Fully Funded Creative Writing Masterclass To Be Facilitated By Ayobami Adebayo, Teju Cole and Emmanuel Iduma / How To Apply
Writers are invited to apply for the BookArtArea’s creative writing 5- day masterclass. It’s completely free of charge, and participants will get a chance to learn from literary bigwigs–Ayobami Adebayo, Teju Cole and Emmanuel Iduma.
The workshop will hold in Lagos, from August 5th to August 9th, 2019. There will be a public reading (by the participants) at the end of the workshop. The public reading will be followed by a discussion with the facilitators.
We are interested in both fiction and non-fiction, from focused and disciplined writers who are thinking about form but also about ethical questions: witness, kinship, hospitality. Of special interest to the facilitators is the way the visual arts interact with literature, so aspiring art critics are especially encouraged to apply.
So what exactly will participants gain?
Throughout the 5-day intensive program, selected participants will receive:
- a rare opportunity to hone their prose with the supervision of these accomplished writers.
- a chance to learn more about the art of creative writing.
- assigned readings and an opportunity to learn to read like writers
- In-class writing exercises and feedback from the facilitators
- Tailored take-home assignments geared towards strengthening the writer’s voice and style.
The workshop will run from 10am to 4pm, Monday through Friday.
How To Apply:
To be considered for this workshop, you must:
- submit a sample of your published work (not more than 10 pages or 2500 words)
- A brief personal statement (in which you’ll state your literary interests and influences.) Word count: 200 words)
- All materials must be submitted after filling the BookArtArea’s Online Google Doc Submission form.
- All applications must be submitted before the July 9th 2019 deadline.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Writers from every part of the world can apply. There are no geographical restrictions (However, it is important to note that participants, who ‘live outside Lagos, will be responsible for their travel and accommodation costs.)
- Only published writers can apply (if you have been published either online or in print, you are eligible)
- Self-published work in personal blogs or on social media do not count.
According to the press release:
This is not a workshop for beginning writers, but for those already at a certain level of accomplishment looking to hone their craft. Ten participants will be selected. All the participants must commit to the full five-day duration of the workshop.
Forward all inquiries to: info@bookartareaafrica.org
Do not send your application materials to this email. If you do, you;ll be disqualified. Submit your application via this Google doc form:
About the workshop facilitators:
Ayobami Adebayo, fiction editor of Saraba Magazine, is the author of Stay With Me which was shortlisted for the 9mobile Prize for Literature and the Baileys Prize for Women’s Fiction, and translated into more than a dozen languages.
Teju Cole is a writer, photographer, and the author of several books, including Open City and Known and Strange Things. He is currently a professor of creative writing at Harvard.
Emmanuel Iduma, co-founder of Saraba Magazine, and associate curator of the first Nigerian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, is the author most recently of A Stranger’s Pose. He teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
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