Ocean acidification, forest dieback, ecosystem collapse. But how should these phenomena be written? This workshop will be examining how, and what it means, to write (in) a changing world.
The description of place has always played a central role in prose-fiction, the world’s city-, land- and sea- scapes variously described and redescribed across countless texts. But what to do when those places are being so altered by climate change? In fact, can we even depict a world being changed at a scale and speed beyond our immediate perception? We may well have to probe the limits of writing itself.
What will you do in the workshop?
We will discuss Amitav Ghosh’s The Great Derangement, exploring questions around climate fiction. We will then share and reflect on some of our own writing of climate-changed places – and see if we can rise to the challenge Ghosh sets us.
What can you expect?
We will be thinking through fundamental questions about writing now – about scale, deep time, interspecies interactions – and about how the climate crisis might change our own writing. After all: ignoring climate change is no longer an option for writers.
Who is this workshop for?
This is for anyone with an ongoing writing-project who feels ready to share extracts of their work. Both those writing explicitly about “nature” and those who aren’t are welcome.
This workshop is part of our Developing Tutors series.
What is Developing Tutors?
Developing Tutors is a series of workshops delivered by London Writers Awards writers who are talented writers looking to grow their workshop delivery experience.
Bursary Places
We have 5 free bursary places for each Developing Tutors event available to those who cannot afford the price of a ticket, allocated on a first come first served basis. Please email [email protected] stating which event you would like to attend for free and if we are able to offer you a place we will. Due to availability, we can only accept one bursary request per person.
Access Notice
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If you require BSL interpretation to take part, please email us at [email protected] by Wednesday 14 June and we’ll try to secure BSL interpretation for you. Spread the Word will cover this cost.
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We’ll send through any reading seven days in advance. We can create adapted handouts to writers attending our workshops and events by request.
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If you have additional access needs or questions, please email us on [email protected]
About William
William Andrews
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William Andrews grew up in London. He did his undergraduate studies in History and German at Oxford University. After living in Athens, where he has family, he completed a master’s in English at Cambridge University. He is now doing a PhD in English – looking at poetry in the Anthropocene – at UCL. He was mentored by Ulrike Draesner, and also had mentoring sessions with Sasha Dugdale. He has been awarded prizes for his short fiction by Anthony Anaxagorou and for his poetry by Rod Mengham. He is working on his first novel; an extract is forthcoming in MIR Online.