Poetry Writing Workshop

Just as the word 'stanza' means room, so a poem itself can be thought of as a kind of 'built structure', fashioned by humans to contain, bring together or shelter different ideas and sensibilities. This friendly and highly accessible workshop led by Kate Wakeling will begin by introducing a number of poems that explore the theme of buildings from different perspectives, ranging from the fifth-century fragment 'The Ruin' (which meditates on the crumbled remains of a great building, and imagines what the walls would have seen over the ages) to varied contemporary poems on the theme, including works by Jane Hirshfield and Jacob Polley. From here, participants will be supported to write their own poems exploring these ideas in relation to their own interests and experiences.

About Kate

Kate Wakeling is a poet and librettist who writes for both adults and children. Her debut collection of children’s poetry, Moon Juice (The Emma Press) won the 2017 CLiPPA and was nominated for the 2018 Carnegie Medal. Her second collection for children, Cloud Soup (The Emma Press) was shortlisted for the 2022 CLiPPA and selected as a Book of the Month in The Guardian and The Scotsman. Kate’s poetry for adults has been commended in the Forward Prizes and featured in The Guardian, Magma, The Rialto, Stand Magazine, Butcher’s Dog and Oxford Poetry, among others. A pamphlet of her work, The Rainbow Faults, is published by The Rialto.

Kate is writer-in-residence with Aurora Orchestra and has written scripts and libretti for a wide range of companies and ensembles, including BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra. Her work has been performed at Southbank Centre, Kings Place, LSO St Luke’s, Snape Maltings, the Dartington International Festival, the Melbourne Festival and on BBC Radio 3. Kate writes regularly for the Times Literary Supplement and reviews contemporary music for BBC Music Magazine.