Arvon free place!

I've raised funds for 2 bursaries for the Arvon face-to-face week-long Beauty of Brevity writing course I'm tutoring with Niall Campbell for writers who wouldn't otherwise be able to come - writers on low income and/or from marginalised communities. There's one free & one 40%-funded place - email me TaniaH@gmail.com by Oct 15 to apply, we'd love to have you, please don't think you're not worthy of these bursaries! And please pass this on to anyone you think might benefit.

Here's info about the course:

Monday November 29th - Saturday December 4th 2021

The Hurst

We could spin cliches here – less is more, small is beautiful, short and sweet etc… – but let’s waste no time and cut to the chase, because that’s what we will be doing on this course. Without sacrificing depth, richness, story or meaning, we will examine and probe the tiniest works made of words – whether as prose, poetry or other shapes – and take inspiration from other miniatures across all fields, from the microscopic in science and art to the briefest of films and pieces of music, to create our own. Together we will approach the very small from many different angles, cutting down to it, working up to it, weighing it to feel every word, every pause and punctuation mark, discussing what is needed, what can be let go. Come join us in praise of the petite. No miniaturising – or writing – experience necessary!

 

https://www.arvon.org/writing-courses/courses-retreats/hybrid-brevity/

Short short poem - online course

 UPDATE: The course is now full!

I think you all probably know that I'm a fan of short things. So when the Poetry School asked me if I'd like to run an online masterclass, and, if so, on what - after swallowing the urge to say, Don't be silly, I can't run a MASTERCLASS, are you sure you mean me? - I said, How about short short poems? And they said, OK. So, I’m excited - and a little daunted - to tell you that registration is now open! There are only 10 places, we kick off in Jan, and it’s open internationally, so you can join us from anywhere. Here's the blurb:

Short Short Poems: White Space and Silence (Masterclass)

online Course

Leave no word unturned

Living in this age of constant word bombardment, why not give your reader the gift of a bit more white space, a little more silence? A poem can be any length, from one line to a whole book. But there is something magical about the very short poem, under ten lines or so; while less is not necessarily more, it is definitely different. ‘The short poem, at its best, brings about an almost instantaneous surge of both understanding and sensation unavailble elsewhere’, writes Simon Armitage in the introduction to the Short and Sweet anthology. In this advanced Masterclass we will be exploring the tiniest of poems, written by poets from Raymond Carver, Emily Dickinson and Charles Causley to Rae Armantrout, Andrea Cohen and Selima Hill, alongside the shortest new offerings in today’s poetry journals. We will weigh the weight of each word, each breath and comma, to assess what needs to be said and what can remain between the lines, a useful skill for any writer. We will also create our own short poems, as well as exploring the effects of a constellation of poems on a page, and excavating our longer works-in-progress to see what treasures might be hidden inside.

Masterclasses are an expanded version of our Interactive and International courses, with a much deeper consideration of technical craft and critical theory. These 12 week courses (maximum 10 places) are for advanced students only, and fluency with poetic language and ideas will be assumed. There are no regular live chats and they are suitable for UK and International students.

Booking details here: https://poetryschool.com/courses/short-short-poems-white-space-and-silence-masterclass …