The Poetry Business Writing School

'Ann and Peter Sansom are incomparably experienced and inspirational tutors with a brilliant repertoire of exercises' - The Poetry Trust

'The best poetry teachers in the world' - The Guardian

The Poetry Business is offering an intensive course of study, workshops and peer-led discussion, over 18 months for up to 12 selected poets.

The Writing School is an Arts Council initiative aimed at more established poets.

A customised form of the MA that Peter Sansom taught for ten years, it is a highly-structured advanced course, which depends upon the seriousness, experience and commitment of the writers who take part.

It will be useful to any writer who needs direction and well-informed peer support; and particularly to those who themselves teach writing and wish to reassess their own practice.

This will be the fourth in a series of very successful courses, and the first in our Sheffield offices.

Applicants will normally have published at least one collection, but exceptions may be made, eg. where work has appeared widely in magazines. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss this.

• There will be nine Writing School days, beginning in the Winter of 2009 and covering an 18 month period. Each day will comprise writing exercises , a study session and critical workshop, and will take place in our offices in Sheffield, every second month (usually a Saturday 10.15am to 4pm). Dates of all the workshops will be agreed in advance.
• Between sessions, you will work both independently and in small groups: to comment on each other’s work to discuss poets and aspects of poetry. This can be done by email or by meeting together.
• A reading list will cover all periods, but with an emphasis on contemporary poetry.
• Assignments will be demanding but enjoyable and poem-centred.
• You will contribute to the construction of the course (with your own reading list and by swapping a favourite collection to discuss with other writers); and you will lead a workshop or discussion of a poet or on some aspect of contemporary poetry.
• By the end of the course you will have produced a draft manuscript of poems. We also ask for a self-appraisal of your writing development over the period.
• There is no formal assessment, but mentoring and a final editorial session will be available

All places have now been allocated.