Course Details

Over 3 xfortnightly sessions, participants will gain the skills to stimulate and enhance their writing.

Covering the philosophy of writing, plotting, moving forward when stuck and how to approach publishers, the sessions will also offer participants valuable one-on-one time with Tom Keneally for feedback and coaching on their writing projects. (NB: As the size of writing projects may vary considerably, we may ask you to limit the number of pages you submit for coaching initially. Tom may request to see more of your project at his discretion.)

The classes are two weeks apart to allow participants to practice what they have learned between sessions.

This master class is open to both SMSA members and non-members. It is suitable for both published and unpublished writers.

Course Requirements

In order to customise the classes to participant’s needs, we are asking all interested participants to complete an online questionnaire and submit a short piece of writing (for example, a short story or a chapter of a work in progress). This will allow us to gain an understanding of what you would like out of the course.

There may also be some required reading and/or a writing exercise to be completed before the first session.

About Claire Corbett

Claire Corbett is co-facilitator, with Tom Keneally, of SMSA’s Writing Master Classes. Her first.novel, When We Have Wings, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2011. It was shortlisted for the 2012 Barbara Jefferis Award and for the 2012 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction and is published overseas. Her essay The Last Space Waltz? was shortlisted for the 2012 ABR CAL Essay Prize. She has taught creative writing to post-graduate students at the University of Technology, Sydney and completed a writer’s residency at Ledig House in upstate New York in 2014. Claire Corbett writes for The Monthly magazine and her short stories have appeared in Best Australian Stories 2014 and BAS 2015 as well as literary journals. Her second novel Watch Over Me is being published by Allen & Unwin in early 2017.

About Tom Keneally

Tom Keneally won the Booker Prize in 1982 with Schindler’s Ark, later made into the Steven Spielberg Academy Award-winning film Schindler’s List. His non-fiction includes the memoir Searching for Schindler and Three Famines, an LA Times Book of the Year, and the histories The Commonwealth of Thieves, The Great Shame and American Scoundrel. His fiction includes Napoleon’s Last Island, Shame and the Captives, The Daughters of Mars, The Widow and Her Hero (shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award), An Angel in Australia and Bettany’s Book.

His novels The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Gossip from the Forest, and Confederates were all shortlisted for the Booker Prize, while Bring Larks and Heroes and Three Cheers for the Paraclete won the Miles Franklin Award. The People’s Train was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize, South East Asia division.

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Writing Master Classes with Thomas Keneally & Claire Corbett 2016

Wednesday, 4 May 2016, 10:00am

Venue: Tom Keneally Centre

Hone your writing skills with Booker Prize-winner Thomas Keneally and author Claire Corbett in the beautiful Tom Keneally Centre.

3 x fortnightly classes as follows:
10:00am – 4:00pm,
Wed 6 April 2016
Wed 20 April 2016
Wed 4 May 2016

Course cost is $595 inc GST
(SMSA Members: $325 inc GST)
Lunch and afternoon tea will be provided.

Apply online

Important Notes

Applications

Applications are to be made via the web form only. (NB: We will not be taking bookings or payments in the Library)
Your application must include responses to the questionnaire and a writing sample for review.
If you have any questions, please contact Melanie on 02 9262 7300 or email tkc@smsa.org.au

There are limited places for this course and we anticipate high demand, therefore we cannot guarantee applicants a place in the course.

SMSA will contact applicants regarding payment and required reading or writing, which must be received as early as possible to secure your place in the course.

Cancellations & Withdrawals

If you cannot attend the master class, you must advise us in writing at least 10 working days before the course starts.

If you withdraw from the master class 10 working days or less from the start date, we will be unable to refund your course fees.

We reserve the right to cancel or terminate a course or refuse any enrolment.

If a course is cancelled by us, you will be offered a credit note or full refund.