The Open Book: An Exploratory Workshop with Wayne Holloway-Smith [Autumn 2026]

Challenge yourself, explore contemporary poetry's cutting edge, and elevate your own writing.

* This course will take place on the video-conferencing platform ZOOM * .

This Advanced course will focus on different approaches to thinking about and developing your poems-in-progress, alongside taking inspiration from a range of contemporary poetry. Under the expert guidance of prize-winning poet and Poetry Review Editor, Wayne Holloway-Smith, you’ll engage in lively readings and discussions of cutting edge poetry, develop your writing and critical practices, and push your own work into new territories.

As part of the course, you’ll be welcomed into a supportive community of critical peers, who will help elevate your writing, encourage experimentation, challenge your thinking, and introduce you to fellow writers looking to expand what poetry can be.

Throughout each term, Wayne will guide you through some of the most exciting poetry being written today, lead feedback discussions of your own work, and offer individually-tailored advice on the next steps in your poetry career. So come with an open mind and generous spirit, as we set out to explore the limits of poetic possibility!

10 weekly Zoom sessions on Mondays, 6.45–8.45pm (BST), starts 5 October 2026.

Please note: Entry to this course is by application only. If you would like to join, please send a submission of three poems to [email protected] before booking your place. If you have attended this workshop before, you can book your place again without reapplying.

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: Steve A Johnson

About Wayne Holloway-Smith View Profile

Wayne Holloway-Smith has published two collections of poetry, Alarum (Bloodaxe 2017), a Poetry Book Society Wild Card Choice, and Love Minus Love (Bloodaxe 2020), shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. He won the National Poetry Competition in 2018. Additionally, his pocketbook, Beloved, in case you’ve been wondering was published by Donut Press in 2011; I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE WENDING, an experimental unbound book of poems, was published by Prototype in 2018. Lobsters, was published by Makina Books in 2021 and his latest work, RABBITBOX, was published by Scribner in 2026. He is currently the editor for Poetry Review.

Wayne created a very inclusive and fun space for the workshops. His feedback and the feedback from other students was really helpful.

- Spring 2026 Survey Response

The Poetry School