Courses

Creative Non-Fiction and Autobiographical Writing

with Rob Doyle

In this four‐week workshop series students will read and discuss sample texts from an exciting and varied field of writing that includes autobiography, essay, literary journalism, travel writing, diary, epistolary writing, autofiction, and other styles that can be grouped under the broad label ‘creative non‐fiction’.

Unfortunately, we are full!

Registrations for this course are now closed but do join our mailing list here to be updated on future courses like this.

Summary

Course code: RD3

4 workshops of 3 hours each

For Foundation to Intermediate Writers

Limited places available

Selective entry – we’ll offer places to writers who show promise

 

Dates

12, 19 & 26 March and 2 April 2022 (Saturday)

2:00 to 5:00pm SGT

No partial sessions accepted

Venue

NTU@one-north
11 Slim Barracks Rise
Singapore 138664

Overview

In this four‐week workshop series students will read and discuss sample texts from an exciting and varied field of writing that includes autobiography, essay, literary journalism, travel writing, diary, epistolary writing, autofiction, and other styles that can be grouped under the broad label ‘creative non‐fiction’. These readings will serve as the basis for a series of writing exercises designed to expand students’ range of expression, by using an array of techniques to ‘hack into’ the rich source of material lying right in front of us: the stuff of real life.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be:

  1. exposed to multiple examples of excellent, varied creative non‐fiction writing.
  2. shown how the techniques (and pleasures) of fiction can be incorporated into non‐fiction writing.
  3. given plentiful opportunities to try out different techniques and styles in their own writing, through exercises covering areas including autobiography, writing about place, personal essays, and so on.

Who should register?

Writers including:

  1. Foundation Writers — Early stage, promising writers with no requirement for any publication history. Foundation writers are those who are writing for the first time or have never written with deadlines or structure before.
  2. Intermediate Writers — Writers who have chosen to pursue writing as a full time or part time career with a serious, professional intent but who are not yet published with a mainstream or recognised independent publisher.

Participants will be selected by the Visiting Writer with assistance from the Asia Creative Writing Programme. A waiting list will be maintained.

Registration and Pricing

Course Prerequisites

To sign up, please register at the link above with the following documents:

  1. A 500 word writing sample
  2. A short summary of your writing project of ~100 words
  3. A short biography of ~100 words

Course Fees

  • For 4 workshops:
    • $150 for adults
    • $60 for students, unemployed, low income migrant workers
  • Free for students based in Singapore tertiary institutions
  • Non refundable if cancellation less than 2 weeks before course starts
  • Please email us if financial assistance is needed

About Rob Doyle

Rob Doyle’s third book, THRESHOLD, was published by Bloomsbury in 2020, and was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year. Doyle’s debut novel, HERE ARE THE YOUNG MEN, was published in 2014 by Bloomsbury and the Lilliput Press. It was selected as one of Hot Press magazine’s ‘20 Greatest Irish Novels 1916-2016’, and has been made into a film starring Dean Charles Chapman and Anya Taylor Joy. THIS IS THE RITUAL, a collection of short stories, was published in 2016 to widespread acclaim. Rob Doyle is the editor of the anthology THE OTHER IRISH TRADITION (Dalkey Archive Press), and IN THIS SKULL HOTEL WHERE I NEVER SLEEP (Broken Dimanche Press). He has written for the New York Times, TLS, Vice, Sunday Times, Dublin Review, Observer and many other publications, and throughout 2019 he wrote a weekly column on cult books for the Irish Times. His next book, Autobibliography, will be published later in 2021.

 

Other Courses & Events with Rob Doyle

Advanced Creative Writing

Advanced Creative Writing

A 13‐week undergraduate course designed to give participants experience and support in the development of a sustained writing project towards publication or production standard.

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