Want to be a better writer? First be a better reader …
Writers Workshop associate Hannah Boursnell has launched The Good Readers Club, a series of four new in-person events at The Writers Workshop in Sheffield. We asked her to tell us a bit more about this exciting new programme.
A writer who is a ‘good reader’ is curious. Someone who pays attention, who asks How did they do that? and then, rather than despairing that they’ll ever be able to do the same, sets out – highlighter pen tucked jauntily behind one ear – to find the answer.
The idea for the club grew out of my longstanding meet-ups for local non-fiction writers, in which we frequently devote our monthly sessions to reading extracts by published writers so that we might better understand different elements of our craft. It’s been such a rewarding experience for me – and, I hope, for the participants! – that I wanted to give more time and space to it. And so The Good Readers Club was born. I’m calling it ‘book club for writers’ – a space where we’ll read with our detective hats on, analysing both the writers’ craft and our response to it as readers.
The first four sessions of The Good Readers Club are focused on non-fiction – details below – and each month, a week before the workshop, I will circulate short (short!) extracts from the writers I’ve chosen. I’m not there to ‘teach’ you the rights and wrongs of anything; I’m simply there to gently guide the discussions, and I’m hoping to get as much out of this experience as you do. But I will be doing lots of homework on the writers and pieces we’re reading so I can try to answer your questions, and I’ll also be bringing SUPER NERDY HANDOUTS.
I want these sessions to be an open, welcoming space for anyone – an extension of friendly vibes that make my non-fiction meet-ups so much fun. If you’re not so much of a joiner-inner (I feel ya), you’re still so welcome to come along and listen. If you have any questions, worries or thoughts about any of my upcoming events, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you. (I’m also very open to recommendations and requests for writers to look at in future sessions.)
If any of this sounds like your cup of tea, tickets are available below or via The Writers Workshop. I hope to see some of you there!
In the first of four sessions, we’ll be discussing extracts from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou; Giving up the Ghost, Hilary Mantel; and Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin.
Session 1 (Saturday 30 September, 12.30-2.00): Memoir & biography TICKETS
Session 2 (Saturday, 28 October, 12.30-2.00): Essays TICKETS
Session 3 (Sunday, 26 November, 12.30-2.00): Journalism TICKETS
Session 4 (Saturday, 16 December, 12.30-2.00): Narrative non-fiction TICKETS
Read even more about the Good Readers Club on Hannah’s blog!