Most writers were readers first. In this online lunchtime masterclass, author, librettist, and creative writing teacher Toby Litt will be helping you use reading as a tool to become a better writer.
He’ll discuss identifying sacred texts that nourish your project, and will then give you the techniques to read and reread the work of writers you admire until you understand what is capturing you and how you can ensure your writing has the same effect on its readers. He will encourage you to consider everything from rhythm to dialogue, from central themes to structure on the page. Using your own experience of being a reader, you will be asked to think about a reader’s needs and how to keep these in mind when you’re writing.
From a publication perspective he’ll share insight into how reading can help identify the right comp titles to catch an agent’s eye in your submission package, and how to go about understanding the market you are hoping to write within.
This masterclass will be online via Teams. It will also be recorded so if you are unable to attend live, you'll be able to catch-up and access the recording for up to two weeks after the event has taken place.
This event is being run in collaboration with Book Aid International, with proceeds from ticket sales will go towards their Generation Reader campaign.
Toby Litt is an English writer of short stories, novels, diaries. He’s the editor of MIR Online and of the Writers Rebel website.
Toby is best-known for writing his books – from Adventures in Capitalism to (so far) Patience – in alphabetical order (apart from the non-fiction ones); he is currently working on Q and R.
His latest book, A Writer's Diary, was published by Galley Beggar Press in 2023.
Toby’s story ‘The Retreat’ won the brand new 2020 Short Fiction/ University of Essex Prize, his story ‘John & John’ came first in the semi-widely-known Manchester Fiction Prize, and his story ‘Call it “The Bug” Because I Have No Time To Think of a Better Title” was shortlisted for the notoriously lucrative Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award.
Wrestliana, Toby’s family memoir about being a man, fighting and losing, was published by Galley Beggar Press on May 1st 2018. In May 2014, Toby’s first opera collaboration, Vastation (Nichtung), with music by Samy Moussa, was performed in Munich and Regensberg. Also in 2014, Toby wrote a monthly comic – Dead Boy Detectives – based on characters from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. This was published by Vertigo. The Dead Boy Detectives TV series, featuring Toby and Mark Buckingham’s character Crystal Palace, is now in production for HBO Max.
Toby writes songs and song cycles (Befalling, Life Cycle, Rest) with Emily Hall. The scores of these are available from her shop. His other musical collaborations are on this Spotify playlist.
Book Aid International: Generation Reader
By 2030, over a third of the world’s young people will be in Africa. Millions of them will have no books at all. That’s an estimated 733 million children and young people who could become future doctors, teachers, business leaders, writers and more.
But, for millions of children and young people in Africa there is a real risk they will not realise their potential and be able to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty, because they lack access to books and quality education. Together, we can get them the books they need.
Through Generation Reader we will work with our partners to scale up our vital work, creating access to books in even more schools, more public and community libraries and more universities across sub-Saharan Africa. We must act now to have an impact on the next generation of young people in Africa.
Proceeds from your tickets sales will go towards Book Aid International’s Generation Reader campaign. You can find out more, and donate further, here.
The workshop fee of £20 (incl. VAT) is payable in full online. Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on events@writersandartists.co.uk so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
This is a live online event which will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided by the W&A Team a week before the event start-date. Please note, all event timings are in UK time.
To view our event refund and cancellation policy, please click here.
Accessible to All
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It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all. Flexible payment plans are available as part of our accessibility scheme.
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At the speaker's discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after the masterclass.
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A link to a recording of the masterclass will be circulated after the event. This will be made available to event attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
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This event will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
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If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email AccessWA@bloomsbury.com
