Photopoetics: The Photo Remembers; Writing From Memory
A creative poetry session exploring memory, emotion & imagination through personal photographs with award-winning poet, Janette Ayachi, Edinburgh Park’s Poet-in-Residence & Editor of our literary zine, Polaris.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but a poem distils them into a few that matter most.
Time-travel through your lens in this generative, image-led poetry session, we’ll explore the connection between memory, imagination & sensory recall by starting with a photograph {physical or digital} that means something to you so you can learn how to translate what you see, & what you feel, into vivid, personal poetry. We’ll explore how image, memory & language intertwine to spark connection, insight & healing.
Behind every photograph is a story & a feeling worth revisiting. Whether it’s a family portrait, a blurred candid, or a snapshot of a forgotten street, each photo is a doorway to layered emotion, hidden story & poetic potential.
We'll begin by dissecting the visual clues in your chosen image & learn how to use these personal photos as poetic entry points into memory, emotion, & imagination. Through guided exercises & discussion, you’ll experiment with sensory description, associative memory & meta-experiencing—writing not just what happened, but how it felt then & how it feels now. We’ll touch on photography as ekphrasis of the everyday, the role of nostalgia in emotional resilience & the alchemy of transforming an image into language.
This workshop welcomes all levels of experience. Bring a photo, an open mind & a willingness to step through the frame & back in time.
