Writing the Way Home: Investigating Identity through Fiction



Overview

In this course we will consider our own (and other people’s) identity and how this relates to our writing.

We will look at the ways that we can use identity as inspiration for our writing and how to work with plots where characters’ experience diverges from our own. We will explore elements of fiction, including characterisation, plot and genre, and how who we are can influence these. We will engage in practical writing activities and learn how to give and receive gentle, helpful feedback.

We will also investigate the ways that our fiction practice can be informed and enhanced by a change of personal circumstances – whether that is parenthood, retirement, or a changing gender identity. To write at a moment of challenge to our identity is a positive advantage – in a state of questioning who we are as a person, we are able to more fully inhabit the question of what a person even IS – a deep theme that spans all of fiction.

Whatever your personal experience is, we will work together to honour it and use it to give spark and depth to your story.

This course is part of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) programme.

Programme details

Seminars

Participants are taught in small seminar groups of up to 10 students, and receive two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor. 

Sunday

Seminar 1: Who are you? An introductory session using pair work and group discussion to find points of similarity and difference in our identities. We will start to gently explore the opportunities for narratives these points create.

Seminar 2: The self as material. In this session we will look in more detail at ways we can use our own experience to write compelling and authentic stories. We will consider dimensions of personal histories and they ways they can intersect with each other.

Monday

Seminar 3: The protagonist and the self. In this session we will explore the relationship between personal experience and writing a protagonist. We will introduce Will Storr’s model of “the flawed self” and discuss how we can apply it to our work.

Seminar 4: The protagonist and change. In this seminar we will develop our learning on “the flawed self”, looking at how we can develop these ideas to create a convincing internal journey for a protagonist. We will discuss how this opens up notions of closeness and distance between ourselves and the protagonists we write.

Tuesday

Seminar 5: Plot and structure. In this seminar we will look at the way a protagonist’s journey will inform a wider story structure. We will discuss the three act model and how this can be used to present character growth.

Seminar 6: Understanding the other. In this session we will look at how to write characters with different attitudes to our own, and the relationships between protagonists and antagonists. This seminar will be followed by a self-guided afternoon field trip to the Ashmolean.

Wednesday

Seminar 7: Workshop check-in. To mark the middle of our week, this session is given over to discussing works in progress in a warm and supportive environment.

Seminar 8: Identity and genre. In this session we will discuss the identities of our audiences, and how we find and speak to them. We will discuss genre and how this informs our writing as well as our understanding of our readership.

Thursday

Seminar 9: Writing a message. In this seminar we will talk about any political intentions of our work. We will explore how our politics influence our writing, and the extent to which we wish to give prominence to this aspect of our work.

Seminar 10: Feedback - how not to take it personally (when it’s clearly personal). In this session we will return to the idea of feedback, looking more closely at how we can grow and evolve ideas that feel very close to us. There will be more opportunities to gain feedback, this time with a more developmental angle.

Friday

Seminar 11: Your experience - proximity and distance. In this seminar we will wrap up our course, considering what we’ve learnt in terms of writing the self and writing other people. How do we approach perspectives we don’t have close experience of?

Seminar 12: Your writing identity. In this closing session we will consider our identities as writers and how we can protect and promote ourselves. We will also look at our plans for our writing future.

Programme timetable

The daily timetable will normally be as follows:

Saturday

14.00–16.30 - Registration

16.30–17.00 - Orientation meeting

17.00–17.30 - Classroom orientation for tutor and students

17.30–18.00 - Drinks reception

18.00–20.00 - Welcome dinner

Sunday – Friday

09.00–10.30 - Seminar

10.30–11.00 - Tea/coffee break

11.00–12.30 - Seminar

12.30–13.30 - Lunch

13.30–18.00 - Afternoons are free for tutorials, individual study, course-related field trips or exploring the many places of interest in and around Oxford.

18.00–19.00 - Dinner (there is a formal gala dinner every Friday to close each week of the programme)

A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include: a quiz night, visit to historic pubs in Oxford, visit to Christ Church for Evensong and after-dinner talks and discussions.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee Option 1 (Single en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) £2050.00
Fee Option 2 (Double en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) 1 person £2100.00
Fee Option 3 (Twin en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) per person £1680.00
Fee Option 4 (No Accommodation - inc. Tuition, Lunch & Dinner) £1250.00

Funding

Concessionary rates are available on a non-residential basis for those that qualify, more information can be found here.

