The Novel in Fragments

Does a novel have to be linear? Are there other ways of structuring and storytelling that allow you to evolve a narrative? And how do you make these narratives captivate and challenge your readers?

In this course, we will explore these questions and more as we delve into the art of writing a novel in fragments.

This one-day workshop is designed to inspire you to tackle seemingly impossible subjects and to finally start developing those long-harbored ideas. By allowing for innovative and unexpected storytelling techniques, you will set your creativity free, and discover new ways to make your writing voice stand out.

Through a series of exercises and discussions, you will gain insights into the diverse possibilities of fragmented narrative structures. We will examine the works of literary pioneers such as Olga Tokarczuk, Maggie Nelson, Carmen Maria Machado, Italo Calvino, George Perec, Olga Ravn, and Sandra Cisneros, and learn how to bind these fragments with a cohesive “glue” that holds the story together, creating a compelling and unique reading experience.

Whether you’re looking to overcome a writing slump or revive your writing practice, this class will offer a unique and broader toolbox to enhance your craft.  It is suitable for writers of fiction and narrative nonfiction alike, and welcomes everyone interested in experimenting with narrative forms, including non-native English speakers writing in English.

Celina Baljeet Basra is a writer, curator, and art historian, based in Berlin. She published her debut novel HAPPY with Astra House, New York, in 2023 (New York Times Editor’s Pick). The novel is––unsurprisingly––written in short vignettes and fragments.

Celina has graduated in Art History in a Global Context, and has since worked as the curator of the art space Galerie im Turm, at Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, and with Berlin Biennale. She is a founder of the curatorial collective The Department of Love, who recently commissioned the text-based Love Letter series inviting Sheena Patel, Priya Jay and Quinn Latimer, amongst others. Celina has been awarded residencies with the Shanghai Biennale and Kochi Biennale, and she has received both curatorial and literary research stipends of the Berlin senate. She is part of several juries for public art funding, and appointed member of the Berlin Atelierbeirat. She is currently part of the team of the project Talking Objects Lab and is working on her second novel.