Lynnda Wardle 

First published in Glasgow Review of Books The best reading experiences are journeys; books that move you from one place to another, their end marking the beginning of another reading exploration altogether. Deborah Levy’s two short memoirs I listened to in the summer on Audible (read by the wonderful, velvet-voiced Juliette Stevenson) were the beginning of just such a journey. Levy calls these works ‘living autobiography’ and in the first volume she describes traumatic child

Its that time of year again! As the seasons change, it provides a perfect opportunity to reflect and explore our memory and write from personal experience. This year, June Buchanan and I are hosting 2 workshops exploring themes of family, place and memory. At the end of these workshops, you will have produced at least 4 pieces of writing to take away and develop further. Email me: lynndawardle23@gmail.com Suitable for new and experienced writers. Please be in touch to book a

I'm really excited to be collaborating with the talented chef, Kawther Luay from Ruzbowl on a new series of creative writing workshops exploring the intersections between memory, cultural heritage and food. Our first offering is on the 12th August at MILK cafe in Glasgow. Tickets can be booked on Eventbrite. #CreativeWritingWorkshops #Food #CulturalHeritage #Memoir #Memory #Ruzbowl #MILKCafe #LifeWriting

I am delighted that my story 'States of Emergency' (Set in Joburg during the 80s) is published in the latest New Orleans Review - 'African Hustle' now available: (and from Amazon) "In a special issue of New Orleans Review guest edited by Mukoma wa Ngugi and Laura Murphy, we will celebrate (and publish) popular and not-so popular writing from Africa ... literature and critical essays that expand the dimensions of African literature, contribute defiant visions, provide new tran

Last year my writing friend June and I hosted a memoir writing workshop. We had a great day sharing stories. There was an intensity to the writing and an urgency in the narratives that confirmed what we had felt when we had planned the workshop: that writers interested in the personal need a space to explore their tales; whether that is in memoir, or personal essay or just a good old family story that needs to be told. So this Autumn will host two workshops, 6 weeks apart, t

Life Writing Workshop Saturday 28th November.10am-4pm. ‘The Practice’ 17 Park Circus Place, G3 6AH Last month I attended the Memoir Course at Moniack Mhor and came back excited to share some of the ideas from this week with other writers. While on the course I met another writer, June Buchanan, who has been facilitating life writing sessions for many years. We decided to host a Life Writing workshop in Glasgow so that we could share some of our ideas with other writers. We wa

Memoir Course - Moniack Mhor – Sept 2015 Memoir Course - Moniack Mhor – Sept 2015 In September I attended the Memoir course with Janice Galloway and Jennie Erdal at Moniack Mhor. Our guest speaker was Candia Macwilliam. I did not really know what to expect when I enrolled but that is not to say I did not have expectations! I wanted encouragement, to get answers to some writer-type questions, and to meet people who were interested, as I am, in turning their life experiences

Joyce Carol Oates - Short Review of 'A Widow's Story' I have come to JCO lately, and this memoir is breathtaking in its ability to analyse in minute detail the emotional response to the sudden and unexpected death of her husband, Ray Smith who was an academic and editor of the Ontario Review. JCO’s prose is tight, controlled and sharp even as she veers after his death from anxiety to fearfulness, panic and rage and then into mute depression. Something like 80 chapters I weath

Andre Dubus III – Townie: A Memoir Let's get this out the way at the start, yes, he is the son of the esteemed short story writer Andre Dubus II, a fact that is really quite difficult to get out of the way, as his father’s presence looms over the shoulder of the young man growing up and later, becoming a writer himself. I had a collection of Dubus senior, long before I knew of son and possibly that is what made the reading of this memoir so intriguing. Because if we are think