A one-day intensive writing course with award-winning journalist and regular Guardian contributor Louise Tickle, for anyone who has an urge to write with a mission in mind. If you want to challenge existing views, change practice, campaign against injustice, confront a local problem or influence policy, Louise has designed this one-day course to help you:

• Clarify your motivation
• Work out exactly what you want to say
• Define your audience
• Deploy facts, check for fairness and balance 
• Write to persuade
• Choose a platform for your writing
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The workshop is suitable for all levels from beginners to experienced writers: the only proviso is that participants should arrive with a firm idea for an issue or subject area they are keen to explore.

Venue: South Woodchester
Participants: maximum 6
Cost: £130. Three places are available at an EARLYBIRD PRICE of £115 until Friday 20 December.

Info and booking: Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-with-a-purpose-tickets-85229209861?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=estw&utm-source=tw&utm-term=listing&fbclid=IwAR3ExC13KR7gGeoHI0oEJrWK-rh_jo3KbesND4j5exrvW3m4HCaYydB-2Bc)

Information: [email protected].

If you would like to find out more about Louise, a selection of her journalism can be seen at www.louisetickle.co.uk

Serves 4
Ingredients

• 9 medium carrots, peeled, topped and tailed
• 250g/9oz butter
• 150g/5½oz sugar
• 3 tsp salt
• 4 star anise

Method

1. This is going over the top, but as its Christmas! Use a clean green scouring pad to smooth the carrots and remove any peel marks (optional).
2. In a pan combine 400ml/14fl oz of water, the butter, sugar, salt and star anise. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and add the carrots. Cook until the carrots are tender (approximately 45 minutes) and the volume of liquid has reduced by half.
3. Serve the carrots as a side dish with the reduced cooking liquid poured over.

Adapted from Gjelina, Cooking from Venice, California, by Travis Lett

Ingredients
85g bacon, cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
465g Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
85g pitted dates
240ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Method
Heat a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat and add the bacon and olive oil. Cook until the bacon has rendered most of its fat but is still juicy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a bowl and increase the heat to high. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan cut-side down and sear hard, without shaking the pan, until well-charred and beginning to black (see photo above), about 5 to 7 minutes. The idea is to get a deep, penetrating sear that nearly blackens the sprouts, but keeps them relatively green inside. Reduce the heat back to medium, flip the sprouts, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the dates and cooked bacon and toss well. Add the stock to the pan, a little at a time, using a wooden spoon to smash the dates into the stock, breaking them into smaller pieces as the stock reduces into a sauce. Once the dates are incorporated, add the vinegar.
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Continue cooking for 2 or 3 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the sprouts but be careful not to reduce it too much or the sauce will become cloyingly sweet and sticky. (If you do over reduce it, add a splash of stock or water to get it back to where you want it.) Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm.