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Women's Writing Days: Poetry
A poem in a day
If you want to shape your ideas into poetry, or learn how to revise the poetry you’ve already written, this is the Writing Day for you.
In the third of our online masterclasses, award-winning poet and tutor Hannah Lowe will guide you through the complete evolution of a new poem: from first spark to finished draft.
Spend the morning discovering new work, and devote your afternoon to deepening and refining it.
What you’ll leave with
- First drafts of three completely new poems
- A set of craft techniques you can apply to your future poetry
- A revised and polished draft of one of your new poems
Who is it for?
- Beginners who want to level up
- Poets who need guidance with expanding an idea or editing
- Established poets looking to learn new skills from an expert
The tutor
Hannah Lowe is a poet, memoirist and tutor. She has published many books including The Kids, which won the Costa Poetry Award and the Costa Book of the Year in 2021. She taught creative writing at Brunel University for many years and now runs her own mentoring business. Her book The Woman in the Chinese Collar: A Haunting is forthcoming in 2027.
Hannah taught on our Memoir School in 2023. Here’s what participants said:
‘Hannah was full of great, relevant advice’
'Hannah was warm and relaxed – inspiring, honest and teaching to a high standard'
‘Hannah Lowe - excellent in every way!’
A morning of creation
Hannah will talk you through selected poems to highlight key techniques and approaches that you can explore in your own texts.
Using a mix of both serious and playful exercises, along with some judicious feedback, Hannah will help you experiment with poetic voice, form, and point of view, to unlock new possibilities in your work.
By lunchtime you will have early drafts of at least three completely new poems.
An afternoon of revision
The first draft is just a start. The process of revision is equally creative. Focusing on one of the poems you've written in the morning, Hannah will talk you through practical strategies for developing and refining your text.
You will explore and strengthen each of the following aspects of your poem:
- imagery and metaphor
- linguistic precision and economy
- syntax and sentence structure
- sound and rhythm
- lineation and use of white space
The afternoon session will conclude with discussion and limited feedback on the finished poems.
Choosing a Mslexia Writing Day means prioritising craft. You’ll leave with new ideas, drafts ready to be revised, and the experience of how to write and shape your poetry in the future.
We won't hold this masterclass again for at least a year, so book now to prioritise your poetry practice. Booking closes 19 October.
When is it?
The course takes place on Zoom so you can immerse yourself in the day from the comfort of your own writing space. It will run twice – so choose which date works best for you.
• 10-4, Friday 23 October, online
• 10-4, Sunday 25 October, online
What past participants say
‘I got a huge amount from the day… the masterclass gave me everything I was looking for – I found it fantastic.’
‘I just want to say it was one of the best one-day masterclasses I have attended.’
‘Just thank you. I always find Mslexia courses inspiring.’
We offer four bursary places for low-income writers. Please fill out this form and return it to postbag@mslexia.co.uk by 28 September.
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