Form Laboratory 

Here are some exceptional poems from Jacqueline Saphra’s Form Laboratory.


When I proposed this set of collaborative workshops to The Poetry School, I had no idea of the creativity it would unleash. During the darkening evenings of Autumn 2022, Thursdays became a poetic laboratory where an adventurous, generous, and inspired group of poets invented new poetic forms based on their own strengths and passions. Each poet introduced their form with examples, and we put these forms to the test in our own poetic laboratory in a series of experiments – collectively adding, refining and strengthening. Here you’ll find the results of these hard-won, tried-and-tested discoveries offered to you as tools to create your own new poems.

— Jaqueline Saphra


It was an inspirational experience being on the course with other innovative poets, imagining, and developing their own forms. We loved learning from each other – those of us here in this pamphlet are happy to share our forms for you to enjoy and have a go! We are happy not to have our names associated with your poem, unless of course you wish to do this (we would be very chuffed).

Thank you to the Poetry School for giving us this honour, and to Jaqueline Saphra for being our tutor on a masterful course!

— Collective Statement

Form Laboratory Autumn 2022 is a pamphlet of poems by Laila Anne Farnes, Barbara Tennis, Audrey Ardern-Jones, Judith Wozniak, Rishika Williams, A.C. Smith, and Jean Hall. Introduced by Jacqueline Saphra. Published by Poetry School. Copyright of poems belongs to their respective authors.