My virtual poetry programme, The Verandah, part of the UK/Australia Season of Culture 2021/22, kicks off in September / October and runs until late 2022. There’s high quality timely poetry workshops, masterclasses, debates, readings, mindfulness & poetry sessions – all led by and featuring top UK & Aussie poets.
The theme of the Season is Who are we Now? My take on this is given COVID-19, the immense environmental and social challenges we face both locally and globally, who are we now in relation to our connection with our land and people? How can we describe, challenge or create new connections with our land and people in the 2020s? Poets are inherently courageous in searching for truth and meaning. Find out more about the wider Season HERE. As usual, events are afternoon/evening time in Australia & mornings in UK.
First offerings
- A writing workshop looking directly at the theme, courageous connections with land and people – writing the Anthropocene. With the climate emergency upon us, we need new ways of expressing and my hunch is that we have only just skimmed the surface of what poetry can do so far. This is the first workshop in a series to continue into 2022.
- A taster poetry feedback session for those who want to hone their poems – in-depth feedback with Cath Drake in a small group of 6 poets only. Make your good poems really good!
- Exclusive masterclass, The Art of Sound with one of Australia’s most well known poets, Judith Beveridge. She’ll lead a unique approach to the sonic properties of vowels and consonants and how to use them effectively to enhance the meaning of a poem and add dramatic and emotional depth. (Join the waiting list – I often draw on waiting lists and if I rerun the workshop you’re the first to hear.)
- Second masterclass, The Surreal Truth with 2020 Forward Prize Winner Caroline Bird, one of the hottest poets in the UK right now. Spend time with Caroline’s incredible creative imagination and take your writing to unexpected places.
- Third masterclass, The Modern Ghazal with Mona Arshi, a refreshing exploration of one of the oldest poetic forms.
- Aussie and UK Poetry Showcase featuring Sarah Holland-Batt – 10th October . Another showcase reading to be announced: 23rd October (afternoon/evening Australia, morning UK).
Coming up
- More masterclasses
- Poetry & Mindfulness sessions from November.
