16 October, 11am-1pm; Zoom delivery, cost £25

‘A human being, every human being, is complicated – layers upon layers of ideas, feelings, perceptions, recollections, reactions, desires and dreams…’ Elif Shafak

We're often taught we need to claim a single identity – to classify what we do, where we are from, who we love and support, even build our own personal brand – when really we are many things, we're always changing. How do we capture this range of experience with meaning and clarity?

In this class, we'll explore the complexities of writing about the self and learn how to articulate our stories more authentically. Students will be encouraged to embrace their unique, evolving and sometimes opposing characteristics, drawing on the framework of ‘intersectionality’, a term first coined by writer and civil-rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw.

Writing at the intersection is about being unafraid to recognise our differences and finding the language to describe the specific details of our lives. It can help us unlock memories, generate ideas and create space for new forms of storytelling. Through sharing experiences, writing prompts and reading extracts, we will develop our voice and themes, while looking to contemporary writers such as Zadie Smith, Safia Elhillo, Ocean Vuong and Nina Mingya Powles for inspiration.

One of a series of Sunday Masterclasses from Writing Room this Autumn.

contact@writingroom.org.uk