Earth Words will nurture the talents of up to 20 beginner/emerging poets, through 10 half-day, eco-poetry workshops on Saturdays, starting on January 13th, 2024. Workshops will take place at Brixham Library from 9.30am to 1pm. Subjects will include: what makes good eco-poetry, image-making, writing sensually, the word as sound, rhythm and rhyme, Earth manifestos, changing the lens of perception and poetry as activism.

Dates: January 13th, 20th, 27th, February 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, March 2nd, 9th, 16th 2024 with tutorials on April 6th and 7th, a rehearsed reading on April 13th and an informal public reading at Brixham Library on April 20th to celebrate Earth Day 2024.

No previous experience is required. Participation is free and places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Earth Words is open to anyone over 18. There is no upper age limit.

Heidi Stephenson is the former South West Coordinator for Apples and Snakes where she produced many Spoken Word events and 3 national tours. She writes poetry for International Times and All-Creatures.org. Her long-form eco-poem, The Re-Greening, a response to T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and the ecological crisis, was created with Arts Council funding in 2021. She recently completed her first collection Wild Cry: Vegan Verse for Planet Earth. She has taught over 60 writing workshops for Literature Works, Exeter University, Arvon Foundation and many NGOs.

To apply, please email speedwell9@yahoo.com by Friday 5th January 2024 with your contact details and 50 words about why you would like to take part.

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.