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Memoir’s many forms

Finding the right way to tell your story

You want to write your personal story, but does that mean you have to write a memoir? 

Personal non-fiction writing spans genres from memoir and autobiography to history, politics, personal development, cultural studies, science. The subjects that can be explored through personal writing are endless, and some could actually place your work within an entirely different genre to memoir. The benefits of this are twofold: experimentation with genre and form can free you from conventions that could be blocking you creatively, and finding a unique way to tell your story could help it stand out in the crowded memoir market. 

Desi Girl: On Feminism, Race, Faith and Belonging, the critically acclaimed debut memoir of Walkley Award-winning Australian investigative journalist, author, and broadcaster, Sarah Malik, did just that and now, Sarah is joining us to reveal the various forms and genres available to personal non-fiction writers, help you find the best way to tell your story and pitch your work, and share what you can expect from the writing and publication process.

Join us for this session to learn:

  • How you can find the best way to tell your personal story
  • How you can play with genre and form if you’ve found yourself feeling creatively stuck or pigeonholed by genre conventions
  • How you can pitch your work without diluting or compromising what makes it personal to you
  • What you can expect from the writing and publication process of personal non-fiction, and what will help you along the way

There will be time for questions.

Who is this for?

  • Memoirists with a manuscript (either drafted or in progress) who are feeling unsure of their path forward
  • Memoirists with a completed manuscript who are struggling to find a traditional publisher in this tough market
  • Aspiring memoirists who are yet to begin writing, but who are curious to learn how they could approach their project
  • Personal non-fiction writers with a concept/sample to pitch
  • Personal non-fiction writers working to a contract who are looking for advice on how to tackle their manuscript

About the Presenter

Sarah Malik
Sarah Malik
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Can't make it to the live session?

No problem! Everyone booked in to this event will be emailed a link and passcode to access the recording afterwards. This recording will be available to view for 10 days after the live session. This also means that if you wish to revisit the session after attending it live to take further notes, you can do so!

After 10 days, the link will expire and the recording will no longer be available to view.