6th July 2011

The Real Story, a new creative nonfiction writing project launching at Manchester Literature Festival 2011, starts with a life writing workshop on July 30 at City Library, and a writing competition that closes in August. Please help us spread the word!

The Real Story

The Real Story is a celebration of creative nonfiction. Not that there’s anything wrong with fiction. Look, we like making stuff up as much as anyone else does, but we’re more excited about the creative possibilities of telling the truth. We love true stories (and even mostly true stories), personal essays, memoirs, diaries, sketches and literary journalism. After all, life is much stranger than fiction.

The Real Story 2011 competition

We’re inviting people to submit unpublished personal essays or brief memoirs of 2000 words or less. The topic can be anything – your childhood, travels, reflections on life, a person you have loved –  as long as it tells us a compelling story from your point of view.

The best submissions will be published alongside specially commissioned portraits of the writers on a new website to be launched in October at Manchester Literature Festival 2011, and some of the winning writers will be asked to read their pieces live during the festival.

To enter, email your submission as an attached word document to [email protected] with “ Real Story submission” in the subject line. Please include your full name and contact details and a 50-word bio. All submissions must be received no later than August 27, 2011. We regret that we cannot consider entries from outside the UK.

If you’d like to learn more about using your own life as the basis for nonfiction writing, we’re holding a primer workshop, Life Writing Bootcamp, at City Library http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500136/local_libraries/4734/city_library/1 , Manchester on Saturday July 30 from 11am to 4pm, with writer and Rainy City Stories editor Kate Feld.  The workshop will cover developing and writing personal essays, memoirs, and first person blogs. The cost is £25 (£20 concessions). Places are limited. To book call 01706 283264 or email [email protected].

The Real Story is brought to you by Openstories, and supported by the Manchester Literature Festival.