The Art of the Memoir: How to tell your Story
An Online Weekend Course
Faculty
Course Dates
Price
INR 4,000
Timings
Course Faculty
Sonia Faleiro
Sonia Faleiro is the author of The Good Girls: An Ordinary Killing, which was named a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay’s Dance Bars, which was named a book of the year by The Guardian, The Observer, The Sunday Times, and The Economist. She is the founder of South Asia Speaks, a literary mentorship, and the philanthropic initiative Artists for India, as well as the co-founder of Deca, a global journalism cooperative. Her writing has been supported by the Pulitzer Centre, The Investigative Fund, and The Society of Authors. She is a Royal Literary Fellow based in London.
Guest Speaker
Day 1 – March 19
Ruchika Soi
Born and raised in New Delhi, Ruchika did her undergraduate studies in History at Lady Shri Ram college and obtained her Bachelors of Law at Delhi University. She worked at the news magazine India Today before getting enticed into the world of art. Ruchika gained her qualifications in Art History at the British Museum, UK and the National Museum, New Delhi. After working at Bowring’s Fine Art Auctioneers, New Delhi, she went on to curate exhibitions in India and abroad to promote emerging artists. Over the years she contributed articles pertaining to art and culture in many travel magazines.
An avid reader, who also enjoys long walks on the beach, Ruchika is most in her element exploring rock-cut architecture in places that are off the beaten track. Presently she can be found conducting tours at various museums in Delhi, happy to be sharing knowledge and ensuring her audience leaves with a piece of “Incredible India” etched in their minds.
Day 2 – March 20
Pragya Agarwal
Besides non-fiction books for adults, Pragya has also recently written her first book for children titled Stand up to Racism published by Hachette. Her writing has appeared in Guardian, Prospect, Forbes, BBC Science Focus, Scientific American and New Scientist amongst others, and her creative non-fiction writing also appears in several literary magazines. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and has appeared on BBC Woman’s Hour. NPR, Radio 5 live, BBC Breakfast, ABC and many other international media platforms.
Vivek Tejuja
Day 3 – March 26
Kushanava Chaudhury
Faiza Khan
More information soon..
About The Course
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably taken a photograph. Either of the things around you, or if you’re feeling vain, of yourself. As selfies and social media become an ubiquitous feature of today’s digital age, we are constantly reminded of the human desire for self-documentation. William Zinsser described a memoir as “a window into a life, very much like a photograph.” Today, as we document the self, we are asking the questions at the heart of memoir writing–what do we keep in, and what do we keep out? What makes a story interesting without appearing self-absorbed? What light do we frame ourselves, and our memories in?
This course will explore these questions through a mixture of readings, author interactions, as well as reflective writing exercises. Students will be introduced to South Asian memoirs across a range of styles and genres; from Baby Haldar’s memoir of caste to Kushnava Chaudhury’s memoir of a city; from a memoir of motherhood to the celebrity memoir that captures the public imagination.
Apart from reading, students will also hone their writing skills and receive editorial feedback. They will get exposure to the publishing industry through interactions with recently published memoirists and connect with other writers. By the end of the course, they will have a broader understanding of the possibilities of the memoir, as well as the hands-on experience of trying to write their own. Whether you are a total novice or a seasoned storyteller, this course will help you tap into the potential of your unique experience, and empower you with the right tools to tell the story that only you can tell.
