Due to popular demand, this is a REPEAT of our sold-out February workshop.
Join poet Sarah Doyle on Sunday 18th May for one of her ever-popular ekphrastic* poetry workshops.
“The poem that merely replicates the painting (or other visual work) seems flat indeed. It should add something in its language that takes off from the picture, or talks back to it.” – The Poetry Dictionary, John Drury
Sarah writes: ‘The poet’s imagination is as vital to the poem as the original object to which they are responding. The poet brings a personal interpretation and adds layers of meaning, so we might even come to regard works of art in a new light as a result of writing – or reading – ekphrastic poetry. That doesn’t mean that some descriptive detail isn’t welcome; simply that description without interpretation or response may not result in an engaging poem.
‘For me, standing in front of a work of art is a profoundly affecting experience, and one that feels active and engaged, rather than simply being a passive receptacle for colours and shapes. I can’t help but imagine the painting coming to life, full of sounds and smells, temperature and light. I picture what might have been painted beyond the frame, and imagine what the subjects might be thinking or feeling. I also think of the artist and their sitters, of the relationships between them; and of modes of production, whether in a studio, or on location. I allow my imagination to run wild, I build stories in my mind, and I channel these into ekphrastic poems inspired not only by the work itself, but by my experience of viewing it.’
Come prepared for a dynamic and inspiring workshop over 2.5 hours and expect to leave with many seeds of new poems and ideas for many more!
*‘Ekphrasis’ means ‘description’ in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is most commonly a vivid description and engagement with a work of art.
Numbers limited to 12.
Fee: £30
What people have said about Sarah:
Wow! That was amazing. Thank you so much for all the work you must have put into it beforehand and for your careful, wise and compassionate stewardship. – CD
Sarah, thank you so much for your inspirational workshop, You delivered such an absorbing and thoughtful two hours. I have been working on my poem all evening, sneaking off whenever I can to enjoy the process. It has been ages since I have been so enthused by poetry. – SW
Thank you so much for running such a generous, inspiring and all-round delightful workshop – the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon! – ES
Places are limited and go fast so early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.
Sarah Doyle is Poet-in-Residence to the Pre-Raphaelite Society, for whom she co-judges an annual poetry competition and writes commissioned ekphrasis responding to the lives and work of the Pre-Raphaelite circle. Sarah’s poetry has been published in journals including Spelt Magazine, Wild Court, Under the Radar,Atrium, Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal, Mslexia, Finished Creatures, and The Lonely Crowd; and in anthologies from publishers such as Broken Sleep, The Emma Press, Paper Swans, Shoreline of Infinity, and Places of Poetry. In 2023 Sarah won 1st prize in the Ver Poets Open Poetry Competition, was highly commended in the Ginkgo Prize for Ecopoetry, and was longlisted in the 2022 National Poetry Competition. She is a former winner of the William Blake Poetry Prize, the Wolverhampton Literature Festival poetry competition and Holland Park Press’s Brexit in Poetry; and has been a runner-up in the Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize and Essay Prize. A pamphlet of poems collaged from fragments of Dorothy Wordsworth’s journals – Something so wild and new in this feeling – was published by V. Press in 2021, and her second pamphlet, (m)othersongs, was released by the same publisher in autumn 2023. Sarah holds an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway College, University of London, and works as a freelance poetry mentor and workshop leader.
Cancellation policy: non-refundable
Join us for this Saturday novel-craft workshop to jumpstart your fiction writing this January.
Understanding Action & Reaction and explore ways of using Conflict to strengthen your project in this inspirational and inclusive session full of practical exercises to help you tighten up your techniques, develop your story and build your confidence. Expect generative writing prompts.
[This workshop is part of The January Writing Resolution, a month-long series for fiction writers. They are the perfect way to invest in your writing – whatever your level or stage.]
Who are these sessions for?
The sessions are for all levels, they are also suitable for beginner writers who would like to step beyond their comfort zone and commit, every day, to the page. The course is dynamic but can be taken at your own pace. No one will be left behind.
These are not sessions for feedback or individual instruction.
What other workshops are on offer in this series?
Saturday 4th January: ‘Connecting with your Characters’
Saturday 11th January: ‘Immersion in Place & Time’
Saturday 18th January: ‘Voice, Point of View, & the ideal Tense’
Saturday 25th January: ‘Action, Reaction & Creating Conflict’
Workshops only: £20 each. (Purchase all 4 for £75.) All workshops will be recorded and made available later.
Session facilitator:
Pippa Dunn is an author, teacher & creative facilitator based in East London. As well as writing fiction she also dabbles in stage and screenplays, supports story development for a documentary film company, and leads creative workshops for both adults and children. Her debut novel secured major deals in multiple international territories, and she is currently working on her second book – a gothic fantasy set amid the private cemeteries and public theatres of late Victorian London.
When she's not scribbling in one of her local coffee shops, she can usually be found exploring East London's wild green spaces, or wild spaces further afield in Devon, Derbyshire or Scotland.
Join us for this Saturday novel-craft workshop to jumpstart your fiction writing this January.
Explore ways to pin the perfect Voice of your stories and learn which Tense and POV strengthens your project in this inspirational and inclusive session full of practical exercises to help you tighten up your techniques, develop your story and build your confidence. Expect generative writing prompts.
[This workshop is part of The January Writing Resolution, a month-long series for fiction writers. They are the perfect way to invest in your writing – whatever your level or stage.]
Who are these sessions for?
The sessions are for all levels, they are also suitable for beginner writers who would like to step beyond their comfort zone and commit, every day, to the page. The course is dynamic but can be taken at your own pace. No one will be left behind.
These are not sessions for feedback or individual instruction.
What other workshops are on offer in this series?
Saturday 4th January: ‘Connecting with your Characters’
Saturday 11th January: ‘Immersion in Place & Time’
Saturday 18th January: ‘Voice, Point of View, & the ideal Tense’
Saturday 25th January: ‘Action, Reaction & Creating Conflict’
Workshops only: £20 each. (Purchase all 4 for £75.) All workshops will be recorded and made available later.
Session facilitator:
Pippa Dunn is an author, teacher & creative facilitator based in East London. As well as writing fiction she also dabbles in stage and screenplays, supports story development for a documentary film company, and leads creative workshops for both adults and children. Her debut novel secured major deals in multiple international territories, and she is currently working on her second book – a gothic fantasy set amid the private cemeteries and public theatres of late Victorian London.
When she's not scribbling in one of her local coffee shops, she can usually be found exploring East London's wild green spaces, or wild spaces further afield in Devon, Derbyshire or Scotland.
Saturday 9th September
Join Kate Oldfield for a day of mindful noticing and gentle writing prompts in the beautiful surroundings of High Paradise Farm. With wild moors behind and, what James Herriot called, ‘the most beautiful view in England’ spreading out below, this is a fantastic opportunity to make time for yourself and find your own voice, in Paradise.
Places are limited, booking essential.