events & workshops

Workshop participant: “You were amazing. Everyone was buzzing afterwards and there was a sense of permission to play that was talked about all day”

I love to perform my short stories, poems and hybrids and give talks about all aspects of creative writing, including using science as inspiration, and I am an experienced teacher and facilitator of writing workshops on a wide variety of topics. If you’d like to invite me, contact me and we can discuss fees, dates etc… To be the first to hear about new workshops and events – and my new monthly writing (ad)venture, Unbox Your Words, which starts in Sept 2024! – sign up for my Substack newsletter:

2024

Unbox Your Words – Permission to Play!

Announcing my new Writing (Ad)Venture, kicking off on Substack on Sept 10th: Unbox Your Words – Permission to Play!! Not a writing course, Unbox Your Words is a monthly shot of writing provocation, inspiration & stimulation designed both to encourage brand new pieces and help you find different & exciting ways to approach your works-in-progress, whether they are shaped like flash fiction, poetry, short stories, novels, non-fiction or hybrids! How will it work? Well, every month, you’ll get two emails in your Inbox: on the 10th of each month, I’ll send you a short writing provocation/prompt/exercise to tempt you to break writing habits and dance in new ways with your words. Then later in the month I’ll slip you another email with something to read that I think you might like, something you might never have come across yourself! There will also be occasional exclusive Zoom workshops for Unbox Your Words subscribers and discounts on other events I am involved in and any new books I have published (more on that soon) – as well as the opportunity to share and discuss in the comments on Substack what’s working for you, how you’ve run with the provocations & prompts, how you’re giving yourself permission to play!

To join the adventure for the special monthly price of £3.50, (less than a fancy cup of coffee or your beverage of choice!), sign up on Substack here https://taniahershman.substack.com – or upgrade your free subscription if you’re already a subscriber to my free Highly Irregular newsletter. If £3.50 a month is a struggle, message

WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

ONLINE WRITING WORKSHOP Mon Sep 16th 7-8.30pm UK Time, The Art of the Swerve

Do you suspect that you’re often going down roads when you write that are so well-travelled they might be on the verge of becoming ruts? Is there a piece you’re working on – whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry or a hybrid – that’s feeling stalled and needs a little spicing up? While swerving isn’t recommended while driving, there’s nothing better when on a wander than ducking through a hedge and seeing what magic lies on the other side, or forging your own route by dancing across open ground. In this brand new one-off Zoom workshop for the London Lit Lab, we’ll be doing all kinds of swerving to spice up your writing! Tickets £10, if you can’t attend live, you can watch the recording afterwards: https://www.londonlitlab.co.uk/course/art-of-the-swerve-writing-workshop-online/

IN PERSON Poetry Spa for Nine Arches – workshop + reading, Nuneaton, Sat 21st Sept

Join me and Roz Goddard for a wonderful day of reading and writing in Nuneaton Art Gallery, 10am-4pm, during which I will be running a writing workshop on Mashups and Collisions, and then chatting to Roz about my second poetry collection, Still Life With Octopus! Booking here, tickets include a copy of Still Life With Octopus: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-spa-an-immersive-day-of-reading-writing-saturday-21-sept-2024-tickets-940819896637?aff=oddtdtcreator

IN PERSON – SOLD OUT Four Brilliant Manchester Women walking tour + writing workshop, Manchester, Fri Oct 4th & Sun Oct 20th.

Join me and tour guide Emma Fox for our brand new walking tour +writing workshop inspired by four brilliant women – a scientist, two painters and a theatre director and playwright – who all lived in Manchester during the first half of the 20th century. Booking and more info here, no writing experience necessary and walking pace will be moderation – the Fri Oct 4th date is now sold out but there are still a few places left for Sunday Oct 20th: https://quaytickets.com/mlf/en-GB/shows/four brilliant manchester women- a writing – walking tour_/events

IN PERSON Monday Oct 7th – Sat Oct 12th, Totleigh Barton, Devon, Arvon 5 Day Residential Fiction & Hybrid Writing Week: Magic, Reality and All That Lies Between

Join me and Sean Lusk and our special midweek guest, Alinah Azadeh, for a weeklong fiction & hybrid writing residential course inspired by magical realism! Details and booking here, bursaries available: https://www.arvon.org/writing-courses/courses-retreats/residential-writing-week-fiction-25/

Testimonials:

Georgina N, participant in a Zoom flash fiction masterclass, Nov 2021: “Thank you Tania. It was like letting loose a swarm of humming bees to make honey. Clever facilitation.”

“Two hours of flash heaven this morning with Tania Hershman on her #flashfiction workshop. Excellent #writing exercises (I have 3 new micros at least!) & thoughtful, intelligent tips. ‘Liberation through constraint’ is my new mantra.” Tracy F, 2020

“Didn’t think I had it in me, but here I am at 8am EST, with four new flash story drafts written in the past two hours, thanks to Tania Hershman & her fab writing exercises… Thank you, Tania I’ve been writing, but not freely. This forced me to let go, something I have a very hard time doing with my writing. So grateful to Tania.” Janice L, 2020

“Brilliant flash fiction workshop with @taniahershman this morning. Came away with 4 drafts and now I need a nap! Also lovely to hear Tania echo my own sentiments of the line between poetry and flash being so thin” Sarah S, 2020

“I haven’t written anything new in months and this was exactly the kickstart I needed!!!” Marina S, 2020

Past Events & Recordings

Friday Feb 26th 1pm-2pm UK time I read as part of Live Canon’s Lunchtime Reading Series alongside Lawrence Illsley and Theophilus Kwek.

Wed Mar 3rd 6.30pm UK time I read a brand new short story inspired by ethical artificial intelligence at a Just AI salon alongside the fantastic Adam Marek.

March 18th I was “in conversation” with Rosie Garland about her new poetry collection as part of the Ledbury Poetry Salon, 7pm – 9pm.