Join the Word Factory in March for a day, or evening, of inspiration!

Masterclass: A.L. Kennedy – He, She & Me: writing in and out of gender
2-4pm

This is the second masterclass of our Sublime Women series, linking classes, salons, our reading club and offering opportunities to hear your work throughout the year

In her book On Writing, A.L. Kennedy takes the line, ‘A man walks through a door’, to demonstrate the difficulties and potential of a simple beginning. If you are a woman writing this scene, is the task even harder? Can male authors write convincingly about women? Writing in and out of gender offers liberation, complication and inspiration. In an afternoon talk looking at writing outwith and within one’s own sexual orientation and drawing on her own work, A.L. Kennedy will take approaches to character in general as a staring point for further discussion. Audience members may participate in exercises and conversation or feel free to simply listen to one of the UK’s most accomplished authors.

Book your place here – limited to 25 spaces.

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Short Story Club
4.15-5.15pm

Join the Word Factory’s short story club and enjoy an espresso shot of great literature followed by a thought-provoking discussion. It’s fun – and free!

More info here, or email sophie@thewordfactory.tv for this month’s story.

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The Word Factory #41
6-8pm

Short-story writer, novelist and performer extrordinaire A.L.Kennedy leads our evening of readings as K.J. Orr launches her first collection, Light Box. They will be joined by two emerging authors selected in advance to read that night who were inspired by . Hosted by short story club maestros Sophie Haydock and Zoe Gilbert.

Get your salon tickets here.

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Word Factory Membership – Fellow and Friends
Become a Word Factory Fellow or Friend and enjoy priority booking and other exclusive offers.

To help you make the most of the dynamic Word Factory programme of interlinked salons, classes and other events throughout 2016 – featuring unmissable writers including Marina Warner, A.L.Kennedy, Tobias Wolff, Neil Gaiman and Tracy Chevalier, we would love to offer you access to our exclusive Word Factory Friendship Scheme.

The scheme is of particular value to writers who, in coming to our club, salon and classes, are being inspired in their work by some of the most accomplished writers in the world.

By becoming a Fellow or Friend, you are also helping the sustainability of the only organisation in the UK promoting and supporting quality short story writing – a unique not-for-profit literary company run by and for writers.

Find out about being a Friend or a Fellow.

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Year of Sublime Women

Marina Warner, Helen Simpson, A.L. Kennedy, Tracy Chevalier, Helen Dunmore, Tobias Wolff, Kirsty Gunn, Deborah Levy, Neil Gaiman, Janice Galloway, Sarah Hall, David Constantine, Michele Roberts, Tessa Hadley, David Vann and many more Word Factory friends are joining us in a long overdue celebration of female short story writers.

Throughout 2016, they will be reading work by their favourite female writers, giving exclusive salons and lectures, and from this exciting literary platform we will be asking you to produce work inspired by our events.

Whether you want to savour the conversation or take up your pen and write a story inspired by Angela Carter, Alice Munro, Jean Rhys, Muriel Spark, Katherine Mansfield or Flannery O’Connor, we will find a space for you.

Full details of the classes and talks, content, class size and price, can be found on our events page.