ExpiredWalking Backwards Into The Future – Online

In te ao Māori, we say that we walk backwards into the future. We look forward into the past as the promises of the future blossom behind our backs, their petals blowing past us on the winds of time. 

Time is often thought of as one of the main elements of story. But what happens when we remove it? What happens when we look at time in writing outside of the Western scope? What happens when we show the movement of time through more than aging and decay? 

Through this workshop we will be looking at different time scales across works of writing, different tohu or signs of time periods or time passing, and challenging each other to remove or recenter time within our writing. Breaking down the walls between different time periods to create a more open plan way of writing and reading where the past, present and future can sit alongside each other, informing our words and our understanding of them.

We will be reading from authors in a wide variety including Patricia Grace, Joy Harjo, and Reinhard Brautigan to look at different presentations, scopes, and removals of time within writing. Over the two days, we will also be generating new writing using prompts and exercises that will become kākano, or seeds, for you to work with in future. 

Limit of 12 participants. Find out about scholarships.

Some feedback from participants in Ruby’s earlier workshop on the same topic:

I loved Walking Backwards into the Future. We packed a lot into the two-day workshop and I really enjoyed the exploration of different frameworks when it comes to writing about time. Ruby was very approachable and knowledgable, and gained our trust right from the get go. The group I did the workshop with were open and involved, and I left feeling inspired and motivated. I think we all got something out of our two days with Ruby.

A generous and provocative presenter. Created such a safe space for all of us to be ourselves, speak and write from the heart, and be encouraged to write more. The writer in me feels nourished and uplifted. Thank you.