Writing Biography with Aidan Coleman

Got an interesting life story to tell? Your subject might be a figure from history or the present, or a family member.

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This workshop will help you get started: from sketching out basic timelines to re-creating a personality on the page. You will look at samples of good biography writing, as you clarify what exactly you want your biography to be. Is it a family history? Is it for the public record? Is it the next bio-pic (and who will be played by Timothée Chalamet)? 

You will also consider how to make the most of your research—keeping on top of archives, artefacts, interviews, recordings, etc. Through a combination of practical tips and writing activities you will learn how to make your biography informative and entertaining, and you'll visit some of the ethical dilemmas that keep biographers up at night. You will also learn what NOT to do when it comes to interviewing! Many of the skills and techniques you’ll learn will apply to other areas of writing non-fiction. 

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In this workshop, you will:

• Write a pitch for your biography that will attract readers and publishers
• Enliven the re-telling of incidents and events
• Do quality research, including interviewing, archival research, and ways to keep it all organised.
• Reflect on structure and write a good opening.

Who is it for? This workshop is suitable for beginners and intermediate writers.

WHERE:  Byron Writers Festival Office, 58 Centennial Circuit Byron Bay

WHEN:   Saturday 2 May 2026 | 10am - 1pm

COST:     $15 General | $10 Byron Writers Festival Festival Member + booking fees

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About Aidan Coleman

Aidan Coleman is a Senior Lecturer at Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, and is the Course Coordinator for the Associate Degree of Creative Writing. He is the author of three books of poetry, which have been shortlisted for national awards.

Aside from his scholarly research, Aidan has written for ABR, Australian Dictionary of Biography, The Australian, The Conversation, The Harvard Review, Overland and The Sydney Review of Books. His biography, Thin Ice: A life of John Forbes, is forthcoming with Melbourne University Publishing.

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