November 29, 2017

Put It In Words, At WICE!


In 2018, the Paris Writers Workshop is back!  And centre-stage for the special festivities of the 40-year anniversary of WICE.

The WICE Paris Writers Workshop, our flagship event that runs in late spring every two years, has long been the cornerstone of our program.  The quality of instruction in craft, technique, critiques, discussions and seminars for 48 writers has attracted candidates from the US, other countries around Europe, and right here in Paris.

Dimitri Keramitas, Director of WICE creative writing programs, aims to bring some synergy  between this year’s Workshop and the rest of our writing courses.  The range of both includes creative non-fiction, short stories, novels, and a new focus on poetry.  

A Greek-American in love with Paris since the 1980’s, Dimitri has a degree in literature from the University of Hartford, in French from the Sorbonne, and law at from the University of London.  He raised a son and daughter here, now students themselves.  

Dimitri first joined WICE through taking part in the prestigious Paris Writers Workshop four times before eventually leading the organising committee.

For Dimitri, the priority is balance.  For his own career, he’s balanced his solitary writing and translating activities with getting out and about teaching law and literature at universities, grandes écoles, and écoles de commerce.  

For your novel or story - get writing!
He says, “I wanted a balance between the sedentary and quiet writing life with the more active and sociable teaching.  I also wanted a balance between writing fiction and non-fiction, and I try to bring that type of balance to our creative writing programs.”

He’s published short stories and completed a novel, set in Greece where he has a second home.  Meanwhile, he’s lingered in some of the most iconic arthouse cinemas of Paris, preparing essays for scholarly publications and books on such subjects as racial stereotypes and the treatment of war in film, among other non-fiction work.

Dimitri feels there’s no better setting for writers from around the world than Paris, long a muse city and world cultural hub.

“We wanted to bring the city of Paris as a central theme, so last year we had a course on Paris vignettes and travel blogging, and this year on memoirs, to encourage people to focus on their personal lives and their surroundings.  The fiction approach is to relate your outside world experience as refracted from your own inner vision.  It’s about making use of where you are!”

“We are of course non-profit, and our writing programs are very affordable while keeping a distinguishing commitment to quality.  We limit participation to 12 people for each of the 4 Paris Writers Workshop seminars, and 8 for our writing classes, to ensure that quality.   We want the program to be adapted to the ways things are changing in the cultural context and the evolving publishing world of ebooks, self-publishing, and blogging.  The content will be up-to-date and relevant with both the classic workshop structures and what’s new — back to my old theme of balance!”

Previous venues have been the University of Paris or UNESCO.  Dimitri says, “Our search for the next venue has led to Forum 104, in the heart of Paris.  That’ll be a comfortable space for sharing manuscripts, reading and exchanging for five days with four lecturers.  We’ll keep you posted on the deadline so you can prepare your manuscripts to apply for what we hope to be an exciting program for our anniversary year!”

For a full list of creative writing courses throughout the year, see our website!
A discounted early bird rate will be available for the Paris Writers Workshop...

Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Telephone
01 45 66 7550


Post by Elizabeth Bouché
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