Write your life story

It can be daunting to know where to start and what to include. This is where expert help can turn the process of chronicling your story easier. Workshop director Joy Persaud has written for national magazines, newspapers and worked with names such as Bill Bailey, Jenny Agutter, Alfie Boe, Midge Ure, Ben Fogle, Suzi Quatro, Ian Rankin and many more. She has also written the life stories of dozens of so-called ordinary people.

Famous or not, your story is filled with unique experiences that may inspire, educate, astonish, move, and show resilience. Every story matters.

Writing your story to recognise and value what you have done can be surprisingly life-affirming and underline just how much you have achieved, been through, and learned, in your time on our planet so far. You may wish to do this for others – family, friends or the wider public – or for yourself.

This sellout course, which returns on Saturday 16 May, 2026, is open to adults of all ages. We'll talk about unlocking memory, biography structure, tackling difficult topics, bringing a story to life, what to keep in, what to leave out, and plenty more. You will leave with an overview of how to get started and plenty of motivation to do so. Many participants say the life story workshop has changed their outlook on life, in addition to the writing skills they have learned at the event.

Following the event, workshop participants will be offered the opportunity to book 1-2-1s and/ or a place on a follow-up course to explore their writing in depth, in confidence.

We will be based on the ground floor in the St John's Room, Cornerstone Community Centre, Hove, 2-5pm.

Testimonials

• You are better than my therapist ~ Jimmy Osmond, following a life story interview
• You have changed the way I see the world ~ life story workshop attendee
• I feel motivated and as though my story is worth telling ~ life story workshop attendee
• Reading it back, there's so much I now realise I have done in my life ~ biography client
• Thank you for helping me to capture my voice so well ~ biography client
• I loved my sessions with Joy - she is fun and easy to work with, offering me insights into the writing process that I use every day. She has a way of stimulating my thinking that really surprised me. She is very supportive and encouraging - she is outstanding. I can't recommend her enough ~ 1-2-1 editorial coaching client
• I don't normally enjoy talking about myself, but you made the process enjoyable ~ business biography client

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Joy Persaud