Published: 30th March 2022
ISBN: 9781920727550
Format: Paperback
AU: $32.99
eBook: $12.99
Also available as an ebook from Kobo, Apple or Amazon Kindle
About the Author
Russian born, Melbourne based Lee Kofman is a highly regarded memoirist, novelist, editor, writing coach and a charismatic force in Australian literature. Her writing and reading life began a long time ago in a remote Siberian village where she recited her first poem to an admiring crowd of illiterate babushkas. What followed was decades of wrestling with the art and craft of writing and passionate reading.
The Writer Laid Bare
Emotional Honesty in a Writers Art, Craft and Life
By Lee kofman
The Writer Laid Bare is a book for everyone who loves the craft of good writing. Be they a voracious reader wanting to know more or an emerging writer themselves, best-selling author and writing coach Lee Kofman has distilled all her wisdom, insight and passion into this guide to writing and emotional honesty in literature.
Inspired by her popular writing courses, Lee also offers practical advice on drafts, edits and how to achieve a life/writing balance. How combining her writing with motherhood led her to recognise that ‘ the pram in the hall’ issue is real.A combination of raw memoir and a professional writing toolkit, Lee examines her own life, rich in story , language and emotion to reveal how committing to a truthful writing practice helped her conquer writer’s block and develop her own authentic voice.
PRAISE FOR THE WRITER LAID BARE
’If you’re looking for advice on writing – or for a gift for an aspiring writer, Lee’s book would be an excellent choice. As an established writer, I still found plenty of food for thought, so it’s not just for newbies.’ GRAEME SIMSION
‘An exploration of the joyful - and painful - art of writing’ - CHRISTIAN WHITE
‘The Writer Laid Bare is the creative friend that every writer needs’ - PATTI MILLER
‘The Writer Laid Bare might be this generation’s most honest, intelligent, and engaging treatment of writing as an artform. - ARTS HUB
‘This book teaches by example, applying its wisdom to the exquisite way in which Kofman weaves her own tale with remarkable openness and humility… Like [Julia] Cameron, Lee Kofman approaches the creative process as a spiritual endeavour that demands introspection and self-awareness. As such, The Writer Laid Bare is a worthy successor and a welcome addition to any writer’s bookcase.’ - AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW
‘The Writer Laid Bare is a luscious and intricately rendered compendium for writers—both new and established… Kofman’s charismatic wisdom shines through… It’s a guide for writing, but also a manifesto for a creative life. - KILL YOUR DARLINGS
‘A rich and delicious distillation of experience, wisdom and reading’ - MELANIE CHENG
‘This is the real achievement of A Writer Laid Bare: in permitting the reader ample space for introspection, Kofman’s narrator is as good a listener as she is a writer. And like any good listener, her role is not to leap to the rescue with answers or advice. What her attentive presence does is more subtle, and more precious than that. It makes the reader feel consoled, encouraged, unburdened, heard. And thus, in my lonely fear, Kofman’s words provide more solace than any ‘how-to’ guide ever could.’ - SYDNEY REVIEW OF BOOKS
‘Big, generous, passionate – I wolfed it down like I was eating something hearty and full-flavoured (moussaka, a beef casserole with red wine and garlic)… It almost made me cry. There’s a relief in knowing I’m not alone in my struggle.’ -THE RELUCTANT DRAGON, SUSAN GREEN’S BLOG
‘The Writer Laid Bare takes us on an intimate journey into the magical, and often challenging, terrain an author inhabits. Kofman courageously shares with the reader her own probing writerly journey of self-discovery.’ - LEAH KAMINSKY