In the workshops, we will explore reparative practices. These are strategies that queer people might use to find sustenance and pleasure in a culture which tries to deny us those. In these workshops, we will explore reparative practices in queer poetry and apply those to our writing.

You are welcome to attend one, two or all three workshops. In each workshop, we’ll read some queer poetry and then write some of our own in a relaxed and supportive environment. The aim is to explore the exciting possibilities that queerness presents for poetry.

We’re also creating an anthology of queer poetry. After you’ve attended a workshop, you’re welcome to submit a poem to the anthology. This will be printed and available to pick up at the Poetry Library.

Tom White (he/him) will deliver the workshops. Tom is a PhD student at Southampton University, doing research on – you’ve guessed it – queer reparative poetics. He also co-runs Fruit, a queer literary journal.

Workshop 1: Recuperation
[In-Person: 13/09/23, 6pm-8pm] [Online: 14/09/23, 6pm-8pm]
In this workshop, we’ll explore queer connections to forgotten, discarded and obsolete objects. We’ll honour them in our poems.

Workshop 2: Excess
[In-Person: 20/09/23, 6pm-8pm] [Online: 21/09/23, 6pm-8pm]
In this workshop, we’ll think about the importance of richness and abundance in queer lives. We’ll experiment with excessive writing.

Workshop 3: Relating
[In-Person: 27/09/23, 6pm-8pm] [Online: 28/09/23, 6pm-8pm]
In this workshop, we’ll consider how important it is for queer people to find living things we can relate to. We’ll connect with people, other animals and plants through poetry.

Dates: 13 - 27 September 2023
Location: Manchester Poetry Library/Online
Cost: Free

Further info and to book via Eventbrite