Current Poetry Classes

Now accepting enrolments for:

Autumn/winter 2023

May 6th to June 4th, 2023
Reading for Writing: Examining the Ockhams

A five-session Reading for Writing course with a New Zealand focus, taking a close look at the books shortlisted for the poetry category of the 2023 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards: Alice Te Punga Somerville’s Always Italicise: How to Write While Colonised, Joanna Cho’s People Person, Anahera Maire Gildea’s Sedition, and Khadro Mohamed’s We’re All Made of Lightning. (Winners announced May 17th.)

It’s a fascinating mix – all women of colour, and three of the four books are debut collections. We’ll talk about what makes for a Best Collection, what this suggests about the current state of poetry in Aotearoa New Zealand, and how we feel about the judges’ selections.

As well as an in-person option and a Zoom option, I’m also offering a handouts-only option for those who are happy to follow on their own.

A combination of close reading with writing exercises.
Suitable for all levels.

Saturday afternoons, May 6, 13, 20, 27 & June 3, 2023
(five sessions)
2 pm to 5 pm

The Boardroom,
South Library
66 Colombo St
Beckenham

max 10, min 6
Fee: $45

OR
Sunday mornings, May 7, 14, 21, 28 & June 4th, 2023
(five sessions)

10 am to 1 pm
Online via Zoom

max 10, min 6
Fee: $45

OR
Handouts only – five weekly pdfs delivered straight to your inbox.
Fee: $20

Supported by Christchurch City Council Creative Communities fund

To enrol, or to ask a questions about the courses, please use the contact form below.
To see what else is planned for 2023, visit the Workshops for 2023 page.

Christchurch and Zoom workshops, May/June 2023