Unfortunately we do not offer any specific scholarships or funding opportunities for OUSSA programme, but you can visit our departmental funding webpage, where you may be able to find a particular source of funding that matches your requirements alongside meeting the funding criteria.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Tuition and meals are included in the programme fee, with both residential and non-residential options available.

Course change administration fee: Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances; however, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking
  • If submitting an application form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date

Cancellations and Refunds

1. Cancellation by you

Participants who wish to cancel must inform the Programme Administrator in writing: by email to oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or by post to OUSSA, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

The following cancellation and refund policy applies in all cases:

  • Cancellation within 14 days of online enrolment / payment of fees – full refund of all fees paid.
  • Cancellations received up to and including 30 April 2025 – OUDCE will retain an administration fee of £100 per week booked; all other fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received between 1-31 May 2025 – OUDCE will retain 60% of the fees paid; the remaining 40% of fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received on and after 1 June 2025 - no refunds will be made.

2. Cancellation by us

Where there is good reason, OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course by giving you notice in writing at any time before the course is due to start. In these cases, we will endeavour to offer a transfer to another available course if practical and acceptable to you, subject to payment or refund of any difference in the course fees. Alternatively, we will refund the course fees that you have already paid. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred. The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2025. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, anyone affected will be notified by email within 7 days; if you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2025, you should assume that your course will be running. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.

OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course at short notice in exceptional circumstances that would prevent the course from being delivered e.g. tutor illness. In these rare instances, we will notify you as soon as possible and arrange a transfer to another available Oxford Experience course. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

3. Travel insurance 

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check cancellation policies carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Ms Lucy Ayrton

Tutor

Lucy Ayrton has an MA in Creative Writing from Warwick University, and is a novelist and performance poet. She has two novels published with Dialogue Books, and a third will be released in 2025. She wrote and performed two full-length spoken word shows at the Edinburgh Festival, which were respectively turned into a poetry pamphlet and a radio play. She also competed as a national finalist at the UK Poetry Slam. Lucy is a Departmental Lecturer at the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education.

Course aims

This course aims to provide you with the skills and perspective they need to create immersive, accessible fiction that explores and is informed by their own identity.

Teaching methods

The teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be expected to:

  • Write a short piece of creative writing informed in some way by their own identity
  • Explain how their identity links to the piece of writing and what the intended reader effect of this is
  • Be able to give sensitive yet robust feedback on a peer’s writing

Assessment methods

Participants are required to undertake preparatory reading and complete a pre-course assignment of 1,500 words. Although this does not count towards credit, it is seen as an important way of developing your ideas and is mandatory. The pre-course assignment is typically due in the first week of June.

You will be assessed during the summer school by either a 1,000 word written assignment or a presentation supported by individual documentation. To successfully gain credit (10 CATS points) students should attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment. Participants will attend two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor during the week.

OUSSA is an accredited summer school taught at undergraduate level; each one-week course carries 10 CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points at FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualification) Level 4. Learn more about CATS points.

Certificate of Higher Education

Credit earned from OUSSA can be transferred towards our flexible Certificate of Higher Education.

Study when and where it suits you by gaining credit from short courses, including short online courses, weekly classes and OUSSA, and build your way to an Oxford University award. This part-time undergraduate programme lasts between two and four years depending on how intensively you want to study.  

Find out more about the Certificate of Higher Education.

Application

Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.

Single accommodation, double room for 1 person and non-residential places may be booked online by clicking on the “Book now” button in the “Course details” box at the top right-hand side of the course page.

Those requiring twin, double or accessible accommodation should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked online. Please send the completed enrolment form to the email address below. Both the PDF and Word option of the form below are editable, so you can complete them online before saving and sending to us as an email attachment. You do not need to print and scan them. (Please use these forms only if you are making a twin or double booking for two people.)

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Those who do not wish to register online or who have specific requirements (eg an accessible bedroom) should contact the Programme Administrator directly at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or OUSSA, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, UK.

Accommodation

More information about our accommodation can be found here.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support