Poets Olga Dermott-Bond and Katie Griffiths, both originally from Belfast, are published by Nine Arches Press, a leading poetry press based in the Midlands. Together they will lead a lively and inclusive poetry workshop, aimed at using weights and measures to help generate new and exciting ideas in your writing. They will also look at the power of your own experience in unlocking creative ideas for your poems. These sessions are suitable for all, whether you are new to writing poetry or hoping to develop your craft further.

Age Guidance: Suitable for 14+

The Weight of Words

Lightyear is a unit of measure. So why not darkyear? Or faintyear? How many ideas per hour does the morning brain travel at? How long is the interval between sadness and joy? Does the word excavation weigh more than the word dig? This workshop is going to get out the measuring tape and weighing scales to help you not only invent words and phrases to convey difficult concepts, but also use conventional ways of counting to spark new and exciting poems.

Poetry as self-portrait

Uncover the power of your own experience to create surprising, vivid and arresting self-portraits in poetry. Taking inspiration from a wide range of poetry and works of art, this workshop will enable you to approach portrait in poetry in an exciting way, encouraging you to experiment with new styles and forms, giving you fresh inspiration for your writing. By the end you will have created a masterpiece!