Explore and refine your work in a challenging and supportive environment.

Martin Langford has published six books of poetry, has directed the Australian Poetry Festival three times and is a keen advocate of new and emerging poets in Australia. In this workshop Martin will focus on both aspects of writing: on producing the raw material (Where do ideas come from? How can one discover what one wants to write about?) and on shaping it (sharpening and clarifying images; tensioning ideas; making decisions about the nature of one’s work).

In each session Martin will discuss specific areas that participants may find useful in their work, together with some writing, and some workshopping of participants’ poems. Not all writers produce their best work at call, and participants may choose whether the material they provide for discussion has been written at the workshop, or previously at home. Topics will include voice and embodiment, economy, narrative, place, people and alternative ways of looking at a poem. The workshops will make widespread use of contemporary models, on the grounds that the more possibilities one encounters, the greater the chance that one will find some which one can adapt productively to one’s own work.

This workshop is suitable for anyone who wishes to stimulate, challenge and improve their poetry. Workshop participants may be relative beginners, or they may have considerable experience as poets. They should, however, have an open mind about poetry, and what it might be.

Cost: $540 non-members; $380 NSWWC members; $325 NSWWC conc members