Arvon at Home: Poetry Writing Week 

In this exciting online poetry writing week we will focus on the enjoyment of making new poems, both by mining personal histories and pushing our subject matter in new directions.

Welcoming and encouraging for both new and experienced poets, there will be opportunities for a whole group dynamic to emerge, alongside small group work and one to one feedback. Quiet personal time will also be encouraged.

We will share in advance a stimulating variety of accessible contemporary poems, and focusing on the vital elements of imagery and music, we will discover exciting ways to rethink our past and find new language to capture our contemporary moment.

We’ll help you to make ‘Arvon at Home’, turning your own place into a writing cocoon, capturing the transformative power of our acclaimed Arvon residential courses: two brilliant author-tutors at your service, a caring and sharing group, the time and space to devote to your writing, invaluable feedback, new writing pals, and the unique creative progress that happens in a dedicated week. 

You will be offered the best of a classic Arvon residential week, with a few virtual tweaks. Spot the difference: a carefully balanced combination of tips to help you focus, daily morning workshops, one-to-one tutorials with both tutors, three evening get-togethers to chat about the day’s work, a mid-week guest reading offer, the celebratory Friday-evening collective reading, and lots of time and encouragement for you to write every day. You will receive a free ticket to our Wednesday evening Live Guest Reading with Kamila Shamsie.

All gatherings, one-to-one or group, will be delivered via our own Arvon Zoom, so you’ll need to have a reliable internet connection. Your Arvon Centre host will be on call to offer support as you need it, including any help you may need with your computer set-up.

To participate, and to get the most out of the week, you’ll need to turn up online for all planned morning sessions, Monday to Friday. You should also set aside your afternoons for tutorials and independent writing time.  Last but not least, we urge you to read your tutors’ published work before the week starts.

Dates: Monday 15 June 5pm  — Friday 19 June 9pm
Cost: £350

If you have any questions about how the week works, or are on a low income and would like to apply for a grant to reduce the course fee please contact communications@arvon.org (grants are limited to four places).