A Menagerie of Forms: an introduction to experimental poetry

YOUR FIRST COURSE IN EXPERIMENTAL POETRY; IN-DEPTH, INSPIRING AND FUN!

About the course:
A solid introduction to innovative writing, this accessible and fun experimental poetry course will explore different forms and techniques used in 20th- and 21st-century innovative poetry, focusing on poetry created in English. You will start writing from day one. This course is aimed at poetry aficionados and writers who want to start writing in an innovative way, and is also great as a first-ever creative writing course.

What to expect:
The course will mix a multimedia-based lecture with a workshop. You will write and get feedback at each lesson; at the end of the course, you will have created over fifteen innovative poems. This course is a general one, and you will learn about a myriad of forms, such as:

• found text poetry (erasure and collage)
• typewriter poetry
• compact poetry (starting at one-word poems)
• poetic games and interactive poetry (where the poet provides several unique ways of reading the piece)
• sound poetry (Can one write with breathing?)
• video poetry
• wordless poetry (you will learn to write without words)
• object poetry (forms at the intersection of writing and installations)

You will expand your knowledge of contemporary poets too, including Astra Papachristodoulou, Stephen Emmerson, Karenjit Sandhu, Amy Evans Bauer, and many more!

This course will have a maximum of 10 students.

Please note you have to be over 18 to join our courses. 

COURSE LENGTH: long course: 10 weeks
TYPE: online, syncronous (live)
LEVEL: all writing levels are welcome
SCREEN TIME: 2 hours/week
WRITING TIME: 2 hours/week
START DATE: 19 June 2026
END DATE: 21 August 2026
TIME: 7PM UK time (7–9:15)

COURSE SCHEDULE: Fridays: 19 June – 21 August
19 June: class 1
26 June: class 2
3 July: class 3
10 July: class 4
17 July: class 5
24 July: class 6
31 July: class 7
7 August: class 8
14 August: class 9
21 August: class 10