Life Writing

and why it matters now more than ever before

Life writing seems more important now than ever as it serves as such a powerful tool for preserving our human stories, our identities and our empathy in a rapidly changing world. In an age marked by globalization, political division, protracted conflict and digital saturation, personal narratives offer a much-needed counterbalance to misinformation, historical erasure, and curated online personas. They allow marginalized voices to be heard, offering diverse perspectives that challenge dominant narratives and enrich collective understanding.

Life writing can also be deeply therapeutic, helping individuals process trauma, reflect on identity, and navigate mental health challenges, while offering readers a sense of connection and shared humanity. As societies grapple with complex issues such as mass migration, climate emergency, and technological upheaval, first-person stories humanize abstract crises and document the emotional realities of our time. The accessibility of digital platforms now allows anyone to share their story, making life writing not just an act of personal expression but a vital means of cultural memory, resistance, and empathy-building in the twenty-first century. For these and many other reasons too numerous to mention we are really thrilled to be hosting a life writing course starting this September with Kate Potts.

‘Even if you think you know what the story is, you don’t until you write it.’
- Melissa Febos

In five fortnightly in-person sessions you’ll explore considerations and techniques in prose life writing—memoir, autobiography, autofiction, personal essays, and work that crosses boundaries of genre and form.

Focusing on different key aspects of life writing in each session, you’ll read and discuss a variety of examples including work by Ocean Vuong, Karl Ove Knausgarden, Lemn Sissay, Olivia Laing, Maggie O’Farrell, Maggie Nelson and Polly Rowena Atkin.

The five sessions will focus on (but won’t be limited to) these themes:

1. Writing as research: life writing methods

2. Narrative style and voice

3. Realness and authenticity: the interplay of memory and imagination

4. Multiple selves: time frames and perspectives

5. Form, structure and time: finding a container that suits your work

Though discussion, short writing prompts, ‘homework’ activities and feedback on your work in a supportive group space, you will develop and hone your writing.

This course is designed for writers with some experience keen to explore the possibilities of life writing or build on work in progress.

Starts Friday 19th September, 10am, The Exchange in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

There are concession spots available on this course, as well as the usual full price places that enable us to keep the lights on as an organisation. We’re excited to be trialling payment by Klarna on our website at the moment, which means you can split your payments into three instalments if you would like to.

For more information and booking click the link below.

About Kate Potts

Kate Potts is a poet and freelance lecturer, mentor and editor. She has taught creative writing for Middlesex University, Royal Holloway, Oxford University, Arvon and The Poetry School.

Kate's most recent book is Pretenders (Bloodaxe, 2025), a multi-voice documentary work exploring imposter feelings and imposters. She writes about creative writing and care in her substack Speak Up! On writing, failing better and taking up space.

'As a study of imposter feelings, Pretenders is revelatory: humane in its ability to hold and make space for vulnerability, and altert to the socio-political dynamics that underpin the impulse to self-doubt.' - Sarah Howe