Courses Articles
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
Writing in Lent and Ramadan
Our tutor Fawzia Kane discusses the poetic queries surrounding writing in Lent and Ramadan, as well as her upcoming course which delves into inner reflection and deep contemplation through poetry. Both Lent and Ramadan involve periods of fasting and reflection. How do you think restrictions like these affect the way we pay attention to language…
Fawzia Kane
Courses for Winning Competitions
When working on a poem, you need to instantly hook a reader, make them feel something, and provide a fresh perspective on something universal. We have listed a range of courses that will help you dazzle on the page and think outside the box, which will help increase your chances of even winning competitions! Poetry…
Poetry School
Exploring your Emotions in Poetry
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 Sarah Wardle on how to explore your emotions in poetry. Writing can help us process feelings we don’t…
Sarah Wardle
Courses for Getting Your Poetry Published
When you’ve established a writing practice and are looking for tangible results of your progress, getting your poetry published can be a good aim. All our courses and workshops are great for getting poems onto the page, but we have a handful that will help you find a unique voice and burnish existing pieces – getting them ready for print. “I joined my first Poetry School course when I had…
Poetry School
Page Against the Machine (II)
Caleb Parkin discusses the intersection of poetry, AI and the more than human. Reflecting on his recent involvement with Page Against the Machine (II), a University of Bristol research project ran by the Lyra Poetry Bristol team and funded by the Brigstow Institute, Caleb grapples with the turbulent arrival of AI generated writing and explores…
Caleb Parkin
Courses for Building a Writing Community
As we are approaching a new year, you may be thinking about the connections you want to make with fellow poets and expanding your writing community. Writing can be a solitary experience, and discovering peers can electrify your practice, pushing you to the next level. Building a writing community is one of the best things…
Poetry School
Essential Patterns in Poetry
As part of our Poetry Craft series, Carmen Bugan discusses the essential patterns used in poetry: triolet, rondeau, villanelle, sonnet, sestina, and ballad. Let’s start with the triolet: what makes this form special, and do you have a favourite poem that shows it at its best? Writing a triolet is an excellent way to begin…
Carmen Bugan
Poetry in the Age of AI
Can AI deepen our understanding of poetry practice? As part of our Poetic Craft series, Hannah Silva discusses how AI has impacted poetry. Do you think poets should be using AI, or writing about it? Or maybe both? The widespread use of large language models (LLMs), and the way they can produce texts that resemble creative writing so quickly makes…
Hannah Silva
How to Write About Your Family
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 Kit Griffiths on how to write about your family. When you start writing about your family, what’s the…
kit griffiths
Courses for Putting Together a Pamphlet
If you’ve been writing for a while and want to put together a pamphlet or debut collection, we have some advanced courses taught by award-winning poets, as well as workshops that will help you develop your craft and think originally about your voice. Essential Patterns in Poetry Masterclass Test out techniques and explore the repeating…
Poetry School
Spring 2026 – Quick Course Guide
Our Spring 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 Spring 2026 Quick Course Guide to help guide you to the right course. Online Courses INTERNATIONAL Online courses without Live…
Beth Evans (Poetry School)
How to: Captivate with Picture Books
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 Kathryn Simmonds on how to captivate with picture books. Are there key differences between writing for adults and…
Kathryn Simmonds
The Art of Poetic Experimentation: Push Boundaries, Break Forms, Find Freedom
For poets who love to play, innovate, and challenge the limits of form, our experimental poetry courses are an invitation to risk, reimagine, and reinvent. These courses celebrate unpredictability, genre-bending approaches, and wild creative impulses – perfect for those looking to spark something new. Whether you’re working in collage, constraint, visual poetry, or hybrid forms,…
Poetry School
Beginners & Emerging Poets
Starting out in poetry? Ready to find your voice, learn the craft, and join a vibrant writing community? These courses offer welcoming, supportive structures designed to help you build confidence, learn foundational skills, and start shaping your poetic identity. Whether you’re new to poetry or returning after a break, these courses will help you grow…
Poetry School