Reserve your place ♀️
Through workshops and group discussions, this course will explore the various ways in which feminism can be translated to creative writing and literature. We will uncover elements of feminism in works by writers such as Zoë Brigley, Fiona Benson, Angela Carter, and Amber Sparks amongst others. During this course, we will embolden the women of fairy tale, myth, history, and our own lives and discuss what feminism means to us as writers. Using prompts and writing exercises, we will challenge misogynistic portrayals of women in creative work, bring the marginalised to the forefront, and give voice to the silenced.
The virtual course will be delivered over three sessions, (see full details below). Following this, participants will have opportunity to submit a set amount of writing for detailed 1:1 feedback over email, from Natalie Holborow and Mari Ellis Dunning.
Session 1 | 8th April
The Making of The Wrong Side of the Looking Glass
In this introductory session, Mari and Nat will give an overview of what drove them to write their ferocious female-driven poetry pamphlet, why the characters needed new stories, and speak about the process of writing collaboratively. Participants will have opportunity to reimagine some well-known characters of their own.
Session 2 | 15th April
Part 1 | The Virgin and the Whore in Literature
In this session, Nat will be looking at the tropes of the ‘virgin’ and the ‘whore’ in literature and examining the ways in which these can be subverted. This workshop will encourage you to think beyond patriarchal stereotypes and uncover the woman behind these labels.
Part 2 | The Ones Left Behind
Following a short break, Mari will be looking at characters from myth and literature whose stories have been sidelined and/or forgotten. This workshop will encourage you to unpeel the layers of these well-trodden tales and uncover the women left behind.
Session 3 | 22nd April
Part 1 | Women in Portraits
This session will explore women as objects in art, using photography and paintings as prompts to inspire creative pieces, reclaiming the narratives of women in portraiture.
Part 2 | Writing the Self as a Woman
In this lesson, we will explore the power of the confessional poem, what confessional poems mean, reconnecting with who we are as women and how we can reclaim the power of our own voices.
Mari Ellis Dunning 