Courses Articles
5 Facts You Might Not Know About Robert Frost
Robert Frost is arguably one of the most famous poets of all time, but how much do you really know about him? Jodie Hollander who is running ‘The Road Not Taken’: Reading & Writing Robert Frost with us this Autumn gives us some interesting facts about the American poet. Image credit: Public Domain 1. He…
Jodie Hollander
5 Scary Poetry Books You Should Read
Looking for some scary poetry this spooky season? Lewis Buxton, who is teaching his course The Talking Death on Saturday 31 October, talks us through his favourite scary poetry reads that are guaranteed to send shivers down your spine! Obviously, poetry books aren’t full of jump scares and decapitations, but they can leave us with…
Lewis Buxton
4 Poets Who Innovated Typographical Poetry
Interested in the poetry of typographical innovation? Lydia Kennaway, who is teaching her London course Fontasia: Poetry & Rebellious Typography this October tells us about four poets who innovated the appearance of poetic text. George Herbert Herbert is often presented as a forerunner of Concrete or Visual Poetry, with ‘Easter Wings’ his most well-known example,…
Lydia Kennaway
5 Tips for Writing About Death in Poetry
Writing about death in poetry can be extremely challenging, so Sascha Akhtar, who is teaching her course Somebody’s Walking Over My Grave this October, has put together some tips for finding the right words to use in your writing. 1. Feel Emotion is frowned upon in Western culture, both in our workspaces, often within family…
Sascha Akhtar
5 Essential Systems for Working Writers
We can’t all be dreamy and disorganised writers – some of us have to know how to send an invoice. Christy Ku, who is running her course The Business of Poetry this Autumn, is here to provide practical knowledge to support your creative self as a working writer. 1. Create a payments tracker When you…
Christy Ku
5 Ways to Experiment with Composition in Poetry
Want to play around with fragmentation and erasure in your writing? Melanie Hyo-In Han who is teaching her Online course Broken Open: Experimenting with Erasure, Fragmentation, Visual, & Translingual Poetry with us this Autumn, talks us through her top 5 ways writers can experiment with composition in poetry. 1. Erase Take an existing text (a…
Melanie Hyo-In Han
4 Poets Who Shaped Confessional Poetry
Confessional poetry was a significant development in twentieth-century American writing, characterised by poets who explored deeply personal experiences, emotions, and struggles in their work. Poet and Poetry School tutor Nisha Bhakoo who will be teaching her Online course, The Confessional Studio, with us this Autumn, discusses the writers at the forefront of this literary wave….
Nisha Bhakoo
5 Approaches to Writing with the More-than-Human
What happens when we combine human language with fungal, plant, insect, bird, and animal methods of communication? Camilla Nelson who will be teaching her Online course, BECOMING: Transreading Interspecies Empathy & Innovative Poetics, with us this Autumn, gives us some approaches for writing poetry from a non-human perspective. FUNGUS Read letters as spores. Choose a poem…
Camilla Nelson
6 Ways Poetry Meets Science
How are poetry and science connected, and what can they learn from one another? Zakia Carpenter-Hall, who will be teaching her Online Masterclass, Into Greater Fields of Possibility, with us this Autumn, explores the fascinating intersection where poetry meets science. 1. Exploration Poets and scientists alike often observe the physical world, life within it, human…
Zakia Carpenter-Hall
Autumn 2026 – Quick Course Guide
Our Autumn Term is now live! We have a whole host of brilliant tutors and poetry courses ready for you to pick from and, as they tend to sell out really fast, we’ve made this Autumn 2026 Quick Course Guide to help guide you to the right course. Online Courses INTERNATIONAL Asynchonrous Online courses with…
Chloe Elliott (Poetry School)
5 Things to Consider as a Poetry Beginner
Thinking about starting to write poetry, but not sure where to begin? Isabelle Baafi, who is leading our First Steps programme, shares the important things to consider as a poetry beginner. 1. Be open to receive The most engaging art responds to the world around us and finds life, beauty and wisdom in the most…
Isabelle Baafi
FAQs for Autumn Term 2026
Our Autumn Courses have now launched! We’ve put together a list of FAQs you may find useful – so whether you are a new or returning student, make sure to give them a read before you book… Autumn Term: Your Questions Answered Where can I find the Autumn Courses? We have put together an Autumn…
Poetry School
September Sessions: 10 Years of the MA in Writing in Poetry
