This November, the Jacana Literary Foundation turns its focus to memory, truth and personal storytelling. Join bestselling author Melinda Ferguson for a masterclass on writing your life, alongside Denis Hirson’s ongoing memoir writing workshop series, as we explore the art of transforming lived experiences into compelling narratives.
The Art of Telling the Truth: A Memoir Masterclass with Melinda Ferguson
Wednesday, 18 November 2026
19:00–20:30 SAST
Join bestselling author, fearless memoirist and publisher of over 100 books, Melinda Ferguson, to get into the guts of writing your life. The masterclass will help you find your voice, cut through the fluff and self-deception and turn raw experience into compelling memoir. What do you reveal? Who might you infuriate with the truth? And how do you tell the truth when you’ve spent a lifetime keeping it quiet?
Melinda Ferguson burst onto the local literary scene with her chart-busting, hard-hitting memoir, Smacked: A Harrowing True Story of Addiction to Survivalin 2005. Her triumphant journey from being a homeless heroin and crackhead to achieving success in the publishing industry captured the nation. She has written three memoirs – Hooked, Crashed and Bamboozled – and is currently working on her next one, Terminated. In 2012 she graduated from Wits with an Honours in Publishing and went on to publish over a hundred titles, first with Jacana and then with NB Publishers. In 2025 she launched her independent publishing house that hosts the imprints Melinda Ferguson Books and Ride or Die Press. Over the last decade she has facilitated many sold-out writing workshops.
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE ARTICLE ENQUIRY FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
