Taking A History: Illness Narratives

Serious illness, whether our own, that of someone we love or care for, often leaves us searching for ways to understand, clarify, and describe the experience. Writing can be a powerful means of making sense of the journey. Often, the hardest part is knowing where to begin. Award-winning author and physician Charles Hayter will lead participants through a series of reflective exercises to help transform experience into a compelling illness narrative. Charles Hayter is a playwright and physician. His books include An Element of Hope and Cancer Confidential. His play Lady-in-Waiting won best solo show writing at the 2008 Fresh Fruit Festival. His essay "The Boy Who Loved Alice" was longlisted for the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize. He lives in Toronto. This class is suitable for emerging to intermediate writers.