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Courses

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

Glyn Maxwell MA Graduate Seminars 2026/27

Tutor: Glyn Maxwell

Glyn Maxwell MA Graduate Seminars 2026/27

Monthly seminars in London for graduates of our MA in Writing Poetry.

Start Date: October 5, 2026 12pm
End Date: June 17, 2027 ( 256 Days )
Type: Seminar • Location:

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

£260.00 *

Tutor: Wayne Holloway-Smith

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.

Start Date: October 5, 2026 6.45pm
End Date: December 7, 2026 ( 64 Days )
Type: Video

£300.00 *

Tutor: Suzanne Conway

Suzanne Conway Zoom Seminar 2026/27

Intimate monthly seminars with Suzanne Conway on Zoom.

Start Date: October 6, 2026 6.30pm
End Date: May 4, 2027 ( 211 Days )
Type: Seminar, Video

£300.00 *

Tutor: Antony Dunn

Antony Dunn Seminars 2026/27

Intimate monthly seminars with Antony Dunn.

Start Date: October 6, 2026 6.15pm
End Date: May 13, 2027 ( 220 Days )
Type: Seminar, Video

Freedom in Form: Creativity, Control, & Craft with Jacqueline Saphra [Autumn 2026]

£260.00 *

Tutor: Jacqueline Saphra

Freedom in Form: Creativity, Control, & Craft with Jacqueline Saphra [Autumn 2026]

Mix up your writing and learn new skills and techniques with Jacqueline Saphra.

Start Date: October 6, 2026
End Date: December 8, 2026 ( 64 Days )
Type: Video

The Practise of Poetry with Shazea Quraishi

£260.00 *

Tutor: Shazea Quraishi

The Practise of Poetry with Shazea Quraishi

Craft in community; the commitment you and your poetry are looking for to progress.

Start Date: October 7, 2026
End Date: December 9, 2026 ( 64 Days )
Type: Video

Transreading Middle Eastern Poetry: Mid 20th Century to the Present Day

£160.00 *

Tutor: Roz Shayan Naimi

Transreading Middle Eastern Poetry: Mid 20th Century to the Present Day

Get inspired in this survey of contemporary Middle Eastern poetry.

Start Date: October 8, 2026
End Date: December 17, 2026 ( 71 Days )
Type: Online

Intensive Weekly Workshop with Natasha Hakimi Zapata

£260.00 *

Tutor: Natasha Hakimi Zapata

Intensive Weekly Workshop with Natasha Hakimi Zapata

New week, new work! Responding to generative guidance from the finest of prompts with Natasha Hakimi Zapata.

Start Date: October 8, 2026
End Date: December 17, 2026 ( 71 Days )
Type: Video

The Poetic Engine: Working With, Through, & Against Form

Sold Out!

Tutor: Erica Hesketh

The Poetic Engine: Working With, Through, & Against Form

Writing form-forward work by looking at formally inventive work old and new.

Start Date: October 9, 2026
End Date: December 18, 2026 ( 71 Days )
Type: Online

£300.00 *

Tutor: Stav Poleg

Stav Poleg Cambridge Seminar 2026/27

Intimate monthly seminars with Stav Poleg in Cambridge.

Start Date: October 10, 2026 10.30am
End Date: May 15, 2027 ( 218 Days )
Type: In-person, Seminar • Location: Rock Road Library, Cambridge

Saturday Sessions with Kathryn Simmonds [Autumn 2026]

Sold Out!

Tutor: Kathryn Simmonds

Saturday Sessions with Kathryn Simmonds [Autumn 2026]

Monthly all-day Saturday workshops with Kathryn Simmonds.

Start Date: October 10, 2026 10.30am–4.30pm
End Date: December 5, 2026 ( 57 Days )
Type: In-person • Location:

Sascha Akhtar's Embodied Performance Praxis Seminar

£300.00 *

Tutor: Sascha Akhtar

Sascha Akhtar's Embodied Performance Praxis Seminar

Intimate monthly seminars with Sascha Akhtar on Zoom, diving into her specialist area of decolonial, embodied performance Praxis.

Start Date: October 10, 2026 11am
End Date: May 8, 2027 ( 211 Days )
Type: Seminar, Video

Penny Boxall Wymondham Seminar (2026/27)

Sold Out!

Tutor: Penny Boxall

Penny Boxall Wymondham Seminar (2026/27)

Intimate monthly seminars with Penny Boxall in Wymondham.

Start Date: October 10, 2026 1.30pm
End Date: May 22, 2027 ( 225 Days )
Type: In-person, Seminar • Location: Wymondham Heritage Museum, Norfolk

Using Poetry to Sharpen our Observation of the Natural World

Sold Out!

Tutor: Ellene Glenn Moore

Using Poetry to Sharpen our Observation of the Natural World

Nature poetics beyond capturing the scene.

Start Date: October 12, 2026
End Date: December 21, 2026 ( 71 Days )
Type: Online

Sold Out!

Tutor: Becky Varley-Winter

Beginners’ Workshop Group [Autumn 2026]

Join a supportive community for close reading and developmental feedback on your new poems!

Start Date: October 12, 2026 7–9pm
End Date: December 7, 2026 ( 57 Days )
Type: Video

First Steps: A Closer Look with Isabelle Baafi – October 2026

£45.00 *

Tutor: Isabelle Baafi

First Steps: A Closer Look with Isabelle Baafi – October 2026

Turn everyday details into striking poems in this beginner-friendly workshop exploring voice, perspective, and creative ways into writing.

