Engaged Researcher Online - Creative Writing

Beginners

Have you ever wanted to get creative with your research – to discover how writing can bring a new perspective to your research? How your words can engage with new audiences about the academic research that you are passionate about?

This training will enable you to develop creative ways by which you can engage with the public, providing you with the resources to be more confident in developing, and sharing, creative writing responses to your area of research.

The course will introduce creative writing for poetry and prose, and textual writing for exhibition / display. It will discuss developing writing for performance and for publication and work with you to bring out the creative responses that lay within your own work. There will be the opportunity to receive written feedback throughout the week, to share your work at a final showcase, and to discuss your work in a 1-to-1 session with the course tutor (if requested in advance).

The training will be led by David Cain. David’s most recent book, Truth Street, was shortlisted for the prestigious Forward Prizes for Poetry (2019). David brings his writing experience together with a passion for public engagement - he currently leads the delivery of the Cambridge Festival.

• PhD students
• Post-docs
• Researchers
• Public Engagement Professionals

Number of sessions: 2

The trainer will share skills and best practice in creative writing for research. The training core objective is to support the participant to develop their creative writing – and to feel confident in creative responses to their area of research.

The course will develop ideas for different forms of creative writing, both poetry and prose, and work with the participant to find the best formats and platforms for sharing their work. Each participant will be invited to share their work at a final showcase - and to discuss their work through written feedback during the week or through a one-to-one session with the trainer (if preferred).

Following the training, the participant should feel able to develop a creative writing response to their work, have greater knowledge on delivery formats, and be able to share this with a wider audience.

Pre-course work, presentations, practicals.

Good internet connection: the course will be held on Microsoft Teams.

• Please think of a three-word sentence that can be used to describe yourself or your research
• Please consider “why you would like to explore creative writing to communicate your research”
• Please bring with you a piece of favourite writing by someone (maximum length 300 words / 1 minutes reading time). Participants are invited to read this at the first session, and to share with the group why they chose it. This can be a selection from a longer piece or a short essay, poem etc.

If you have troubles joining the sessions or have any queries, please contact Selen Etingu-Breslaw (selen.etingubreslaw@admin.cam.ac.uk).

Two one hour and forty-five-minute mandatory group sessions.

• Engaged Researcher Online - Research Storytelling Introduction
• Engaged Researcher Online - Research Storytelling Masterclass
• Engaged Researcher - Animate your research

• Public Engagement
• Writing Skills