I’ve just finished an online workshop facilitated by Andy Jackson called ‘Poetry Season’, which ran over six weeks, each with a different theme.

Andy’s based in Victoria, an amazing poet with five collections to his name, the most recent being Music Our Bodies Can’t Hold. I’ve met Andy a few times now, such a warm and engaging person, so when he sought interest in a new poetry workshop he’d developed, I jumped at the chance.

The weekly assignment comprised a short essay, example poems and prompts for us to respond to by drafting a poem of our own and sharing it with the other participants. Andy ran two groups in parallel due to the volume of interest received, with another scheduled later in the year, already with a waiting list I believe.

Summer

Themes covered included ‘Summer’ (incredibly apt considering the recent heatwaves!), ‘Place’ and ‘Others’, all inviting us to explore form and technique, to step into unfamiliar territory, to not hold back. Andy provided detailed feedback each week with participants encouraged, but not required, to share their thoughts on each piece. The group I was in was incredibly talented and supportive in the comments and suggestions made, which I used to improve each of my drafts.

I’d highly recommend this workshop if you want to connect with like-minded people, discover new poets and receive invaluable feedback from a fantastic one. It’s given me six poems patiently waiting to be released when opportunity calls. Pretty good for six weeks’ worth of work I reckon.