Start Date: October 13, 2026
End Date: October 13, 2026 ( 1 Day )
Type: Video

New Territories: A Weekly Workshop with Wayne Holloway-Smith [Autumn 2026]

£260.00 *

Tutor: Wayne Holloway-Smith

New Territories: A Weekly Workshop with Wayne Holloway-Smith [Autumn 2026]

Bring your writing to the next level and explore contemporary poetry’s cutting-edge.

Start Date: October 13, 2026 6.45pm
End Date: December 15, 2026 ( 64 Days )
Type: Video

Jacqueline Saphra Monthly London Seminars 2026/27

£300.00 *

Tutor: Jacqueline Saphra

Jacqueline Saphra Monthly London Seminars 2026/27

Intimate seminars with Jacqueline Saphra in London.

Start Date: October 14, 2026 6.30pm
End Date: June 10, 2027 ( 240 Days )
Type: In-person, Seminar • Location:

Clarity & Vision: Advanced Poetry Workshop with Richard Price [Autumn 2026]

£260.00 *

Tutor: Richard Price

Clarity & Vision: Advanced Poetry Workshop with Richard Price [Autumn 2026]

Join this group for close discussion of your writing with acclaimed poet, Richard Price.

Start Date: October 16, 2026
End Date: December 18, 2026 ( 64 Days )
Type: Video

£300.00 *

Tutor: Matthew Caley

Matthew Caley London Seminar 2026/27

Intimate monthly seminars with Matthew Caley in London.

Start Date: October 21, 2026 6.30pm
End Date: May 19, 2027 ( 211 Days )
Type: In-person, Seminar

'The Road Not Taken': Reading & Writing Robert Frost

£150.00 *

Tutor: Jodie Hollander

'The Road Not Taken': Reading & Writing Robert Frost

Listen closely to language and explore the effects of poetry's metrical engine in your own work.

Start Date: October 22, 2026
End Date: December 17, 2026 ( 57 Days )
Type: Video

Fontasia: Poetry & Rebellious Typography

£120.00 *

Tutor: Lydia Kennaway

Fontasia: Poetry & Rebellious Typography

Breaking type – poetry that confounds the printers.

Start Date: October 24, 2026
End Date: November 7, 2026 ( 15 Days )
Type: In-person • Location:

Acts of Telling: Extraordinary Narrators Studio

Sold Out!

Tutor: Catherine Smith

Acts of Telling: Extraordinary Narrators Studio

Oh speaker, my speaker. Varying the narrator – personae with potential.

Start Date: October 30, 2026
End Date: November 27, 2026 ( 29 Days )
Type: Online

£55.00 *

Tutor: Lewis Buxton

The Talking Dead

Horrible Poetries.

Start Date: October 31, 2026
End Date: October 31, 2026 ( 1 Day )
Type: Video

£118.00 *

Tutor: Ellora

Gutsy Cute Studio

Get Cuter. The doe-eyed and dangerous does poetic drama.

Start Date: November 2, 2026
End Date: November 30, 2026 ( 29 Days )
Type: Online

£118.00 *

Tutor: Penny Boxall

Tales from the Wetlands Studio

The splendidly soggy: writing the wondrous of the wild and the wet.

Start Date: November 3, 2026
End Date: December 1, 2026 ( 29 Days )
Type: Online

Seminar with Shazea Quraishi: Lighting the World

£300.00 *

Tutor: Shazea Quraishi

Seminar with Shazea Quraishi: Lighting the World

Intimate monthly seminars with Shazea Quraishi on Zoom, exploring ways to take poetic action in these trying times.

Start Date: November 9, 2026 6.30pm
End Date: June 14, 2027 ( 218 Days )
Type: Seminar, Video

£300.00 *

Tutor: Sue Burge

Sue Burge Zoom Seminar (2026/27)

Intimate monthly seminars with Sue Burge on Zoom.

Start Date: November 10, 2026 6.30pm
End Date: June 15, 2027 ( 218 Days )
Type: Seminar, Video

First Steps: Finding Inspiration with Isabelle Baafi – November 2026

£45.00 *

Tutor: Isabelle Baafi

First Steps: Finding Inspiration with Isabelle Baafi – November 2026

Start your poetic journey with this interactive, beginner-friendly workshop with poet, critic and tutor, Isabelle Baafi.

Start Date: November 10, 2026
End Date: November 10, 2026 ( 1 Day )
Type: Video

First Steps: A Closer Look with Isabelle Baafi – December 2026

£45.00 *

Tutor: Isabelle Baafi

First Steps: A Closer Look with Isabelle Baafi – December 2026

Turn everyday details into striking poems in this beginner-friendly workshop exploring voice, perspective, and creative ways into writing.

Start Date: December 8, 2026
End Date: December 8, 2026 ( 1 Day )
Type: Video

MA Foundation Seminar with Meryl Pugh 2027

£900.00 *

Tutor: Meryl Pugh

MA Foundation Seminar with Meryl Pugh 2027

Monthly Zoom seminars, with MA Core Tutor Meryl Pugh, for those looking to develop the skills necessary for postgraduate poetic study.

Start Date: January 7, 2027 6:00pm
End Date: June 3, 2027 ( 148 Days )
Type: Seminar, Video

£160.00 *

Tutor: Olha Shvets

Poetry of the Displaced

Distance makes the poetry grow stronger – writing yourself back home.

Start Date: February 9, 2027
End Date: April 20, 2027 ( 71 Days )
Type: Online

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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?