BOOKING IS PASSWORD PROTECTED, please only try to book if you have been given the password to use.

Dates: 08/10/2025 - 03/12/2025

Location: Room G.H03, University of Bristol Arts Complex, 7 Woodland Road, BS8 1TB.

8 week course, (no class 29 October)
Wednesdays, 2 pm to 4 pm

You will be introduced to a variety of approaches to memoir and life writing through a discussion of different texts, and we'll do writing exercises to explore your material in a confidential space. There will be opportunities to share your work and get feedback if you wish.

Every week, we'll do exercises to explore aspects of the craft of writing, including how to progress and structure your writing, how to develop an individual narrative voice, mapping your plot, and how to integrate non-fiction material. Can dialogue be included/created? What kind of source material can be used? How do we navigate the vagaries of memory and differing points of view? Do we need to get the permission of others? If you want to write about your life and engage in lively discussions with other writers, then this course is for you.

Each term's teaching is designed anew, so that former students can continue to attend ongoing courses and find fresh stimulus. There are always different aspects and more layers of your writing to explore!

Dr Rachel Bentham has been Royal Literary Fellow at several universities, is a prize winning poet and script writer. She wrote the first radio docudrama broadcast on BBC (blending interview material and fiction) and subsequently has had numerous docudramas and stories broadcast on Radio Four. She has several published poetry collections and currently teaches at Bristol and Oxford Universities.

Please see detailed description for the refund policy.

Contact Info:
English-Lifelong@bristol.ac.uk
0117 455 8271

Detailed Description

Short Courses refund policy:

Refunds for our short courses are only to be given in exceptional circumstances and no less than one month before the course is due to start.

Refunds for a course already started cannot be accepted.

If a student is unable to attend a course before it has begun and there is a waiting list, refunds can be granted should their place be successfully transferred to a person on the waiting list.

Refunds will only be processed once receipt of the waiting list student’s fee has been confirmed and can take up to three weeks.

For full terms and conditions please visit www.bristol.ac.uk/english/study/part-time/short-courses/booking-information-and-terms-and-conditions/.