Masterclass: Telling Other People’s Stories

When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.
George Orwell

Journalists and non-fiction writers are regularly entrusted with other people’s most valued possession: their story. But how to tell it right? In this Masterclass Peter Apps, author of the Orwell Prize-winning Show Me The Bodies and the forthcoming Homesick: How Housing Broke London and How to Fix It will guide you through the challenging, essential process of telling other people’s stories.

Whether you’re writing political polemic or a more intimate personal account, you will learn the tools to tell people’s stories in a truthful, emotive and engaging way, from approaching subjects for interviews, to getting the most out of the interview itself, and what comes next. We will also cover the key ethical questions that naturally arise, from copy approval and payment to dealing with traumatic subject matter and privacy.

The session is run in conjunction with The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness. We are offering 20 free places to individuals who have submitted work for The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness. To take up one of these places, please complete this form. In the event of demand exceeding supply, priority will be given to entrants who are unpublished and those with lived experience of homelessness, in all its forms. Please let us know if either of these apply. For those who secure a place, we will send a booking confirmation.

“George Orwell’s vivid reportage on homelessness and poverty combines evidence with empathy, describing the root causes and their brutal impact. The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness celebrates the best writing on the subject but, in addition to our brilliant Prize winners, we believe there is further untapped potential among unpublished writers. That includes those with lived experience of homelessness. That’s why we are excited to be partnering with Arvon, who can give successful Prize entrants world-class mentoring and training, with the aim of creating a pipeline of new, authentic and authoritative, writers on homelessness.”
Liz Wallace, Deputy Director, The Orwell Foundation

Is this session for me?

Our masterclasses are regularly attended by writers who:

• Are hungry for fresh thinking, stimulus and new ways into their writing
• Are looking to keep up or boost their writing momentum
• Have time constraints and can’t always commit to the live experience
• Are wanting to try something new
• Enjoy taking things at their own pace
• Are looking to develop a regular writing habit
• Are looking for a supportive environment in which to open up creatively

What will I gain?

• A two hour writing workout – at your pace
• Two hours of inspiring tuition from the finest writers at work today
• Two hours to focus on your writing with guidance from experienced Arvon tutors
• Two hours of craft, technique and writing prompts
• Two hours that will propel your writing forward
• Support from friendly Arvon hosts
• Becoming part of an inclusive creative community
• Access to the recording afterwards

How does it work?

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. You can contribute via the chatbox with your tutor and other writers attending the session. Sessions are also recorded so if you are unable to attend live, you will have access to the recording afterwards. Masterclasses can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Just translate the UK time to your local time zone.

Why Arvon?

Arvon is a not-for-profit charity that has been running since 1968.

At Arvon, everyone who crosses the door of one of our writing houses is a writer – no matter what their age or writing experience – and all are welcome.

For more information About Arvon – Home of Creative Writing since 1968 – Arvon

Online: £40

Concessions: £20

As part of our effort to increase participation in the arts, 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 

• 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).
• We aim to present all resources in two formats e.g., extracts of texts will be read aloud and provided in text form via screen-share or as a document. If it would be helpful for you to have any available resources ahead of the session, we will try to arrange this for you. Please email arvonathome@arvon.org to discuss.

Online Writing Day

• A recording of the workshops 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.
• All sessions of the day are delivered live via Zoom meetings, with the option of cameras off or on. 
• We aim to present all resources in two formats e.g., extracts of texts will be read aloud and provided in text form via screen-share or as a document. If it would be helpful for you to have any available resources ahead of the session, we will try to arrange this for you. Please email arvonathome@arvon.org to discuss.

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. 

Saturday Writing Club

• There is a Chat and Q&A facility to ask any questions
• The sessions are delivered by Zoom meeting, which means they are not recorded.
• You have the option to keep cameras on or off.
• We aim to present all resources in two formats e.g., extracts of texts will be read aloud and provided in text form via screen-share or as a document. If it would be helpful for you to have any available resources ahead of the session, we will try to arrange this for you. Please email arvonathome@arvon.org to discuss.
• We use Padlet as an optional community platform. If you would like some more information about this, or if you have any anxiety about using this platform, please email arvonathome@arvon.org.

Online Writing Weeks and Evening Courses

• 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 Evening Courses.
• 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.