Cartographies of the Imagination

Seek cartographic inspiration in your poetry, as we explore many forms of maps – from children's books, to fantasy worlds, to modern art, and psychogeography.

‘A map does not just chart, it unlocks and formulates meaning; it forms bridges between here and there, between disparate ideas that we did not know were previously connected.’ – Reif Larsen, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet

There is something magical about maps. On this new course we will be tapping into their special appeal in a variety of ways with tutor Peter Hughes. We will reference childhood memories of moving between home and school, home and the houses of friends, home and the imaginary.

We will seek inspiration in maps from children’s books that we once ‘inhabited’, such as those from Treasure Island, Winnie the Pooh, C.S. Lewis’s Narnia tales, Tolkien, and the Earthsea series. We will pick up on an aspect of Zoë Skoulding’s work, swapping directions from one city to another to see what happens!

We will also try mapping the journey from one place to another in an abstract painting. Then we’ll think about the night sky, and the opportunity to create new constellations. By the end of the course, you will have a sequence of at least five poems on this compelling theme which could provide the basis for a future pamphlet or longer collection of poems.

5 fortnightly sessions over 10 weeks, starting 21 Jan 2026. No live chats. Suitable for UK & International students.

Concessions & Accessibility

To apply for a concession rate, please send relevant documentation showing your eligibility for one of our concessions to [email protected]. Conditions of eligibility are detailed here. If you have any questions or wish to be added to the waiting list of a sold-out course, please email [email protected].

What to Expect

Please check the left hand side of this page for information on how this course works in practice, under the heading ‘Course Style‘. If you’re unsure as to what any of the terms there mean, or if this course is a good fit for you, please visit our What to Expect page which includes some further information on how our courses function.

Image credit: @ekrulila

About Peter Hughes View Profile

Peter Hughes is a poet and the founding editor of Oystercatcher Press, now based in Spello, Italy. In 2016, he was the Judith E. Wilson Visiting Fellow in Poetry at the University of Cambridge. His many books include a Selected Poems (Shearsman, 2013), innovative versions of all Petrarch’s sonnets Quite Frankly (Reality Street Editions, 2015), Cavalcanty (Carcanet, 2017), Arrangements (with Eléna Rivera, Aquifer, 2022), The Modulus of Rupture (Shearsman, 2023), Lent (Equipage, 2024), Jack Lentini & the Pirate Queen (NF&S, 2024), and Drawn (Broken Sleep, 2025).

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