PERMISSION

Masterclass 2

Are you allowed to do that? This session looks at giving yourself permission to write freely, as well as addressing the ethical questions around writing from life, story sovereignty, appropriation and attribution. We’ll show you how to fight corrosive self-censorship, explore responsibility, rebellion and disobedience, and how to attune to the value in what you’re creating.

Class discussion includes:

  • fear of judgement
  • transgression & rebellion
  • defying conventions
  • what you need to get right, what doesn't matter
  • territory, ownership, accuracy
  • ethics of appropriation & story sovereignty
  • defamation, copyright & plagiarism
  • creative risk-taking on & off the page
  • answers to real questions from participants


This self-directed masterclass includes a one-hour video presentation and a downloadable list of prompts and exercises, along with extensive further readings, references, links to author videos and other resources.

Enrol in this class for $A60+GST (total $A66), for access as often as you like for one year from date of purchase.  

Or, enrol in all five classes for $A250+GST (total $A275).

  • About Emily Perkins

    Emily is an award-winning writer from Aotearoa New Zealand. Her novels have twice won Best Book of Fiction at the New Zealand Book Awards (most recently Lioness in 2024). Other recognition includes Believer Book of the Year for Novel About My Wife, the Geoffrey Faber Prize for Not Her Real Name, and long-listing for the Women’s Prize for The Forrests. Her scriptwriting includes work on BAFTA-nominated series After the Party, feature film The Rehearsal, and the original stage play The Made. She is an Arts Foundation Laureate and Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

  • About Charlotte Wood

    Charlotte is the author of seven novels and three non-fiction works. Her last book, Stone Yard Devotional, was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and selected as one of 10 Best Books of 2025 by The New York Times and The Washington Post. It has been praised by authors Anne Enright, Sigrid Nunez, Tim Winton, Karen Joy Fowler, Hannah Kent and Paula Hawkins among others. Previous books include The Luminous Solution on the creative process; the international bestseller, The Weekend; and the Stella Prize-winning The Natural Way of Things.