6 week creative writing course with authors Karen McLeod and Paul Burston, starting on Wednesday Feb 21 and presented as part of the Polari Prize National Showcase, supported by Arts Council England. 

(Please note that Wednesday March 6 will be a reading week, with reading materials suggested by the tutors) 

Join published, prize-winning authors Paul Burston and Karen McLeod for a motivational series of evenings focussing on autobiographical writing. 

In this course, they’ll tackle such meaty subjects as:
How to start? 
How to identify themes and the drive for your writing?
What to leave out and why? 
What form should your writing take? Fiction / memoir / the interesting blurred lines between the two?
How to set the right tone
Publishing opportunities

Being in the unique position of both having written / published memoirs recently, Paul and Karen will be on hand to answer questions, give advice and discuss any dilemmas which may arise. This course will take you through different elements of writing, using exercises for you to write in class, in order for you to develop your writing and understanding of what it is to write about a life.

Karen McLeod is a writer, performer, creative writing tutor and writer-in-residence at Bookseller Crow. Her debut novel, In Search of the Missing Eyelash, was published by Jonathan Cape. It won the Betty Trask Award and was translated widely.
She wrote ‘The Eyelash’ in hotel rooms across the globe while working as cabin crew. Coming full circle, her soon to be published memoir, Lifting Off (Muswell Press, June 2024) is about the years she worked as cabin crew. When she’s not writing, or talking about writing, or thinking about writing, she can be found treading the creaky boards at theatres, cabaret clubs and pubs as the self-appointed Poet Laureate of Penge, Barbara Brownskirt. 

Paul Burston is the author of six novels and five non-fiction books and the editor of two short story collections. He is the founder of Polari literary salon and the Polari Prize for LGBTQ+ writing. His latest book is the memoir We Can Be Heroes, described by ES Magazine as “probably the gay book of the year” and by Bernardine Evaristo as “a compelling and hugely enjoyable memoir about a fearless life lived to the full.” 

To book the course (including the reading week) there is a one-off payment of £60+ booking fee.

Gift tickets can also be purchased and gifted to writers on lower incomes. 

The workshops will be hosted on Zoom. A link will be sent to you before each session. 

Ticket link