WHO WE ARE

Poetry School is a national arts organisation providing inspiring tuition and opportunities for poets and poetry audiences. We were founded in 1997 by poets Mimi Khalvati, Jane Duran and Pascale Petit. Since our earliest days, our courses and activities have encouraged poets and poetry to flourish.

With teaching centres across England, as well as online courses, development initiatives, poetry projects and the world’s biggest social network dedicated to poetry, CAMPUS, we are unique in our ability to reach and develop aspiring poets wherever they may be, both in the UK and internationally. The Poetry School is a registered charity and a proud part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations.

We ‘make poetry happen’. We want to to enable and inspire you to develop your poetry from its beginnings through to an advanced level. Our programme of courses, activities, creative and professional development for adults is affordable, diverse, and open to all. This programme includes:

• An extensive programme of courses, workshops and seminars, taught by professional poets around the world.
• An accredited Master’s degree in Writing Poetry, delivered in both London and Newcastle, in collaboration with Newcastle University.
• CAMPUS: the social network for poets. CAMPUS is home to a large community of poets of all levels, as well as a treasury of free resources, essays, conversations and interactive events.
• ‘The Poet in the World’ – our projects, residencies and initiatives exploring new and exciting ways for poets to engage with audiences, and creating opportunities for them to develop outside the traditional classroom setting.

Whether online, in the classroom, on stage or out in the world, the Poetry School is the place where poetry happens.

COMPASSIONATE & CHALLENGING
We are receptive to ideas, whether for a course proposal, a partnership, or giving feedback on a poem. We have high expectations and standards, constantly posing questions in order to find the best ways to discover potential and achieve excellence.

DILIGENT & DEDICATED
Our courses are for every poet. We believe in finding the right approach for each student to develop and explore their craft. From our bursary scheme and community projects, and our pathways to develop poetic practice at all levels right through to postgraduate degree, we are always thinking creatively to keep our courses vibrant, as well as sustainable for the environment and for the future of the poetry landscape.

COLLABORATIVE & CONNECTED
Community lies at the heart of what we do. Sharing words, thoughts and ideas are the most valued elements of our workshops. We are embedded within the poetry world and embrace partnerships with like-minded organisations.

Information about our financial, governance and compliance history can be found here.