Unleash Your Inner Poet

Have you ever wanted to write poetry but been unsure of how to start? Do you feel there are poems inside of you waiting to be unleashed? Are you a more experienced writer wanting to further develop your writing skills? Would you like to meet with other poets/writers in a safe & supportive learning environment? Unleashing the poet inside of you is a highly practical, hands on 8 week course aimed at anyone who would like to try their hand at writing poetry.

Each week we will use a variety of writing prompts and activities to explore many of the key skills in poetry composition. These will include short and longer writing exercises, handouts to support weekly sessions, excerpts from contemporary poetry, group discussion and plenty of time to share and give/receive feedback on our writing. No previous experience is required and all reading materials will be provided, with the opportunity to borrow a wide selection of poetry collections and craft writing books from the tutor.

Students will work on at least two poems each week based on the course content and will be encouraged to work further on these between classes. In the final week we will deliver a poetry reading session to an invited audience and students will be actively encouraged to bring friends and family to enjoy the work that has been created during the course.

Each session will explore a stand alone topic (to ensure that if students miss a session they are not left behind) using a creative mixture of structured writing prompts, additional written materials, excerpts from relevant contemporary poets, PowerPoint presentations, group and paired discussions and each week there will be time for students to share the work they have created for feedback in a safe & supportive environment

Week 1- Getting started/building good writing practise/stilling our inner critic/ structured writing prompt activities.

Week 2 – Using imagery and metaphor in our own work – reading a contemporary poem, a longer and shorter writing prompt and sharing our work.

Week 3 – Poetic form: exploring the poetic forms, the sonnet and the villanelle.

Week 4 – Rhyme/rhythm and meter, including examples of spoken word poetry.

Week 5 – Structuring your poem for the page – line breaks, lineage, stanzas and thinking about how your poem might look on the page.

Week 6 – Uncreative writing: incorporating found text/other people’s word into your own poetry.

Week 7 – Drafting/re-drafting and editing your work – how to make your poem the best it can be.

Week 8 – Our poetry sharing: an opportunity for students to share the poetry they have created with an invited audience.

Cathi is a widely published poet, spoken word artist, multiple poetry slam winner and workshop facilitator. Her work has appeared in journals, online magazines, poetry anthologies and art exhibitions. Her collection “Your cleaner hates you & other poems” was published in 2020 and her second collection “Writing elegies for dead men I didn’t meet” is scheduled for publication in 2025. She has performed throughout the UK at poetry events, festivals, arts events and has over 20 years’ experience in facilitating adult learning. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Leicester and is currently working towards her PhD in poetry.

This 8 week course runs on Wednesday evenings 6-8pm, starting on 4 October and ending on 22 November 2023.

Participants must be aged 18+.