How do authors transform the raw material of a traumatic memory into a compelling fiction or nonfiction narrative?
This was the task for 10 writers at a workshop last month. Each are members of the PEN Writers in Exile network, a nationwide community of poets, journalists, novelists and writers of all kinds who were forced to flee their homelands due to persecution. Now in Canada, they are writing their next chapter.
The workshop was led by Charlie Foran, an award-winning author of twelve books, including five novels. A past president of PEN Canada, he is a senior fellow at Massey College and a member of the Order of Canada. He focused the workshop on how to identify the emotional and dramatic core of a memory and develop it, via sound writing, into a scene that draws readers in.
“Good writing of all kinds is often scenic,” Charlie said, describing the workshop. “With memoirs or fiction, this is especially the case. The reader is compelled by strong, clear scenes with strong, clear characters on display.”
Participants were asked to bring a scene, no longer than three pages, from their own work. Ranging from short stories to excerpts from novels and memoirs, the submissions were filled with challenges, hope, and personal reflection.
One explored the writer’s relationship to the word poverty, drawing from his upbringing in Nigeria. The author’s use of sensory details gave readers an intimate, personal experience of the nuanced ways hardship can shape childhood.
Another story centred on a woman alone in her apartment: drifting in the liminal space between sleep and consciousness, the woman’s vivid moment of stillness is disrupted when she receives a phone call that hints at change. The piece captured the quiet tension of exile, which can be filled with uncertainty, waiting, and the small moments that can shift everything.
Writing workshops like these provide opportunity for the PEN Writers in Exile to hone their skills and establish connections as they rebuild lives anew in Canada. Participants came away feeling grounded in their creative voices, supported by community, and reminded of the power of storytelling across borders.
These workshops are made possible because of PEN donors, whose contributions make such a difference to PEN’s impact and the community it serves. PEN would like to thank those donors, as well as Charlie Foran, for enriching our community with opportunity, creativity, and hope.
We look forward to the PEN Writers in Exile coming together again at the next workshop, which will open for registration in the fall.
Interested in getting involved?
If you are a writer or work in the Canadian publishing industry and would like to volunteer, lead a workshop or get involved, learn more about the Writers in Exile program and write to us at queries@pencanada.ca. If you are an immigrant writer and would like to become a member, please contact Gezahegn Mekonnen Demissie.
