This writing course, Researching and Writing Difference with Roanna Gonsalves, takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.

As writers, we must consider questions of freedom of speech and expression as being inextricably linked to questions of responsibility, positionality and context. These are ethical questions but they are also questions of power, of literary craft, skill and imaginative labour. In order to tell the stories of our time in nuanced and fresh ways, we need to address these questions as we create work outside of our own lived experiences, whether this difference is related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, disability, linguistic background, religious background, the rural-urban divide or any other category of identity.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ >

This course with Roanna Gonsalves aims to use the tools that literature provides to think through the fraught issues of cultural appropriation, ethical writing, and freedom of speech and expression. Through a combination of experiential learning, discussion, and practical writing exercises, participants will work intensively through the day towards a strengthening of their thinking and writing by deepening their understanding of their own writerly positions in the contemporary world.

Expected learning outcomes

In this workshop, participants will:

1. Learn to identify key considerations when researching and writing stories outside of one’s own lived experience
2. Develop an understanding of the relationship between the writer’s position in the world, their creative work and their social and cultural contexts
3. Learn to follow established protocols when conducting research
4. Learn to avoid cliches and stereotypes by designing characters and stories in an ethical and fresh way.

Participant requirements

Pen and paper, or fully charged device. Please read our FAQ before enrolling.

If you have questions about this course, please contact us.

Reviews

‘Roanna created a safe space for dialogue and modelled being open and interested. She is skilled at creating a community of learners within a diverse group.’ — Shannon, 2022

‘I love that it felt like an open conversation, and I quickly felt comfortable enough to join discussions…’ — Matilda, 2022

‘It was lovely to enter a space where everyone cared about the subject matter, without positioning themselves as an expert. I think Roanna set such wonderful terms of engagement for us all, and I so enjoyed hearing from her, but also from my peers in a process of genuine discussion and discovery.’ — Hayley, 2022

More from Writing NSW

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