The Verbarium: Creative Writing on Biodiversity and Neurodiversity

The Verbarium

Exploring biodiversity and neurodiversity together can bring illuminating connections. Over a six-week course we will explore through creative writing topics including plant and human rights, edge lands, ecotones and community.

Suitable for beginning or established creative writers and neurodivergent people at any stage of their journey (eg: exploring, self-identified, late diagnosed etc).

The course will take place in a small (up to 16), neuro-affirming group on Zoom.

Mondays 6.30-8pm (GMT). First session starting Sunday January 27th, 2025.

Full Course Dates

• Monday, January 27th 2025, 6:30-8pm
• Monday February 3rd 2025, 6:30-8pm
• Monday February 10th 2025, 6:30-8pm
• Monday February 17th 2025, 6:30-8pm
• Monday February 24th 2025, 6:30-8pm
• Monday March 3rd 2025, 6:30-8pm

Course cost: £150 (Two subsidised places available, please ask by contacting [email protected]).

Reading material and details of the writing exercises will be provided in advance of each session (some people may prefer to look at material in advance, whilst others will prefer to encounter it for the first time in the session. Either is fine!).

The sessions will be facilitated by (Dr) Kate Fox.

Poet and regular broadcaster on Radio 4. Author of “On Sycamore Gap” (Harper North), “Bigger on the Inside (Smokestack Books) and The Oscillations (Nine Arches Press) and “Where There’s Muck There’s Bras: Amazing Stories of Northern Women” (Harper North). Co Editor of the “Neurodiverse” anthology (Flapjack Press).

Poet in Residence for Glastonbury Festival, the Great North Run, Tour de Yorkshire and Radio 4’s Saturday Live. Forward Poetry Prizes judge, 2023.

PhD in Performance Studies from the University of Leeds.

Steering group member for the Playing A/Part project at the University of Kent looking at Autistic girls and women and performance. Speaker/presenter at conferences including the National Autistic Society, Scottish Autism, Participatory Autism Research, Autangel, Autscape and AMASE, Autism and the Arts Festival, Ruskin Mill Neurodiversity Conference.

Co-host of the “Neurotypicals Don’t Juggle Chainsaws Podcast”. Creator of the “Bigger on the Inside” spoken word touring show about Doctor Who and neurodiversity.

Additional individual mentoring sessions available where we will use your creative writing and reading responses as a springboard to reflect on your neurodivergent journey (£90 a session)

Host or Publisher Kate Fox