Creative Non-fiction Writing Workshop "Not So Still Life" with Susana Moreira Marques
Join us for a Writing Workshop on Creative Non-Fiction!
What does narrative non-fiction say about the world that fiction misses? How do we get to the truth of a story beyond just stating the facts? How do we turn lived experience into meaningful writing? How do real people become unforgettable characters on the page? And how can we articulate the common history that might emerge from our individual stories?
Personal narrative, memoir, travelogue, lyrical essay — through examples from different authors, discussions, and writing prompts, this workshop will explore possible approaches to creative non-fiction, encouraging you to find your own form and voice.
You can come with a work-in-progress or start something new. Ideally, you will have a finished essay by the end of the workshop.
The workshop consists of five 2-hour sessions, held once a week on Fridays at 7pm, from May 8th to June 5th. Sessions are in English, but writing both in English or Portuguese is welcome.
Who is this event for?
Come if you are passionate about creative non-fiction or if you are just curious about the genre and would like to attempt to transform real stories into literary work.
Susana Moreira Marques is the author of four books of literary non-fiction, most recently Notes from the Third Floor, as well as one children’s book. Her first book, Now and at the Hour of Our Death, was translated into English, Spanish and French and was a Book of the Year in the New York Times. Her work has appeared in Granta, Tin House, Literary Hub and elsewhere. She has been awarded fellowships from the Gabriel García Márquez Foundation (Colombia), the Jan Michalski Foundation (Switzerland) and Art Omi (US), amongst others. As a journalist, she worked for the BBC World Service, Público, Jornal de Negócios, Antena 1 and won several prizes, including the UNESCO Human Rights and Integration Journalism Award (Portugal). One of the editors of the literary magazine Mamute, she also writes for cinema. She lives in Lisbon with her two daughters.
Tickets for the Workshop
To be able to participate in the workshop each participant is required to purchase a ticket to all sessions. The price is 250 euro. Your ticket will include an entry to all 5 sessions of the workshop and a 10 % discount code for any purchases from a Workshop Reading List on Good Company Website or In-store. The 10% discount code will be sent to your email after you made a purchase of your ticket.
Suggested Reading List
- Annie Ernaux, The Years
- Carmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House
- Janet Malcolm, The Journalist and the Murderer
- James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
- John Berger, A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor
- Jose Henrique Bortoluci, What is Mine
- Maggie Nelson, Bluets
- Natalia Ginzburg, The Little Virtues
- Sarah Manguso, Ongoingness: The End of a Diary
- Vivian Gornick, The Situation and the Story
The Venue
Good Company Books is an independent English Bookstore in Lisbon. Born from our love of global literature and our Portuguese heritage, we are crafting a space for people of all backgrounds to gather and enjoy the best books, events, coffee, and wine. Find out more on our Instagram.
How To Find Us
By Metro: We're situated a 5-minute walk from the Campo Pequeno metro (Yellow line) and a 10-minute walk from the Alameda metro (Green & Red lines).
By Bus: There are many convenient bus options 2 blocks away from us on Avenida República, with the closest stop to our store being Campo Pequeno-Av. Republica.
By Bike: If you're using the Gira public bicycles, there is a docking station right across the street (#431 - Rua do Arco Cego / Av. Magalhães Lima).
By Car: There is a paid parking lot across the street, between Rua Arco do Cego and Rua Dona Filipa de Vilhena. Street parking is also available around the neighborhood.
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