Writing Poems Through the Guidebook Form: Workshop with Anita Slater

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice? Or do you get stressed out if there are too many (or too few) instructions? These poetry workshops run by writer and researcher Anita Slater will probably solve nothing and make you feel way more confused, but you’ll (hopefully) have a lot of fun.

Join Anita for a series of three poetry workshops with various writing prompts centred around ‘guidance experiments’- you are welcome to sign up to one workshop, join for an hour of one (they will be self-contained), or sign up to all three. We will explore the relationship between the guidebook form and the poem, thinking about issues around standardised instructions, but also romanticised ideas around ‘getting lost’, and we will consider methods of alternative learning. Whichever one you attend, you will leave with a draft of at least one poem and lots of ideas, and I will collect (with permission) scraps from each of the workshops to turn into a small pamphlet.

Read below for more details about each workshop and to sign up for free.

2-hour workshop (with coffee break, second hour hybrid) Wednesday March 18th 10am-12pm

We will discuss the concept of alternative touring and ‘poetry tours’ and take a local tour of our own, and then we will use prompts to write our own wandering poems/ pieces.

2-hour workshop (with coffee break, second hour hybrid) Thursday March 19th 1pm-3pm

We will use ‘guided’ materials to make found poems playing with the themes of instruction and admin.

2-hour workshop (with coffee break, second hour hybrid) Friday March 20th 1pm-3pm

We will make poetry sculptures and scenes, considering the place of the poem in urban space.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Manchester Poetry Library