How To Author Like a Strategist – A Weekend Workshop with Suyi Davies Okungbowa
When: June 21 – 22, 2025 @ 5PM – 7:30PM UTC (click here to convert to your timezone)
Can’t make the live webinar? Register to get the recording after!
Where: Online over Zoom
Price: 50 – 125 USD (Scholarships available!)
Are you a writer with a book in your head but virtually no time to write it? Maybe you have a day job, school to attend, family members to care for, various life responsibilities grabbing at you, and so that book project has languished away on the backburner, and you’re worried you’ll never get to complete it.
Author and creative writing professor Suyi Davies Okungbowa has been there. That’s why he’s here to tell you that you can still finish this project (because a book is a project) in spite of these pressures. It may take you longer than many, but you will get there. Come on this weekend with us, and he’ll show you how.
In this two-day class, Suyi combines principles from strategic project culture (honed during his time in a former corporate role) and the tips, tricks and techniques he has built up in his author career to deliver a pathway to starting and finishing your book.
Please note that this class will be recorded.
Who Should Take This Workshop?
This class is for BIPOC writers in any stage in their writing career.
Schedule
This weekend workshop take place on July 29th and 30th from 5PM – 7:30PM UTC (click here to convert to your timezone) with a short 10-minute break halfway. The first day will end with homework that will be discussed the next day, and both days will have time for a Q&A session at the end.
About the Instructor
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is an award-winning Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and general speculative fiction.He has published various novels for adults, the latest of which is Son of the Storm (Orbit, 2021), first in the epic fantasy trilogy, The Nameless Republic (the second book in the series, Warrior of the Wind, is forthcoming in 2023). His debut novel. David Mogo, Godhunter (Abaddon, 2019) won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Speculative Novel by an African.
He has also published works for younger audiences (under Suyi Davies) such as Stranger Things: Lucas on the Line (Random House, 2022), Minecraft: The Haven Trials (Del Rey, 2021) and contributed to the instant #1 NYT bestselling anthology Black Boy Joy. His shorter works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies, and have been nominated for various awards.
Okungbowa is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, where he currently lives. As a speaker and instructor, he has taught writing at the college level and spoken at various venues, institutionally and publicly. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Arizona.
Registration Options & Scholarships
To register, please click here.
This Live Webinar option costs 125 USD, and consists of participating in the live discussions and Q&As, as well as getting the recording after.
If you cannot attend the class live, you can also purchase the Video-Only option. While you won’t be able to participate in the Q&A sessions or discussions, you’ll get a recording of the lectures and answers to the questions asked during the live class, plus any other materials such as slides or handouts. This option costs 50 USD, and you will receive the materials two weeks after the class concludes.
If you cannot pay for all or part of this class, don’t fret! We have a limited number of full and partial scholarships available. Please fill out this form indicating what kind of scholarship you’re aiming for, and tell us a little bit about your project or how you feel this class will help your writing journey.
The scholarship deadline is May 31st by midnight UTC, and we’ll get back to you two weeks before class starts. Please don’t self-reject!
Refund Policy
If you can no longer participate in the class, you can request a refund through Humanitix up to 14 days before the class starts and will receive a full refund, minus 10%. After that, the class will not be refunded, but we will send you the recording.
Technical Requirements
This workshop will take place over Zoom, so please ensure that your device is compatible with Zoom beforehand.
A microphone or working camera are not necessary to participate. We’ll be monitoring the chat and relaying any questions you type to the instructor.
Accessibility
This class will have Zoom’s auto-generated closed-captions available. For more of Zoom’s accessibility features, please click here. Discussions will be via voice or Zoom’s chat feature.
If you have any questions, contact our class coordinator Yasmine at classes@carlbrandon.org and we’ll get back to you ASAP!