A consistently popular form of creative non-fiction that encompasses a bewildering array of topics – from political reportage and psychogeography to a cultural history of weeds and the search for Satori in the barrel of a wave – Travel & Nature Writing presents workshop participants with a stimulating, thought-provoking set of issues through which they can develop their own appreciation and mastery of this particular brand of non-fiction writing.
If you have a passion for reading and writing and are keen to nurture your creativity, but feel daunted at the prospect of having to produce fiction, this course will allow you to hone your skills in vital areas of travel and nature writing, such as storytelling, generating ideas, narration and dialogue, observation, as well as the use of humour and satire.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WORKS STUDIED & ACTIVITIES
We’ll be reading and analyzing excerpts from the following:
TRAVEL
Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India, William Dalrymple
Walking with Plato: A Philosophical Hike through the British Isles, Gary Hayden
To the River: A Journey Beneath the Surface, Olivia Laing
Yemen: Travels in Dictionary Land, Tim Mackintosh-Smith
Wanderlust: A History of Walking, Rebecca Solnit
To a Mountain in Tibet, Colin Thubron
NATURE
The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, Caspar Henderson
Sightlines, Kathleen Jamie
Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Cabaret of Plants, Richard Mabey
Falcon, Helen Macdonald
Gossip from the Forest: A Search for the Hidden Roots of Our Fairytales, Sara Maitland
GENERAL
The Arvon Book of Literary Non-Fiction
Crafting the Personal Essay: A Guide to Writing and Publishing Creative Nonfiction, Dinty Moore
ACTIVITIES:
1. Reading / Analysis Assignments
2. Creative ‘Experiential’ Homework Exercises
Designed to complement the readings, the creative ‘experiential’ homework exercises are essentially thought experiments that will help you to generate ideas for both impromptu in-class activities and your written pieces. Please remember to take notes, record your impressions/observations while conducting these thought experiments.
3. Crafting Your Own Example of Travel and/or Nature Writing
Details on forthcoming workshops & syllabi: TBA
Text & Images: © Solivagant Wisdom