This series of free seminars will focus on important matters in Creative Writing today. Please note the date for the PhD commentary seminar has changed - it has been rearranged for later in March (it was originally scheduled for 6th March).
The themes and speakers for the seminars are:
Seminar 1: Creative Writing and REF21 – the assessment of practice-based research
Tuesday 20 February 2018 Room G35
The next national assessment of university scholars’, departments’ and faculties’ research performance will take place in 2021. This seminar considers the practicalities of how such assessment is approached with a practice-based subject such as Creative Writing. Co-organised with NAWE, the seminar will help those preparing outputs for 2021, along with all those working in, or interested in, the subject area. Speakers: Robert Hampson (Royal Holloway). Introduced by Derek Neale (Open University).
Seminar 2: Innovations in Contemporary Poetry: Ekphrastic/collaborative practice
Tuesday 20 March 2018 Room G35
Poets have long been inspired to write about their responses to works of art in other media, a tradition known as ekphrasis. Within a contemporary context, how are poets reinvigorating the ekphrastic tradition and expanding the concept of ekphrasis through their diverse practices? The speakers are all practising poets who will discuss and read from their work.
Speakers: Deryn Rees-Jones (University of Liverpool), Denise Saul (freelance writer), and Helen Tookey (Liverpool John Moores University). Introduced by Jane Yeh (Open University).
Seminar 3: Writing about writing: what is a creative writing PhD commentary?
Tuesday 27 March 2018 Room G34 (Please note: the date for this seminar has changed - it has been rearranged for later in March (it was originally scheduled for 6th March).
The commentary is a common accompaniment to the novel or poetry collection in a Creative Writing PhD. The student is tasked with writing about their creative process, while making connections to relevant research and cultural contexts. Such commentaries can be controversial, for examiners and those trying to write them. This seminar will be led by three Creative Writing academics who have written commentaries themselves, but also supervised and examined PhDs. They will consider various approaches, before inviting open discussion with PhD students and other writers. The seminar is co-organised with the NAWE PhD Network.Speakers: Derek Neale (also introducing), Sally O’Reilly and Jane Yeh (all Open University).
All seminars are convened by the Open University’s Contemporary Cultures of Writing research group in collaboration with The Institute of English Studies, UCL. The first and third seminars are also in collaboration with the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) and their PhD Network.
Dates: Tuesday evenings, February 20, March 20 and March 27 2018, from 5.30-7.30
Location: Senate House, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
Cost: Free and open to all
Further information about this seminar series available here