The Book You Want to Write: a practical approach to the craft of fiction - course 2

The course

In this one-day interactive course Sarah Burton and Jem Poster will address, in a practical way, key topics from their acclaimed handbook for fiction-writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write (Cambridge University Press). Through discussion of relevant passages from the work of other writers, as well as through guided writing exercises, you will be encouraged to develop your understanding of dialogue and narrative voice; detail and description; researching your fiction; and the importance of discovering your own individual voice. Whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced writer looking for new ideas and inspiration, this course will help you on your way.

This course can either be taken on its own or in conjunction with the related course on Sunday 5 March, which will cover a different set of topics.

The tutors

Jem Poster is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing, Aberystwyth University; he is author of a collection of poetry, Brought to Light (Bloodaxe, 2001) and two novels, Courting Shadows and Rifling Paradise (Sceptre, 2002 and 2006).

Sarah Burton, founder and former Director of Cambridge University’s MSt in Creative Writing, is the author of Impostors (Penguin, 2000), A Double Life: A Biography of Charles and Mary Lamb (Penguin, 2003) and The Strange Adventures of H (Legend, 2020).



Jem and Sarah’s co-authored handbook for fiction writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write was published in 2022.

Please book tickets for Course 2 below: