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Start writing poetry, today

Join us in reading, writing, editing and translating poetry, in year-long courses, short courses, workshops, one-day sessions, seminars, tutorials and every variety of learning in between – in our classrooms, off site and online.

For more information and FAQs about how our courses work, please go to our In-Person Courses, Video Courses and Online Courses pages.

All our Courses

Writing After the Films of Stanley Kubrick (Spring 2023)

£202.00 *

Tutor: Chrissy Williams

Writing After the Films of Stanley Kubrick (Spring 2023)

Explore the unconventional in this workshop inspired by one of cinema’s most-influential directors.

Start Date: January 23, 2023 7pm
End Date: March 27, 2023 ( 64 Days )
Type: Video

Vows: How to Write Poems for Weddings (Spring 2023)

£122.00 *

Tutor: Lewis Buxton

Vows: How to Write Poems for Weddings (Spring 2023)

All you need is love – and this course exploring different approaches from Shakespearean sonnets to Richard Curtis scripts.

Start Date: January 26, 2023 7–9pm
End Date: March 23, 2023 ( 57 Days )
Type: Video

Poetry that Burns Through the Page (Spring 2023)

Sold Out!

Tutor: Rebecca Levi

Poetry that Burns Through the Page (Spring 2023)

Spark new ideas and develop the tools to transform your poetry into works of art.

Start Date: February 1, 2023 7–9pm
End Date: March 29, 2023 ( 57 Days )
Type: Video

Being Poet Puppeteer: Writing Page-Turning Narrative Sequence (Spring 2023)

£122.00 *

Tutor: Elaine Baker

Being Poet Puppeteer: Writing Page-Turning Narrative Sequence (Spring 2023)

Pull the strings on your own narrative sequence as we read, and revel in, contemporary poets innovating the form.

Start Date: February 2, 2023 7–9pm
End Date: March 30, 2023 ( 57 Days )
Type: Video

Intermediate Poetry Workshop with Natasha Hakimi Zapata (Spring 2023)

£202.00 *

Tutor: Natasha Hakimi Zapata

Intermediate Poetry Workshop with Natasha Hakimi Zapata (Spring 2023)

Our weekly workshop for intermediate poets looking to develop their work.

Start Date: February 3, 2023 2pm
End Date: April 7, 2023 ( 64 Days )
Type: Video

Sold Out!

Tutor: Eleanor Penny

The Re-Enchanted Earth (Spring 2023)

Think mushroom thoughts and write a world springing back into life.

Start Date: February 4, 2023 10.30am–4.30pm
End Date: February 4, 2023 ( 1 Day )
Type: In-person

Advanced Poetry Workshop with Astrid Alben (Spring 2023)

Sold Out!

Tutor: Astrid Alben

Advanced Poetry Workshop with Astrid Alben (Spring 2023)

An exciting new advanced workshop group with the innovative Astrid Alben.

Start Date: February 7, 2023 6.45pm
End Date: April 11, 2023 ( 64 Days )
Type: In-person • Location: Poetry School, London

Body-ody-ody-ody – A Study (Spring 2023)

Sold Out!

Tutor: Rachel Long

Body-ody-ody-ody – A Study (Spring 2023)

Giving your poetic body a physical presence.

Start Date: February 8, 2023 6.30-8.00 pm
End Date: February 22, 2023 ( 15 Days )
Type: Video

Everything But the Writing: Balancing Poetry Life with Jane Commane

£50.00 *

Tutor: Jane Commane

Everything But the Writing: Balancing Poetry Life with Jane Commane

Consider what best practice might look like and explore different approaches to work-life balance as a poetry professional.

Start Date: February 18, 2023 10.30am or 2.30pm
End Date: February 21, 2023 ( 4 Days )
Type: Inspiration to Invoicing • Location: Poetry School, London

Don’t Duplicate, Diversify: Networks & Activism with Hannah Hodgson

£50.00 *

Tutor: Hannah Hodgson

Don’t Duplicate, Diversify: Networks & Activism with Hannah Hodgson

Learn how different networks can open up possibilities for your ideas and work to spread over multiple platforms, transforming into revenue streams.

Start Date: February 18, 2023 2.30pm
End Date: February 18, 2023 ( 1 Day )
Type: Inspiration to Invoicing • Location: Poetry School, London

Poetry Through Theatre: Experiments from the Stage Studio+

Sold Out!

Tutor: vilde b. torset

Poetry Through Theatre: Experiments from the Stage Studio+

Explore the poetic dimensions of avantgarde theatre and discover new possibilities at the intersection of poem and play.

Start Date: February 20, 2023
End Date: March 27, 2023 ( 36 Days )
Type: Online

£112.00 *

Tutor: Gboyega Odubanjo & Cai Draper

Poetry Party Studio+ (Spring 2023)

Join Gboyega and Cai for this course exploring and expanding your minds through poetry that parties.

Start Date: February 21, 2023
End Date: March 28, 2023 ( 36 Days )
Type: Online

£50.00 *

Tutor: Dzifa Benson

Shop Front: Building A Poet’s Profile with Dzifa Benson

Unpack the complexities of building a successful public profile, or shop front, for your creative endeavours.

