Masterclass: Writing with Chronic Illness | Delight is eternal energy

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Tutor

Gwyneth Lewis

Course Level

Intermediate

Date Recorded Friday January 26th 2024, 11:00-13:00 GMT

Location Online

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‘Energy is eternal delight’ is a wonderful maxim if you’re not bed- or housebound, suffering from a chronic condition that leaves you unable to shower or even walk to the fridge on some days.

For Gwyneth Lewis, one of the most prominent Welsh poets of her generation, and the first writer to take up the Welsh Laureateship, being severely ill for the last decade has meant giving up her former idea of what being a poet is and adapting to new ways of working. In this Masterclass, you will look at how you can think creatively within chronic pain and brain fog, preparing your mind for those times when the internal weather lifts and lets you see a broader view for a while. You will read some poems by writers in their illness and other constraining circumstances. Gwyneth leads you through some exercises to get your mind ranging as widely as possible, but without depleting your precious energy. Gwyneth says: ‘This is terrain that everybody has to face from time to time and eventually, so we’re experts in how to batten down the hatches in bad weather while making the most of every day.

If we don’t have boundless energy, then we can hone our capacity for its equivalent: delight? We’ll explore practical strategies but also consider how we can make our situation a creative asset for ourselves and others. This is difficult but, in company, can and is being achieved.’

Tutor

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Gwyneth Lewis

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Gwyneth Lewis is an award-winning freelance poet and non-fiction writer. She wrote the words on the front of the Wales Millennium…

Online: £25.00

Concessions: £12.50

We are committed to making our Arvon at Home programme accessible to as many people as possible.

When you make your purchase, you will receive an email confirmation, including a link to the recording. You can access it at any time using that link. It can also be accessed by logging in to your account on our website, opening the course card on your ‘My Bookings’ page, and clicking on the red ‘Recording’ button. Any course materials that may have been shared for the live session will also be available via a button in the course card. All Masterclasses are recorded with auto-generated captioning, which appears on the recordings.

If you require any assistance or further information, please email arvonathome@arvon.org

"These zoom opportunities are really helping to open my world and keep me inspired to write."

— Masterclass participant

"Arvon at Home creates a model to participate in inspirational tutoring for writers, at a distance. The feeling of attending to my writing life in an excellent fashion, and still having a half-day for my work and caring responsibilities at home, felt like a good balance."

— Masterclass participant

"It was an absolutely brilliant session and very very useful. And it made me realise how much I’ve missed this kind of workshop because of having children and family that I can’t leave. Now we’re all in the same boat the online stuff is truly transformative."

— Masterclass participant

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