Memoir: Begin Writing Your Life



Overview

Everyone has an interesting life story and this course will enable you to present your own.

This course is for people who would like to write about themselves. Every day we meet people with interesting life stories. Everyone is exotic to someone else. We shall look at autobiographies and memoirs by contemporary men and women, that are tragic, uplifting, humorous and wise, and the experiences which have shaped them as individuals. We shall learn about the pattern of ourselves so that we may present it to others.

Programme details

Course begins: 25 Sept 2023

Week 1: So you want to write a memoir?

Week 2: Other people's children

Week 3: Your own flesh and blood

Week 4: Back to the beginning

Week 5: Defining moments

Week 6: Mums and Dads

Week 7: The beginning of the end

Week 8: The end of the beginning

Week 9: Sharing and feedback

Week 10: What next?

Certification

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £269.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Mr Jeremy Hughes

Jeremy Hughes has published two novels – Wingspan (2013) and Dovetail (2011). He was awarded first prize in the Poetry Wales competition and was short-listed for an Eric Gregory Award. He also publishes short fiction, life- writing and reviews. He studied for the Master’s in Creative Writing at Oxford.

Course aims

To study a variety of life writing texts and produce an original piece of life writing.

Course objectives:

  • To read and understand a variety of life writing.
  • To analyse the ways in which life writing sustains the reader's interest.
  • To provide a positive atmosphere in which students can explore their reading and writing from first draft to finished piece and give constructive feedback to others.

Teaching methods

1. Reading and discussion of texts in groups and pairs.

2. Textual analysis.

3. Directed writing tasks.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • respond to different forms of life writing with growing confidence and understanding;
  • be able to write in a manner which engages and sustains the interest of the reader; and
  • be able to transform their own experiences into original writing.

Assessment methods

Students will produce two pieces of work:

1. A short piece of memoir (500 words).

2. A more substantial piece of original life-writing (1500 words).

Both of these pieces will be negotiated with the tutor based upon the work covered in class.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support