I’ll be running two beginner poetry courses this autumn. One of these is an online general poetry course, open to anyone who’d like to start writing poetry, or to take a fresh look at the nuts and bolts of how poetry writing works. The other course will be in-person (in Cardiff, UK) and is specifically focused on poetry that explores neurodiversity, open to anyone who has (or who thinks they might have) lived experience of neurodivergence (diagnosed, self-diagnosed, or undiagnosed).

Details of these two courses, with booking links, can be found below, and information about four other online creative writing courses (beginning in February and April 2027) can be found here.

Writing Neurodiversity: A Beginner’s Poetry Course (In-person: Cardiff)

In a safe and supportive space, this neurodivergent-led course will focus on how poetry can help us to explore, articulate, process and reflect on our own neurodivergent experience. We will respond to negative experiences and stereotypes, celebrate our neurodivergent strengths, and use language and poetic techniques to express what it means to be neurodivergent in a neurotypical world.

The course is open to anyone who has (or who thinks they might have) lived experience of neurodivergence (diagnosed, self-diagnosed, or undiagnosed).

We will examine several texts written by neurodivergent writers, including Kate Fox, Jane Burn, Esther Ottaway, and Oz Hardwick, with a focus on the following topics:

• Reflecting on childhood memories
• The neurodivergent journey – diagnosis / self-diagnosis
• Understanding our own unique neurodivergence
• Communicating lived experience to others
• Celebrating neurodivergent strengths
• Responding to stigma and stereotypes

Throughout the course, we will experiment with various writing tools (including humour, word-play, and poetic form) as a means of expressing and articulating neurodivergent lived experience, and we will use ekphrasis (responding to visual prompts) as a catalyst for reflection.

*This course is aimed at beginners. You do not need any previous experience of writing poetry. As well as writing about neurodivergent experience, we will also consider what makes a poem a poem, and reflect on poetic techniques such as line breaks, rhythm and form.

Location: Lifelong Learning Centre, Park Place, Cardiff

Date/Time: 10 weekly seminars on Tuesday mornings (10.30 to 12.30) beginning 29^th September

Fee: £220. There are also concession rates (at £176) and a fee waiver scheme.

Booking details are available HERE.

NOTE: I will be delivering an online version of this course, aimed at more experienced writers, in the Spring Term.

Poetry 1: Starting to Write (Online)

This creative writing course is for people who want to start writing poetry, or for those who are already writing poetry, but would find it helpful to take a fresh look at the nuts and bolts of how poetry works. We will examine and play with basic elements of poetic form and technique, such as white space, line breaks, repetition, rhythm, rhyme, and metaphor. We will seek inspiration from personal experience, and from visual art, and we’ll also reflect on the revision and editing process. Students will be encouraged to complete weekly reading and writing tasks through an online forum, and there will be three live workshops delivered via Teams on Thursday mornings. Here’s an outline of the topics covered…

• Poem as Experience: Concrete & Sensory Detail
• Sound, metre, rhythm and rhyme
• Poetic imagery – metaphor and simile
• Poetic Form
• Line breaks and white space
• Perspectives & Voices
• The Editing Process
• Seeking inspiration from art (ekphrasis)
• Finishing poems
• Publication options

To book a place: Visit this booking page and click ‘Enrol Now’.

Fee: £140.00. There is also a Fee Waiver Scheme for people living in Wales who meet certain criteria.

Location: online

Date/Time: The course will take place across 8 weeks, with 3 live workshops on Thursday mornings (on 15^th October, 12^th November, 3^rd December). Begins on 12th October.

The following online creative writing courses will be available for booking soon…

• Experimenting with Poetic Form & Technique (starts 1st February)
• Creative Writing: Exploring Contemporary Poetry Collections (starts 26^th April)
• Inspired by Art: Ekphrastic Poetry and Prose (starts 26^th April)