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Author: Public Record Office Victoria

Author Hazel Edwards is offering her year-long non-fiction masterclass again next year, with the aim of participants completing their books by December 2023. The workshop will run in the Victorian Archives Centre conference room on the first Friday of each month throughout 2023 (with flexibility to move online if required, as has been done in the previous two years due to COVID-19).

This year-long course will appeal to procrastinators and those involved in a non-fiction book length project who wish to finish their manuscripts within the year. Subjects can include memoir, autobiography, 'how to' books and family histories. You can enrol regardless of what stage you are at with your book. All participants will be required to present a draft chapter each session. 

This is the sixth year this masterclass has been based at the Victorian Archives Centre with participants from previous years completing family histories and other non-fiction works within the year, many utilising the records of Public Record Office Victoria and National Archives in their research. You can read articles from past students on the PROV blog, including:

Topics to be covered in 2023 include:

  • pitching proposal
  • synopsis
  • title importance 
  • possible structures and narration perspectives
  • ‘anecdultery’ and story shaping
  • formats
  • themes
  • research skills including interviewing
  • value of work-shopping chapters
  • editing
  • query letters
  • publishing processes and options
  • participants will also receive a short tour of the archives during one of the sessions. 

The 2023 class will:

  • be limited to 15 participants 
  • include 3-hour monthly sessions on the first Friday of each month throughout 2023, beginning in February, 10am to 1pm on the following dates:

3 February 
3 March 
31 March (to avoid Good Friday in April)
5 May 
2 June 
7 July 
4 August 
1 September 
6 October 
3 November 
1 December

Participants should attend all sessions to get the most out of the course. Hazel's invoiced fee, $1000 for the year, is to be paid direct to Hazel with no refunds if you miss a session or drop out before the end of the course. 

Registration:
To register for this course please contact Hazel Edwards directly via email at hazel@hazeledwards.com
Bookings must be finalised and paid by 6 January 2023.
 

Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting

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