The Arvon Book of Literary Non-Fiction

by Sally Cline

The Arvon Book of Literary Non-Fiction is an essential guide to writing in a wide range of genres, from travel writing to feminist polemic and writing on nature, history, death, friendship and sexuality.

Part 1 explores the full range of genres and asks the what is literary non-fiction?

Part 2 includes tips by such bestselling literary non-fiction writers Lisa Appignanesi, Rosemary Bailey, Gillian Beer, Bidisha, Lizzie Collingham, William Dalrymple, Stevie Davies, Colin Grant, Rahila Gupta, Philip Hoare, Siri Hustvedt, Alice Kessler-Harris, Barry Lopez, Richard Mabey, Robert Macfarlane, Sara Maitland, Neil McKenna, Caroline Moorehead, Susie Orbach, Jennifer Potter, Susan Sellers, Dava Sobel, Diana Souhami, Dale Spender, Francis Spufford, Daniel Swift, Colin Thubron, Natasha Walter, Sara Wheeler and Simon Winchester.

Part 3 offers practical advice - from planning and researching to writing a proposal and finding an agent or a publisher when your work is complete.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

282 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2012

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who knew there was a difference between new-new journalism, creative non-fiction, and literary non-fiction? I didn't, and after slogging through most of this, I don't care.

Some of the "reflections" on the sub-genres of "literary non-fiction" were interesting explorations, but others were rambling or too specific in summarizing just a few exemplar pieces. The guest advice was somewhat interesting but not wholly useful to my own writing, so I skipped most of them.