This year, the magazine is expanding in a number of different directions. Over the course of our near four years and 11 issues, The Missing Slate has published talent from over 40 countries and translated work from over 13 languages. We have published work from Jhumpa Lahiri, Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, Moniza Alvi, Aamer Hussein, Jeet Thayil, Muneeza Shamsie, Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Ilona Yusuf, Kyla Pasha, Mehvish Amin, Elias Khoury, Ravi Shankar, Anis Shivani, Anna Selby, Luke Kennard and many others.Â
Given our South Asian roots, we thought it was about time to reach out to young and mature writers alike in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, to bring some of what we’ve learned to the forefront. Moderated by the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Maryam Piracha (MA in Creative Writing, Lancaster University UK), the twelve week workshop will focus on understanding fiction and the writing of it. Through reading of authors’ work, the many proponents of a successful narrative will be dissected. We begin with the importance of drafts in writing, and move onto stylistic impressions – ekphrasis, or the use of imagery in fiction examining the work of poets and writers who deploy the technique successfully, dialogue, plot, characterization, conflict, etc. – all tools in a writer’s repertoire. What role does place play in fiction?
Should a writer stick to the adage “write what you know†or take a page from Sylvia Plath and be brave in the choice of subjects chosen? This and more forms the crux of the course, anchored by workshops focused on peer review and culminating in public readings at the end of each month.
Given that it is a writing workshop, we do stress the importance of the sample when applying for a seat (the writing sample is the only barometer, though we acknowledge that writing, like all the arts is incredibly subjective).
If you are in Islamabad, please go ahead and register for the workshop here and include your work as a sample. Public readings showcasing writers and their work will be held after every four weeks, culminating in a certification ceremony. For more details on the course structure, be sure to click here for more details.
The fee for the three month course is Rs10,000 payable in 50% installments. There are no hidden costs – what you see is what you get.
Featured Photo: David R Munson, 2012
