WRITING WORKSHOP
The Eyeball Kick: Experiment with Language and Form
Thursday 4th June – Online
What happens to words when they travel — and come back slightly changed?
Vladimir Nabokov described his shift from writing in Russian to English as his “Conradical switch,” after Joseph Conrad, whom he called “the translingual creator of wanderers.” Both Nabokov and Conrad are examples of exophonic writers – authors who wrote in a language other than their first, often with remarkable results. More recent exophonic writers include: Elif Shafak, Jhumpa Lahiri and Eva Hoffman.
Working from the idea that multilingual authors possess a unique creative reach, we’ll bend language in imaginative ways to explore unexpected methods for shaping both words and form!
This workshop is for anyone who:
✔️Is struggling to make time to write.
✔️Wants to experiment and add a new dimension to their writing.
✔️Wants to write and learn about language in a supportive, creative and fun atmosphere.
✔️Wants to kick start a new idea or project.
We’ll explore language via these exercises:
Translating from English into… English: seeing how far language can bend while staying “the same”
Ginsberg’s “eyeball kick”: surprising word combinations that disrupt reader expectations
Fake translations: intuiting or creating meaning
Intratextual versioning: transforming everyday texts into literature
Since my debut story and essay collection was published in June 2025, it’s been a very busy year of events and workshops across Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante. I’ll be taking a break over the summer to read and write, and probably nap, but watch this space for more exciting happenings come autumn!
Writer and Editor 