To celebrate 10 years of the MA in Writing in Poetry, we are delighted to announce a series of exciting zoom workshops tutored by fresh voices from our MA Graduates taking place this September! Check out our fantastic line up and make sure you book your place soon to avoid disappointment. Thursday 3 September A…
Poetry School
Take Your First Steps in Writing Poetry
Looking to start your journey into poetry? Welcome to First Steps, our new Beginners series with Isabelle Baafi! What is First Steps? First Steps is our new Beginners’ series. The programme consists of two alternating monthly workshops (‘Finding Inspiration’ and ‘A Closer Look’), running between July and December 2026. Who is First Steps for? This series…
Poetry School
Creative Voice and Receiving Critiques in Poetry Workshops
In this series, we interview our tutors about poetry and its place in their world. These interviews will cover creative writing tips, excelling in a poetry workshop, building a literary career, and finding your poetic voice. Here’s Natasha Hakimi Zapata on Creative Voice and Receiving Critiques. Can you discuss the emotional aspect of receiving feedback…
Natasha Hakimi Zapata
4 Poems for Times of Crisis
Shazea Quraishi, who teaches her popular course Lighting the World: Writing in Times of Crisis, recommends her top 4 poems that demonstrate writing in response to times of crisis. Image credit: @usgs Crisis comes from the Greek ‘krisis’, meaning decision. In English it was first used in a medical context to refer to the decisive, turning…
Shazea Quraishi
5 Ways to Use Sound in Poetry
Curious about the sonic possibilities of poetry and the poetic possibilities of sound? Iris Colomb, who is teaching her Online course Sonic Language / Poetic Noise Masterclass with us this Summer, talks us through her top 5 ways writers can use sound in their poetry. 1. Listen Listen to strangers. Listen to yourself. Notice the…
Iris Colomb
Avoiding Poetic Clichés
Worried about poetic clichés in your writing? If your poems are feeling a little too familiar, these courses might help you shift gear. Sometimes a small shift is all it takes to approach a poem and get things moving again. Check out our selection of courses designed to help you see your work differently. Determination…
Poetry School
Finding Your Poetic Inspiration
Are you stuck in a writers’ block, or struggling to find that spark of inspiration for writing new poetry? Finding inspiration for your poetry can be tricky at times, so we’ve put together a list of our courses which include a variety of themes guaranteed to unlock new ideas and get those creative juices flowing! Poems…
Poetry School
Feedback, Originality, & Ownership in Poetry Workshops with Matthew Caley (part 3)
In this series, we interview our tutors about poetry and its place in their world. These interviews will cover creative writing tips, excelling in a poetry workshop, building a literary career, and finding your poetic voice. Here’s the third and final part of Matthew Caley discussing feedback, originality & ownership in workshops. You can read…
Matthew Caley
How do I know if my Poem is Working?
Ever felt like your poem just isn’t working, or that there’s something missing but you’re not sure what? Receiving feedback from fellow writers, and getting tips from esteemed tutors, is the best way to finetune those poems and get them ready for submission. We have a range of workshops for poets of all abilities. Check…
Poetry School
Writing About England in Strange Times
As part of our Poetry Craft series, JLM Morton asks how can poets write about England in strange times. England has a long literary and folkloric history, but how can poets write about the country today – especially in the context of rising nationalism and exclusion? Poets today can write about England by reimagining national…
JLM Morton
Summer 2026 – Quick Course Guide
Our Summer Term is now live! We have a whole host of brilliant tutors and poetry courses ready for you to pick from and, as they tend to sell out really fast, we’ve made this Summer 2026 Quick Course Guide to help guide you to the right course. Online Courses INTERNATIONAL Online courses without Live…
Poetry School
Can Menopause Make You a Better Writer?
As part of our Poetry Queries series, Helen Ivory discusses whether menopause can make you a better writer. Menopause is still often seen as a taboo topic. How can writing about this life transition help women reclaim their voices? I believe that women’s voices are repressed their whole lives in one way or another. From childhood, girls are encouraged to be nice, to use…
Helen Ivory
Five Love Poems You Should be Reading Right Now
Elizabeth Parker, who will be teaching the upcoming course This Modern Love recommends her top five love poems you should be reading right now. Image by Turgay Koca A contemporary love poem ‘Like Love’ by Jo Bell The hardworking two-word title of this poem frames a thrilling depiction of snow as an extended simile for the glories…
Elizabeth Parker