What is Place Writing?
Place Writing has huge potential as a field of study and brings together many aspects of importance and concern in contemporary society; it ranges from the minutiae of living organisms to the effects of climate change, and from natural landscapes to urban-living. This collection of carefully considered posts will facilitate your own exploration of the genre and generate new ideas about place and place writing.
Hi, I’m Yasmin.
I am a researcher and mentor and I write about the intersection of place, time, and memory. Welcome to my newsletter! Subscribe to:-
Be informed about what’s happening in the field of Place Writing.
Get into conversation with hundreds of others who are passionate about place.
Find exciting new reading material. We share and recommend the good stuff.
What can you expect from this newsletter?
If you are here because you love reading, you can expect new insights into the world of creative non-fiction with suggestions to broaden your reading. And, if you’re a writer, you’ll be guided towards new thinking on how to incorporate place in your work. Since my interests are firmly in the arts and humanities, I draw on my experience and passion for nature, art, art history, architecture, design, and home to produce regular short-form posts.
Our Place Writing community
Writing can be a lonely business; this newsletter facilitates the development of a community and I really appreciate your company. Let’s create a safe space for questions on the topic of Place Writing; let’s explore ideas of what it is, and how it can be viewed through different lenses. Join the debate.
Support independent writing
Your annual subscription helps me with my research for this newsletter and subsidises my work as a mentor to new writers. Writing is my full-time occupation. Together, we can nurture new writers and create some exciting Place Writing projects. All subscribers, free and paid, are very welcome, and your support much appreciated. If you prefer not to subscribe then follow me on Notes and join the conversation when you can.
Work with me
There are many ways to work with me; get in touch if you'd like to discuss possibilities— ycid at yasminchopin dot com.
Testimonial 1
‘I have recently been attending an online discussion group on Place Writing over a period of several months, organised and chaired by Yasmin Chopin. I can honestly say that it has proved to be one of the most interesting and enlightening experiences in the whole of my educational career. It has provided me with useful and informative observations on my own creative writing and helped me to pursue my own writings with greater confidence and purpose. Yasmin's selection of, and observations on, non-fiction texts have been insightful and imaginative, and have contributed much to my own development as a writer of fiction.’
Jeff Wilkinson. Retired senior lecturer and teacher: forever learning.
Testimonial 2
‘I’ve enjoyed and been enriched by working with Yasmin, sharing sections of our PhD writing together. She is always encouraging and supportive, with an eye to where work can be improved. Her writing style, which connects the internal psychological world and the external physical world, blends imagination, personal insight, and political reflection. I have found reading her work to be deeply peaceful, and have come away from her pages feeling refreshed, in a similar way to coming home from a gentle walk through a beautiful landscape. I recommend Place Writing as a forum to grow and to be supported, to be inspired and to find insight.’
Daniel Ingram-Brown. Author ׀ Theatre Maker ׀ Educator
Testimonial 3
‘I’ve known Yasmin for a number of years now. She first welcomed me to the writing group she’d set up, and earlier this year I joined her Critical Place Writing Discussion Group. Working with Yasmin has been instrumental in the development of my writing skills and my knowledge and application of place writing. The latter through the sessions she hosts in which we closely read and discuss texts that centre on place. Yasmin is pleasant to work with, very supportive of other writers, and she has a lot of knowledge to impart. I highly recommend joining her Place Writing community.’
Berendsje Westra. Author, writing coach, and translator.
Now, your turn. I’d like to get to know you a little. If you have a moment, hit the comment button and tell me:-
Where are you in the world?
Who is your favourite author?
What place is special to you?
Credits and Links
If you’d like to know more about me, hop over to the About page.
Place Writing is described by the Centre for Place Writing, based at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England, as an ‘emerging literary genre’. For more information, browse their website Centre for Place Writing.
My thanks to Jeff Wilkinson, Daniel Ingram-Brown, and Berendsje Westra for their generous and thoughtful testimonials. See Daniel’s website here. Say ‘hi’ on X to Daniel @DIBrownAuthor and Berendsje @fictionbw.
I spend most of my online time here on Substack but if you’d like to hook up elsewhere, I’m on X @YasminChopin and Instagram @YasminChopin.
where? currently the New Forest, but often the Luberon valley in Provence
favourites? Ali Smith and Graham Swift
Hi, I'm David. I live in southwestern Ontario in Canada. My favourite author is an 18th century diarist, the Duc de Croÿ. The place that occupies the largest share of my headspace is Versailles, both the chateau and the town, not to mention the surrounding countryside. I'm intrigued by your concept of place writing, which is new to me. I'll be reading with interest.