Creative non-fiction has a long and diverse tradition that ranges from Montaigne's essays to contemporary publishing sensations like Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts or Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, to 'fake' memoirs such as Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. This module will take an in-depth view of several Creative Non-Fiction forms (e.g. the Essay, Memoir, Travel & Nature Writing, Biography, Research-led Fiction, etc). We will analyse and dismantle key texts so as to reveal what techniques and processes lie at their heart, and explore the uncertain boundary between fiction and non-fiction. Students will then be encouraged to produce a piece of Creative Non-Fiction of their own, and to reflect on the resultant issues it presents (eg. the ethics of research; the role of the personal; the notion [and problem] of ‘truth’).
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Demonstrate understanding of the tradition of creative non-fiction in contemporary writing and publishing.
Identify and apply key techniques of creative non-fiction and pitch their own projects.
Conduct and partake in informed critical discussions about the distinctions between fiction and non-fiction and the notion of ‘truth’ in writing.
Demonstrate the ability to research and write an independent work of creative non-fiction, applying the techniques and theories encountered on the module.