Masterclass: Contemporary Non-Fiction

Non-Fiction used to be simple: just pick your easily-defined categories (memoir, nature, military history), and deliver something that fits the formula. But recently, the whole genre has begun to melt, one element flowing into another, biography becoming memoir turning into reportage. So how should you set about writing contemporary non-fiction now, particularly when you’re trying to paint an accurate and intimate portrait of another person? How do you blend research, biography, journalism, oral history and documentary to make something simaultaneously close, true and compelling? This session will look at the tools you can use, as well as at some unpredictable influences on the genre, so you can begin to enliven your writing and move it on up to the next level.

The Masterclass will be delivered via Zoom webinar, so you can take the session at your own pace, without the pressure of having your video or camera on. Sessions are also recorded so if you are unable to attend live, you will have access to the recording for a month afterwards.

Online: £35

Concessions: £17.50

As part of our effort to increase participation in the arts, a limited number of half-price concessions are available for this course at checkout. There are a limited number of free subsidised places for those who cannot afford the concession price.

We are committed to making our Arvon at Home programme accessible to as many people as possible.

Across all of Arvon at Home

• All sessions will have auto-generated captioning.
• There is a Chat facility to ask any questions.

Masterclasses and Online Writing Day

• A recording of the Masterclass will be available to view for one month after it is aired live, simply log in to your account on our website and you’ll find a link under the ‘Event Details’ tab in the ‘Video recording’ column (you may need to scroll right on your screen to see it), similarly, if any learning resources are available, another link will appear under the ‘Course Materials’ tab.
• There is a Chat and Q & A facility to ask any questions.
• Zoom webinar format (your  video and audio will remain off throughout & your name will not be visible to other participants, so it is a ‘relaxed’ event).
• During sessions we will have a text version available via screen share (if you require these in advance of the session, please email arvonathome@arvon.org).  

How I Write

• There is a chat and Q&A facility to ask any questions.
• Zoom webinar format (your video and audio will remain off throughout, & your name will not be visible to other participants so it is a ‘relaxed’ event).
• A recording will be available to view for one month after the event is aired live, simply log in to your account on our website and you’ll find a link under the ‘Event Details’ tab in the ‘Video recording’ column (you may need to scroll right on your screen to see it), similarly, if any learning resources are available, another link will appear under the ‘Course Materials’ tab. 

Online Writing Weeks / Weekends

• Courses are delivered by Zoom meeting, which means they are not recorded. 
• Courses have much smaller groups than Masterclasses and How I Write events, and are also more interactive with your fellow course participants and tutors, so cameras and audio are usually on (though both are completely optional). If you would prefer your camera and audio to be off at all times, it would be helpful to let your course host know this in advance. 
• We use Padlet as a landing page for all course materials, and to provide an optional platform for interaction with your tutors and fellow course participants. If you would like some more information about this, or if you have any anxiety about using this platform, please email arvonathome@arvon.org.  

Subject to funding/permissions (please contact arvonathome@arvon.org for more details)

• Recording of Writing Weeks and Weekends.
• Downloadable transcripts.
• BSL interpretation.
• Live captioning.

If you have any access issues that we have not covered here, please contact us on access@arvon.org

See here for more access information.