Why Does Memoir Matter Now?

Why is memoir one of the most popular literary genres of the present time, for writers and readers alike? What personal and social purposes does it serve? How does it work, when it does? Alison Wearing is the author of a bestselling memoir and an in-demand teacher and mentor of memoir writing. Join her for a “pre-launch” celebration of the Amy Award Anthology, a collection of shortlisted stories for the inaugural International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir. The award was created to honour the memory of Amy MacRae, a writer who died of ovarian cancer at the age of 35 in 2020, just weeks after being shortlisted for the CBC Literary Award for Nonfiction. In presenting the anthology, Alison will talk about the transformational power of memoir and its evolution as an art form.

Alison Wearing is the author of prize-winning articles and essays, short stories, travel literature and memoir, as well as being the writer/performer of one-woman shows. She is a former Writer in Residence at Green College and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow.