“Photography mechanically repeats what can never be repeated existentially again.”
Explore the relationship between photography and writing, image and word, through this creative writing workshop led by Colombian writer Manuela Gómez Quijano (in Spanish).
You will complete a creative writing exercise based on photographs from your own personal life after exploring examples of creative writing that were also based on photographs and memories, and after learning approaches and methodologies that you can apply to your own writing. Snacks and refreshments will be served.
We are accepting a maximum of 30 participants, so register now before spots get filled!
Language level: This workshop will be held in Spanish and is designed for more advanced Spanish speakers who are enrolled in 300- to 400-level Spanish courses, or are native Spanish language speakers.
Materials to bring:
All participants are required to bring:
- Photograph(s) depicting a memory from your personal life that you have a strong emotional/symbolic connection to
- Notebook
- Pen/pencil
Program:
The workshop will begin with reading a selection of poems and books that were written based on the photographs or memories of their authors, and discussing their themes.
Poems include:
- El viaje inútil by Camila Sosa Villada
- Yo soy tu presidenta by Eileen Myles
- Un temporal by Ansilta Grizas
- Todos los platos del menú by Ellen Bass
- La crisis es el cuerpo by Jesse Lee Kercheval
- Familias, la vuelta del salmón by Fabián Casas
Books include:
- Alberca vacía by Isabel Zapata
- Las fotos by Inés Ulanovsky
- El uso de la foto by Annie Ernaux / Marc Marie
In the second part of the workshop, we will talk about writing as a craft, the chronicles of childhood, and how to write a personal story little by little—drawing inspiration from specific memories or images—and how important it is to maintain a sense of detachment from reality when writing about experiences.
The third part consists of discussing the photographs that each participant has brought from their own personal collections with the guidance of discussion questions. We will engage in writing exercises using the materials, approaches, and questions that we explored in the earlier parts of the workshop. The writing exercise will consist of writing a scene that is born from the photo(s) that you have brought to the workshop. We will finish with sharing what we have written and getting feedback from others.
Presenter:
Manuela Gómez Quijano, Colombian Writer
Manuela Gómez Quijano was born on December 5, 1985, in Medellin, Colombia. She studied Journalism and completed a Master's degree in Literary Creation at the Poempeu Fabra University, in Barcelona. She published La vida como era (2017, poetry) and La hora de los satélites (2020, poetry). In 2017 she obtained a scholarship for creation in the category of poetry from the Medellín Mayor's Office and, in 2019, the Ministry's award for the publication of an unpublished work. She was a film club member, a university professor, and worked for some years in the public libraries of Medellín. For some time, she has been running writing workshops and taking care of her sons Dante and Theo.
Registration:
The maximum number of registrants for this event has been reached.
_______
If you have questions, contact Dr. Anna Casas Aguilar (anna.casas@ubc.ca).
