Counterpoints Masterclass with Hisham Matar
Refine your creative writing in this two-hour masterclass with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author by focusing on close reading and analysis of how writing works.
Hisham Matar leads an in-depth masterclass that includes studying the work of established writers, group discussion and questions.
Everyone is welcome: all you need to bring is an enthusiasm for writing and a desire to learn how it works, and a pen and a notebook.
Hisham Matar was born in New York to Libyan parents, spent his childhood in Tripoli and Cairo and has lived most of his life in London. His memoir, The Return, received a Pulitzer Prize in 2017. He is also the author of In the Country of Men, Anatomy of a Disappearance, A Month in Siena and his most recent novel, My Friends. His work has been translated into over 30 languages.
Counterpoints Arts is a leading national organisation in the field of arts, migration and cultural change. Their mission is to create transformative arts with, by and about refugees and migrants, so that their stories can shape our culture and challenge how our societies view displacement and migration.
Presented in association with the Service95 Book Club.
Need to know
Instruction and writing is in English. Please bring your own writing equipment. A pen and a notepad is recommended, but we recognise that some people may need to use a phone or laptop to take part.
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
31 Oct 2026, 2pm
Run time
2 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £46
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
Learn more about concession discounts
Refunds and exchanges
Find out more about our refund and exchange policy
Become a Member
Members get free entry to the Hayward Gallery and the first chance to book our entire programme of events, including go-down-in-history gigs, concerts with world-class orchestras, and talks from cultural icons and political giants.
Join today from £60
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.