A Workshop Series for Poets: EVENT OVER
Key Information
When: Four Saturdays: 8, 15, 22 February; 1 March
10 am – 12 pm
Venue: Wallsend Railway Goods Shed, 76 Cowper Street, Wallsend NSW 2287
Cost:
Full Price: $360
Member: $300
Member concession / youth*: $240
Non-member concession / youth: $300
Hunter Writers Centre defines youth as someone aged 25 years or under.
Registrations for this workshop have now closed.
About the Course
This four-week course equips poets—whether beginners or more experienced—with the tools, skills and confidence to refine and advance their craft.
The course offers a structured and playful exploration of poetry-writing techniques over four weeks, tackling challenges like facing the blank page, finding clarity, defining style and intention, and ‘killing your darlings.’ Each session provides strategies for crafting meaningful, polished poetry while encouraging an exploration of form, style, and the broader poetry landscape.
By the end of the course, participants will feel empowered with new skills, greater confidence, and clear approach for their creative journey.
Step into the adventure of poetry with the tools and guidance to chart your unique path.
Course Structure
Week One: From Inspiration to Draft
This session focuses on generating ideas and capturing poems from the abstract space of thought and inspiration. Participants will translate inspiration into tangible drafts, laying the groundwork for future development.
Week Two: Shape and Structural Possibilities
This session examines structural and stylistic elements of poetry, inviting participants to explore various forms and experiment with techniques to expand their creative range. By uncovering natural tendencies and trying new approaches, poets gain a deeper understanding of how shape and structure influence their work.
Week Three: Polish and Purpose
This workshop centre on techniques for editing and polishing poetry. Participants will identify the essence of their poems and refine drafts for clarity and impact. Discussions will explore the ways and reasons poets adjust their work, whether for personal satisfaction or preparing for publication.
Week Four: Poetry in session Practice and Community
In the final, participants explore the poetry ecosystem and the role of community in sustaining a writer’s practice. By reviewing their work and applying workshop insights, poets develop strategies to embed their practice into everyday life, engage with the writing community, and approach publication with confidence. This session ties together all previous elements, equipping participants to continue their poetry journey independently and within the wider creative landscape.
Accessibility
Wallsend Railway Goods Shed is a wheelchair friendly space.
Please call Katherine on 0435 858 145 to discuss specific access requirements.
Getting There
Public Transport:
For your most direct route to Wallsend Railway Goods Shed, use Transport NSW’s Trip Planner service: Trip Planner | transportnsw.info
By Bus:
Take Bus Route 23 and get off at Murnin St at Cowper St. The venue is approx.120 metres walk from the bus stop.
By Car:
Vehicle access is via Dan Rees Street into the 2-hour parking area immediately adjacent to the building, which also has an electric car-recharging facility.
Gillian Swain is a poet based in the Hunter region on Wonnarua land and grew up on Awabakal land. Gillian’s poetry appears in various journals and anthologies including the Australian Poetry Anthology Vol 10 (2023), Burrow (Old Water Rat Publishing, v1,2,3), Live Encounters magazine: Special Australia-New Zealand edition (May 2021) as well as Poetry for the Planet: An Anthology of Imagined Futures (2021, Littoria Press), What we Carry: poetry on childbearing (2021, Recent Works Press) and others. She is involved in running various poetry events including Poetry at the Pub (Newcastle), was the Co-Director and Poetry Curator of for the writers festival ‘IF Maitland’ in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and has run various poetry workshops across all age groups. Gillian has recently established the popular poetry event Culture Club: Poets Society. Her debut poetry collection is My Skin its own Sky (Flying Islands Press, 2019) following her chapbook Sang Up (Picaro Press, 2001).