Poetry & the Handwritten: Between Pen & Page Studio+
Explore the poetic potential of the handwritten word and discover the unique authenticity of putting pen to paper.
Returning to the basics of writing as an act and a practice, this course looks at the way we first began doing so, and seeks out the qualities and consequences of writing by hand. In an ever more digitalised world, we ask what might be gained by embracing the act of writing itself, what might it teach us about ourselves, and how might it invite both intimacy and immediacy. As a prompt and a method, we will consider handwriting from the neurological perspective, what graphology is – and which literary giants were obsessed with it, and how embracing the analogue connects our practice to all sorts of traditions: graphic poetry, art poetry, conceptual poetry, concrete poetry, to name a few.
Throughout this course we will look at a wide range of examples and practices, from historical letters to the experimental and the avantgarde of both literature and art. Amongst the practitioners we will engage with are Sophie Podolski, bpNichol, Pierre Alechinsky, Henry Miller, Monica Aasprong, Jackson Mac Low, Mira Schendel, Öyvind Fahlström, Jenny Holzer, Guillaume Apollinaire, Amanda Berenguer, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
This is a practical course where you will be encouraged to put aside the keyboard for the sake of the pen, just to see where it might lead you.
Studio+ Courses are an expanded version of our Studios and feature a portfolio of preliminary reading, alongside 4 writing assignments, and some additional bonus features bespoke to each course, such as Zoom sessions, collaborative projects, and inter-disciplinary work. There are no Live Chats on this course. Suitable for UK & International students.
Concessions & Accessibility
To apply for a concessionary 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, wish to be added to the waiting list of a sold-out course, or require any form of adjustment to access our courses, please email [email protected]. For more information visit our Online Courses page.
Image credit: @nspm
About vilde b. torset 
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Vilde Bjerke Torset is a Norwegian poet and artist based in London. She has been commissioned by institutions like The British Museum and Kristiania University, and her recent publications include Apollinaire and Other Horses (If a Leaf Falls Press, 2022) and Pareidolia – Dotremont’s Daughter (Timglaset Ltd, 2020). She is the founder and curator of SCRYPTH.
"The Poetry School courses that I have attended have been top quality. I have learnt a great deal not only from the poetic aspects of the courses, but also about the tutor's area of expertise (including architecture, museums, insects, cinema). The way in which each field of knowledge was woven into reading and composing poetry has inspired me to take my own poems to another level, incorporating a wide range of subjects into my work."
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