Book Club Writing Workshops
enliven your book club
Book Club Writing Workshops are for established book clubs that want to add something NEW and DIFFERENT to their monthly meeting.
STEP ONE: Choose a book from Hannah's growing and regularly updated list. She mostly chooses books by local or B.C. writers -- books that you may never have picked up; she selects books from all genres, including comics and poetry; and she chooses books that will delight, intrigue, and move you.
STEP TWO: As a group, read your chosen book. You may choose to discuss the book as a club before OR after you participate in Hannah's expressive writing workshop. Do what works best for the group.
STEP THREE: Book Hannah for a 2-hour expressive writing workshop. She will prepare writing exercises related to the book your group has selected from the list. After you've read (and maybe discussed) your chosen book, all you need to do is show up at the agreed-upon location (coffee shop, library, book club member's home, on Zoom - you choose!) and participate in the workshop.
What to bring? A copy of the book & a pen and notebook
What to expect? You will not be asked to share anything you write; no creative writing experience or skill is needed. This is an expressive writing class -- so the writing you do is for your eyes only!
This workshop is for you and your book club if...
o You're looking for ways to enrich discussion and avoid going off topic
o You like to read books that are set in places you know and love
o You love to support Canadian, BC, and local writers
o You believe that reading is an emotional experience that helps you better understand yourself and others
o You'd like to find a way to connect what you read to your own lived experience
o You enjoy journaling and/or writing creatively
Testimonials
"Our book club hosted Hannah to work through a handful of writing prompts with us. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it so, so much! It was an absolute treat to take the time to think and reflect in ways I feel I hadn't done in years. It was a thought-provoking review of the book and my own life experience at the same time. This was a very enjoyable step outside of our regular book club routine and something I'd like to pursue again" - Erica
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"The book club workshop was surprisingly helpful in gaining new perspectives. I suggested some of the techniques to my daughter when she was dealing with a conflict, and she found it very helpful. I'm grateful to have these expressive writing tools in my 'this-is-fucked-up-and-I-can't-make-sense-of-it' tool kit." - Maureen
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"I loved the book we read, but I didn't immediately relate to the characters or what they were going through, so the exercises Hannah had us do helped me to realize there were things about the story that were directly connected to experiences I've had. The writing and reflecting exercises gave us a structure or framework that was really refreshing. The writing brought up a lot of strong emotions for the group, so it was really important that everyone felt safe and comfortable to share as much or little as they wanted, and Hannah really created a space that felt safe." - Amy
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"I like the idea of bringing my own journal to one of Hannah's workshops so that I can go back and read what I wrote and continue the process. Thanks for the workshop. I really enjoyed it!" - Vanessa
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Workshop duration - 2 hours
Workshop cost - $25 per book club member (minimum 4 attendees)
To book a workshop, please email Hannah directly at hannah@writingforall.ca