The Craft of Nonfiction

The art of nonfiction writing requires special care, and often a dispassionate introspection. Choosing details and themes that are relevant to a particular work of nonfiction is a task requiring great attention. In this masterclass, Emmanuel Iduma, the author of the critically-acclaimed books A Stranger’s Pose and I Am Still With You, hopes to propose three dimensions of ‘poetics’—ideas through which writers can organize their thinking and craft: the poetics of place as it relates to setting, of language as it relates to style and voice, and of time as it relates to the historical or contemporary milieu in which the writer works. The tutor’s overall aim is to inspire attendees to consider the seriousness of their tasks in relation to both form and theme. The masterclass will begin with a craft lecture that articulates a variety of important details, practical and theoretical, which will be useful for your work-in-progress and enable you to produce a nonfiction work that is deeply honest and holds in itself undeniable allure. At the end of the session, there will be a wide-ranging conversation touching on how to relay nonfictional narratives in a unique tone and style.