About the Workshop

‘A rebound/Off trundled timber and scoops of the hillside ground.’ So writes Gerard Manley Hopkins in ‘Repeat that, repeat.’ This workshop will explore ways in which the sonic rebound of refrain and repetition can be used to generate powerful and echoing poems. Greta Stoddart’s ‘You drew breath’ and Glyn Maxwell’s ‘Hurry My Way’ are among poems which understand the musical and emotive potential of refrain, while repetition is also being re-appropriated as an effective structural device by forms like the prose poem. Sometimes nothing is as good in completely changing the emotional ground of a poem than saying the same thing again, and we’ll look at ways in which repetition can be used to drive the poem into new areas. Repetition and refrain wed poems effectively to music and to speech, and the workshop will look at how these devices can add energy and power to poems on any subject.

About Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards’ first collection, My Family and Other Superheroes (Seren, 2014), received the Costa Poetry Award and the Wales Book of the Year People’s Choice Award. It was shortlisted for the Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize. His second collection, Gen (Seren, 2018), also received the Wales Book of the Year People’s Choice Award, and in 2019 his poem about Newport Bridge was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. He lives in Crosskeys, South Wales.

These workshops will be conducted via Zoom. We have put together this simple 'How To' document to help you download Zoom, join a meeting, and navigate around the meeting features (such as adjusting video and audio, uploading files, and sharing screens).

You will receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite with your ticket and the Zoom invitation, containing the meeting link and Meeting ID & Password.

Someone from The Poetry Business team will be on hand prior to each workshop to offer additional help over the phone in getting connected.

There is usually a lot of interest in our workshops: in the interest of fairness, please limit yourself to one workshop ticket in every two week period.

Bursary Spaces

There are two bursary spaces available per workshop for writers from groups that are under-represented in contemporary poetry (for instance because of ethnic background) or who are experiencing financial hardship. If you would like to apply for one of these bursary places, please contact jack@poetrybusiness.co.uk

Refunds

• If you no longer wish to attend the workshop please let us know by emailing us.
• We will need 3 working days' notice before the workshop starts in order to offer a full refund.
• Though we will do all we can to help you get set up with the technology it is the participants' responsibility to ensure that their camera, microphone and other computer settings are configured correctly. Please contact us if you are concerned about getting set up for Zoom.