Whose Story is it Anyway? Exploring Unreliable Narration
Oh speaker, my speaker; exploring the varied voices hiding behind the poetic curtain.
What does ‘truth’ mean in poetry? How can we use multiple perspectives in our work? Can we be ‘reliable’ narrators of our own memories? People often assume that the voice of the speaker in a poem is the same as that of the poet – this workshop will explore what it means to subvert this presumption and to play with ideas of (un)reliability, truth and authenticity. We will read and discuss poems from writers such as Robert Browning, Jenny Molberg and Sarah Kay. There will be time to write new work and, in the second workshop, receive feedback from other poets.
2 x half-day sessions, running 10.30am–1pm (BST), on 9 and 16 November 2024. This course will take place on the video-conferencing platform ZOOM.
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. More information about how our Video Courses work can be found on the Video Courses page. If you have any questions or wish to be added to the waiting list of a sold-out course, please email [email protected].
Image credit: @frankokay
About Elspeth Wilson 
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Elspeth Wilson is a writer and poet who is interested in exploring the limitations and possibilities of the body through writing, as well as writing about joy and happiness from a marginalised perspective. Her debut poetry pamphlet, Too Hot to Sleep, is published by Written Off Publishing and was shortlisted for the Saltire Society’s 2023 Poetry Book of the Year Award. Her debut novel, These Mortal Bodies, is forthcoming with Simon and Schuster in 2025. She can usually be found in or near the sea.
"The opportunity at the Poetry School is to take a deeper dive on very particular topics, bringing many rewards to the process of writing, reading and considering what poetry can do."