Memoir, by definition, presents several ethical dilemmas. How do you tell your own story without violating the privacy of the other people in your life? What is your obligation to tell the whole truth — and how do you even do so when memory is flawed and subjective? The ethical lines are in a different place for everyone, and there are no hard and fast rules. But by contemplating how others have navigated these issues, you can begin to define your own boundaries and create strategies to move forward.

In this interactive workshop, Jennifer Bowering Delisle, winner of the 2024 Alberta Literary Award for memoirs, discusses different opinions on privacy and truth from the writer’s perspective and applies decision-making models to your own work. Jennifer will create a safe and respectful space in which to share, reflect and debate, recognizing that opinions will differ and are often tied to culture, religion, or trauma.

This workshop will be held in our brick-and-mortar school/studio space, which now allows us to host hybrid sessions! We hope you’ll join us IRL if you’re in Edmonton on September 28.

What you’ll leave with:

• Understanding of debates around truth and readers' expectations

• Reflections on positive and negative consequences of sharing your story publicly

• Defining your own boundaries around truth and identify needed processes to support their approach

• A multi-step decision making process to establish your own privacy boundaries

Note: This workshop will not cover legal issues related to privacy or libel.