, participants will
research a subject that they think could provide material for a full-length biography,
writing a synopsis or extract to be shared after dinner.
Saturday 19h00-20h00
Dinner…
and free time …
Saturday 20h15-21h15
Session 6 - Sharing
…
the independent writing task.
Sunday 9h15-10h30
Session 7 - Local
history
Its purpose, its audience, its satisfactions and its limitations.
Sunday
11h00-12h30
Session 8 - Major histories
Has everything been said?
Possible approaches to well-worn subjects. (If we run out of time in the Sharing
session, we will complete it here.)
Sunday 14h00-15h30
Session 9 -
Question and answer
… and close
Use this link to see a local map showing the location of West Dean College. For more information on booking and accommodation, please call 0844 4994408 from the UK or +44 1243 811301 from abroad.
