Gertrude & Alice is excited to announce our first ever writing workshop! We’re kicking things off in collaboration with Bondi Literary Salon regular Heather Lord. She has been teaching memory writing around the world for over 25 years to novelists, musicians, playwrights, CEO’s, corporate innovation teams, nonprofit leaders, students, curious unsuspecting strangers, and anyone stuck on an important writing project.

When: 6.30 - 8.30pm, Wednesday 28 of May, 2025 (Please arrive at 6:30 for a prompt 6:45 start time)

Where: Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore, 46 Hall St. Bondi Beach.

Tickets: $75.00 (excl. booking fees) a special introductory price for our first workshop! Future workshops will be $99.00. Your ticket includes admission to the event, a glass of wine on arrival and nibbles.

Bring: Your favorite pen & a lined notebook

What will I get out of this session?

You will learn the building blocks of a memory writing method that cures writer’s block – forever. After this session you will never stare at a blank page again, and you will excavate memories hidden in the deepest overlooked corners of your brain.

Ok, cool but what is it?

The technique combines elements of neuroscience, creative cognition, and meditative writing which Heather has learned from scientists and artists all over the world. You will learn how to write from a different part of your brain, accessing images and forming sentences you would not have otherwise written.

How can I use it?

The method is great for writing novels, speeches, admissions essays, screenplays, toasts, song lyrics, eulogies, job application cover letters, journal entries, flirtatious emails, comic books, scandalous tell-all autobiographies, marketing materials, blog screeds, etc. It works for writing fiction or non-fiction.

Join us to “UNCOVER THE UNTHOUGHT KNOWN” and kickstart any writing project into action.

About the Instructor

Heather's main gig is working as a philanthropy and social impact strategist, but to get her creative fix she moonlights as a memory writing workshop leader, speech writer and admissions consultant, and facilitator at the Bondi Literary Salon at the Gertrude & Alice bookstore. She has been leading memory writing workshops for over 25 years to published novelists, CEO's, rock stars, formerly incarcerated people, teenagers, corporate teams, elders experiencing early stage dementia, etc. She first delved into memory writing with American novelist and comic book artist Lynda Barry, and the methodology Heather now teaches is informed by collaboration with neuroscientists specializing in semantics and machine learning while she was completing her masters in international relations at Princeton University, and meditation teachers she has trained with around the world. You can learn more about Heather’s Memory Writing work on her website, MemoryWriting.com.

About Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore

Rated as one of the top 10 bookstores in the world by National Geographic, Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore is an oasis for writers, readers, and coffee lovers. Books overflow from the shelves of their store, featuring a mix of new, second-hand, antiquarian and rare books. Stay a while & enjoy some home made chai, and amazing coffee, and unearth a book treasure or two. Read more about the bookstore's story here, and about the real Gertrude & Alice here.

Writing Workshop: Memory Writing with Heather Lord

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Admission (includes nibbles and a drink) ticket