David Foster

In this part of the profile, we tutors are asked to talk about a "typical lesson." However, here's the rub: after years of performing and writing and interacting with literature; in my view, there is no such thing...

Why would there be? Where's the fun in that?

English Literature and Creative Writing are subjects without rigid facts. There are no wrong answers to any question and (despite what you may have heard) there is no-one in the world who lacks the imagination to succeed at it. Yes, there are structures to writing essays and no, you probably wouldn't get away with claiming Shakespeare wasn't a great playwright... but only if you neglected to explain why.

Therein lies the joy of this subject. It's all about convincing someone of a truth--specifically your truth.

My lessons are laid back, and depend entirely on the student, the subject, the time of the day or the year and how we feel about a particular work. There's no arbitrary tests or tasks designed to box you into a particular thought or an arbitrary fact to shoehorn into a test. What we do is simple--we have a conversation and talk through the subject. We ask each other questions and don't worry about finding the right answer. We have fun with stories, and sometimes go into detail about things that may seem irrelevant, but actually unlock the door to more interpretations.

In the process, we unlock the door between your imagination and your analysis--and figure out how to say it best!

So, pop the kettle on and pour a cuppa for yourself. Let's learn!