A braided memoir that interweaves the author’s personal journey through grief with a guide on how to write about it, this book is both Sam Meekings’ account of the death of his younger brother and a step-by-step breakdown of the memoir writing process. With a twin focus on how to heal and preserve precious memories whilst exploring the mechanics of writing about the self, Wonder and Loss uses personal story, writing theories, useful strategies and detailed prompts to invite the reader to write alongside Sam on a path that is both painful and profound.

Sam Meekings breaks down the craft of personal narrative into understandable steps and considerations, and provides a sequence of actions  that are both practical and motivating. This book shares references to related works as well as new theories from the worlds of neuroscience, neurology, psychology and creative writing, translating them into processes writers can use to remember those lost and to rediscover themselves.

Sam Meekings is Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Northwestern University in Qatar.

This event will be of interest to writers who might want to write about grief for a public audience or simply a personal or family audience, and for anyone affected by loss generally.

This will be a talk and discussion, not a writing workshop

Refreshments included.