Start Date: February 25, 2023 2.30 or 6pm
End Date: March 2, 2023 ( 6 Days )
Type: Inspiration to Invoicing • Location: Poetry School, London

Rooting Yourself: Creative & Peer Support with Caleb Parkin & Nathalie Teitler

£50.00 *

Tutor: Caleb Parkin & Nathalie Teitler

Rooting Yourself: Creative & Peer Support with Caleb Parkin & Nathalie Teitler

Poetry can often be framed as a solitary process – but connection, support, and collectivity are vital.

Start Date: February 25, 2023 10.30am or 6pm
End Date: February 28, 2023 ( 4 Days )
Type: Inspiration to Invoicing • Location: Poetry School, London

Forms: Finance, Funding & Not-Getting Rich Quick with Emma Simon

£50.00 *

Tutor: Emma Simon

Forms: Finance, Funding & Not-Getting Rich Quick with Emma Simon

Explore the financial side of life as a working poet, under the expert guidance of published poet and freelance financial journalist, Emma Simon.

Start Date: March 4, 2023 2.30 or 6pm
End Date: March 7, 2023 ( 4 Days )
Type: Inspiration to Invoicing • Location: Poetry School, London

Being Busy, or Making Progress? Professional Support with Nick Makoha

£50.00 *

Tutor: Nick Makoha

Being Busy, or Making Progress? Professional Support with Nick Makoha

Consider what professional support poets need to develop our creative practice and easily complete the ‘work around the work’.

Start Date: March 4, 2023 10.30 or 6pm
End Date: March 9, 2023 ( 6 Days )
Type: Inspiration to Invoicing • Location: Poetry School, London

Poetry Surgery with Meryl Pugh (Spring 2023)

£104.00

Tutor: Meryl Pugh

Poetry Surgery with Meryl Pugh (Spring 2023)

In-depth 1-2-1 discussion on your poetry with Meryl Pugh.

Start Date: March 6, 2023 10.30am–4.45pm
End Date: March 6, 2023 ( 1 Day )
Type: Video

Sold Out!

Tutor: Katrina Naomi

Pamphleteering (Spring 2023)

The pamphlet process, demystified: from putting your first chapbook together to choosing a publisher and how to approach editors.

Start Date: March 25, 2023 10.30am–4.30pm
End Date: March 25, 2023 ( 1 Day )
Type: In-person • Location: Poetry School, London

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How it works

The Poetry School’s teaching year runs over three ‘terms’ – Autumn, Spring and Summer. Each term we offer around 40-50 courses and workshops that cater to a variety of levels, varying in length and subject matter. The course programme changes every term with more new courses, workshops and tutors, but often includes courses that run over three terms and popular repeats.

We offer both ‘classroom’ teaching (UK) and ‘virtual’ teaching (international). You can visit our In-Person Courses, Video Courses and Online Courses pages for more detailed information about course structures, process and what to expect.

Finding the right Course

Most of our courses and workshops accommodate writers with a wide range of experience, but some are specifically designed for beginners or more practicised poets.

Here are our definitions:

Beginner – Learning the ropes: beginning to write poetry.
Intermediate – Starting to develop your voice, generate more work and grow confident on the page.
Advanced – Able to confidently edit, hone, discuss and critique your poetry.

Our programme is developed around these three teaching levels, although we also offer many courses that are Open to all – courses aimed at all levels, often focusing on a specific theme or inspirational subject matter.

FAQ

How many courses can I take?

To ensure the best experience, we recommend taking no more than two courses per term. If you are interested in signing up to more, please email us at [email protected] to discuss the different course schedules.

What is poetry?

There is no one answer, and many, many people have their own ideas. Here are some definitions we like:

‘Literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm’ – OED

‘Poetry is a heightened imagistic use of language that does things to the heart and head’ – Grace Nichols

‘A made thing, a verbal construct, an event in language’ – Edward Hirsch

‘Poetry is memorable speech’ – W H Auden

‘Poetry does not explain life. It gives life to feeling and seeing’ – Sarah Stetie

‘Why, Sir, it is much easier to say what it is not’ – Samuel Johnson

I’m already publishing and performing poetry – what can you do to help me?

We have an expanding programme of projects and activities which seek to address the continuing professional development needs of practising poets, from residencies to enhanced publishing, editing and performance opportunities and beyond. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest details.

Will the Poetry School help me become a poet?

Since 1997, when the Poetry School was founded, our students have gone on to publish in magazines and online; they've produced pamphlets and books as poets and editors with publishers from the smallest independents to the largest commercial houses; they've won multiple prizes and awards; they've become poetry tutors themselves; they've moved on to take poetry MAs and PhDs.; they’ve set up performance nights, magazines, shows and events. While we can't guarantee that all students will go on to get published; serious engagement with the art and craft of poetry in the company of tutors and fellow students who are as passionate about the form as you are can only ever improve your chances of getting your work out to a wider audience.

Join us in reading, writing, editing and translating poetry, in year-long courses, short courses, workshops, one-day sessions, seminars, tutorials and every variety of learning in between – in our classrooms, off site and online.

All our Courses

Find a Course

How it works

Finding the right Course

FAQ

How many courses can I take?

What is poetry?

I’m already publishing and performing poetry – what can you do to help me?

Will the Poetry School help me become a poet?