Self-Editing Non-Fiction: A Practice with Emily Cooper

Course Summary

This course is aimed at writers with a body of non-fiction (small or large) that they are hoping to polish for publication. Specifically for those writing memoir, essays and art writing, each week we will workshop the participants’ work-in-progress with a focus on peer feedback, editing and structure, with the aim of building self-editing skills. We will also discuss how and where to publish non-fiction, what to expect from being edited and other practicalities related to publishing in literary journals and beyond.

Course Outline

Each week we will workshop two pieces of non-fiction provided by participants, alongside discussions on reflexive examples of published work. This will be a workshop rather than a lecture series so sessions will be hands-on.

Participants will be expected to have 1-2 pieces of non-fiction ready to workshop. These should be 2-5k words long and ready to be edited. Please be aware that these pieces are to be read by the entire group, so keep in mind that violent, graphically sexual or overtly disturbing work will not be accepted.

Course Outcomes

The ambition is for each participant to have at least one publishable piece of work by the end of the course, as well as the skills to bring their own writing to that level on their own.

There is potential for follow on one-to-one mentorship after the end of the course.

Emily Cooper is a poet, essayist and editor. She has published two poetry collections: Glass (Makina Books) and The Conversation, in collaboration with Jo Burns (Doire Press). A recipient Next Generation Award from the Arts Council of Ireland as well as other bursaries and residencies, her poetry and prose has been published in The Stinging Fly, Winter Papers, Banshee, London Magazine and others. She edits The Pig’s Back, a literary journal that publishes short fiction and non-fiction.