WRITING WORKSHOP
The magic of the blank page / Tyhjän paperin lumo / Den tomma sidans förtrollning

Emilia Karjula

This workshop has a cap of 15 participants and requires signing up in advance. Sign up here by Monday, 21 August. Please note that the workshop is only open to registered Aboagora participants.

Forget all the talk about writer´s block. In this workshop we approach the empty page as an invitation. We will stay with the emptiness, studying and wondering at it, delaying the gratification of writing the first word.

Then we will write the first word, and possibly a few more.

The workshop will be an exploration of the writing process, not a lecture on how to write better, or more.

We will also do a little experiment with drawing. In this case, drawing means holding a pen to paper and moving your hand. You don´t need to show anyone what your hand comes up with.

You can write in any language you like. No one needs to read or hear your writing for it to matter. Sharing anything you write is optional.

Please bring with you the thing/s you’re most comfortable writing with (e.g., laptop, tablet, notebook and pen/pencil). You can also bring some paper and a pen (any kind will do) for the drawing experiment. Pens and paper will also be provided at the venue.

Emilia Karjula completed her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Jyväskylä in December 2020. Her doctoral thesis Sommitellut muusat (ntamo 2020) applied the concepts of ritual and play to the processes of creative writing. She has published short stories in literary magazines and anthologies and edited/co-edited two books on creative writing. Part of her PhD was an artists´ book Museion Tarot made in collaboration with visual artist Eero Merimaa. Her first novel Kuningatar Mab will be published by S&S in 2024. Currently Emilia teaches writing at the Open University of the University of Jyväskylä.