‘Memoirs can hold the shared experience of common humanity through the strangeness of the individually experienced life.’
– Jenn Ashworth, NCW tutor and writer
Your life, written.
Memoir, autobiography and biography all share the same basis: life writing. Whether your are writing about your own life or someone elses’, this kind of writing carried are special weight of vulnerability and sensitivity.
Writing the Past (eight-week course)
Ready to bring the past to life?
This course focuses on world-building and constructing narrative, and through it you will learn and develop skills in conducting research, how to successfully use research in writing, how to create an authentic narrative voice, and how to write compelling settings and characters (whether real or imagined).
Led by Dr Breeze Barrington, author of The Graces: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court.
Starts Monday 1 June 2026
Writing about real people in memoir
Emmanuel Iduma shares his insights on depicting real people in memoir in a way that is both balanced and ethically attentive.
15 December 2025
NCW recommends… five memoirs everyone should read
Here are five brilliant memoirs everyone should read which demonstrate the huge variety in theme, voice, structure, and pace in this deeply personal genre.
26 July 2024
Beginning in memoir, step by step
In this article, writer and NCW Academy tutor Jenn Ashworth shares her step by step guide to beginning your memoir, and how to combine the ordinary and the unique in interesting ways.
28 January 2025
Once you’ve watched yourself read for a while, you’ll notice that most of the memoirs and life stories that speak to you will tell stories that combine the ordinary and the unique in interesting ways.
J. Michael Straczynski on Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer
Award-winning science fiction writer and creator of Babylon5 and Sense8 joins us on the podcast.
11 June 2021
The craft of life writing with Fiona Mason
In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, author Fiona Mason discusses her memoir ’36 Hours’ and the craft of life writing.
23 October 2023
Fiction, Memoir and the Self with JM Coetzee
JM Coetzee and Anna Funder read from their work and discuss the craft of writing with Jon Cook, former Dean of Faculty for Creative Writing at UEA
26 June 2023
Case Study: Fiona Gell
‘The course really inspired and motivated me to make sure that I got my story and my message about the importance of the ocean and our connections to it out into the world.’
Debut author Fiona Gell shares her experience taking an NCW online tutored course, writing and publishing her ocean conservation memoir Spring Tides, and what’s next in store on her writing journey.
What’s on — upcoming events, workshops & courses
Learn all about the art of life writing, whether that is in memoir or biography form, with our upcoming memoir events, in-depth courses and practical workshops.
A Life Written
A Life Written, delivered in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), creates life-writing workshops for the over 60s.
‘During this course, I learnt that life writing can have a very positive impact on wellbeing and mental capacity. It gave me a new channel of expression and I now often find myself compelled to write about my own experiences. An opportunity for reflection and active recollection.’
– Past participant
Writing and chronic illness with Polly Atkin
In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, author Polly Atkin discusses writing and navigating the publishing industry as a chronically ill person.
5 February 2024
Finding hope in an age of crisis – with Tom Whyman
Discussing the concept of hope on the podcast in desperate times, becoming a parent and his philosophical memoir, author Tom Whyman joins us on the podcast.
27 August 2021
Writing about real people in memoir
Emmanuel Iduma shares his insights on depicting real people in memoir in a way that is both balanced and ethically attentive.
15 December 2025
How to Write Real People in Memoir
How do you write about someone you know? This self-paced online course unpicks the thorny questions around truth, memory, and narrative.
You will delve into creating voice, setting and narrative as well as the ethics of writing real people, including issues around giving offense and when the detail you provide is enough.
Self-paced online course, £45
More for memoir writers and readers
For memoir writers:
- The Society of Authors is a UK trade union for writers, illustrators and literary translators.
- Writers’ Guild of Great Britain is a trade union for writers in TV, film, theatre, audio, books, poetry, comedy, animation and videogames.
- National Association of Memoir Writers is a community of life writers. (US-based)
Memoir writing prizes:
- TLS Ackerley Prize is a literary prize dedicated to memoir and autobiography.
- Bridport Prize’s Memoir Award 2025 is a prize for memoir and life writers. Submit 5,000 to 8,000 words plus a 300 word overview.