The Apropos Poetry programme is comprised of three main elements:

  • Individual Manuscript Appraisals    -  NOW FULLY BOOKED
  • Workshops and Masterclasses   -  SOME MASTERCLASSES FULLY BOOKED - SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFO
  • Panel Events  -  THESE ARE FREE EVENTS.  BOOKINGS  NOT TAKEN

Read on:

MANUSCRIPT APPRAISALS     NOW FULLY BOOKED

Ivor Indyk (Giramondo and Heat) and Judith Beveridge (Meanjin) will be available to conduct a number of individual consultations and manuscript appraisals with poets.
Each consultation will be max 30 minutes.
Fee: $50.00

Application Process:

Step 1: email info@writingWA.org to express interest. Attach your writing CV and publication history. NB – To be eligible for an appraisal you must be able to demonstrate a minimum of four poems previously published in journals or other print media

Step 2: You will then be asked to submit 20 pages original, unpublished manuscript and full payment of fee either by cheque or money order payable to writingWA.

Step 3: writingWA will confirm your appraisal appointment once payment has been received.



WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES

LET THE IMAGE DO THE WORK - presenter: Judith Beveridge   THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED
The American poet Robert Bly has said that "an image keeps a poem moist". One of the best ways to get emotion into a poem is through the image. Without strong imagery a poem can appear lifeless. This workshop will look at ways to deliver strong ideas and feelings through the image. It will endeavour to teach participants how to translate the world through their bodies and create strong images. The workshop will be divided into two sections. The first half will be formal instruction - looking at a selection of poems which use the image in powerful ways. The second half will be devoted to workshopping poems from participants. Participants are requested to bring along one poem each for workshopping.
Suitable for: Established and emerging (with a min of 3 journal publications)
Max: 12 participants
Cost: $80


MAKING AND REMAKING A POEM – presenter: Mark Tredinnick      THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED
I heard Bono say of Leonard Cohen, "Most of us would be humbled to have written what he throws out." How much of a good poem comes to you ready? How much of a good poem is what you wrangle onto paper through hard labour and technique? In this workshop, poet and writing teacher Mark Tredinnick explores the process of making and finishing a poem, emphasising the importance of the mathematics of poetic composition—matters of form, line and syntax—as well as the wild, but bounded, play of imagination, eye and thought. And above all the labour of revision—the unmaking and remaking of a finished poem. The workshop will offer participants feedback on a poem of their own they bring to the workshop or write within it.
Suitable for: All (no publication history required).
Max: 12 participants
Cost: $80


THE NEXT STAGE – presenter: John Kinsella       THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED
This is a masterclass for emerging poets who have achieved publication of at least 4 poems (in journals or other print media) and are keen to progress to the next stage – the development of a collection for publication in chapbook form. Participants will be asked to bring 12 poems to the class where, under the guidance of acclaimed poet John Kinsella, they will edit individual poems, examine the positioning of each poem within the collection (“how they talk to each other”) and work towards developing the collection into a cogent whole. Enrolment to this masterclass will require applicants to submit a selection of at least 4 poems from the collection that they are hoping to develop within the class. Applications will be assessed and successful applicants notified.
Suitable for: emerging poets who have already achieved a min of 4 published poems
Max: 8 participants
Cost: $80.00


SMALLER READERS, SMALLER POEMS? - presenter: Sherryl Clark
When writing poetry for adults, we assume certain reading skills - the ability to understand metaphor and deeper imagery, for example. How do we write poems for a young audience without "dumbing down" or resorting to doggerel? This workshop will look at current poetry for kids, what they're capable of enjoying in a poem (a lot more than you think!) and ways of writing poems that are both entertaining, enriching and thought-provoking. Welcome to a whole new audience!
Suitable for: Poets specifically interested in developing new writing for a young audience
Max: 12 participants
Cost: $30.00


WHAT CAN POETRY DO FOR ME? - presenter: Sherryl Clark
If you write fiction for children, you may never have considered writing poetry too. Yet the two are not completely separate. This workshop will look at ways to write poems for kids that use energy, exciting language, imagery, devices and humour - all of which will feed back into your fiction writing. Bring notebook and pen, and be ready to write. Note: this is not a workshop about rhyming poetry!
Suitable for: children’s authors with an interest in exploring poetry for a young audience
Max: 12 participants
Cost: $30.00


THE PRESENT POET - presenter: Vivienne Glance
What are the possibilities when presenting poetry to an audience? How can the presence of the poet affect the presentation of their poems? During this workshop we will explore these questions, as well as learn how to make better use of a microphone, and prepare yourself and your work for a reading.
Suitable for: Poets interested in developing their presentation and voice skills
Max: 12 participants
Cost: $30.00

Application Process for workshop and masterclass enrolment:

Step 1: email info@writingWA.org to express interest. Attach your writing CV and publication history.
Please also note the requirements of some workshops regarding a history of published work.

NB if applying for The Next Stage Masterclass, please also provide copies of 4 unpublished poems from an evolving collection.

Step 2: writingWA will then contact you to offer a workshop opportunity and request full payment of fee either by cheque or money order payable to writingWA.

Step 3: writingWA will confirm your place in the relevant workshop once payment has been received.

PANEL EVENTS

KEYNOTE SPEECH - Fay Zwicky
One Poet's Life
"Some survive long enough to tell the tale. I'm lucky to be one of them." Fay Zwicky.

Poetry – Passion or Profession?
Perspectives on how to develop and sustain your writing practice (inspiration, opportunities, pathways...) and an examination of available resources and practical issues to consider.
Speakers: Ivor Indyk, Judith Beveridge, Jeremy Fisher, Susan Hayes
Facilitator: Lucy Dougan


Publishing – opportunities and trends
An opportunity to hear from colleagues in both the local and national publishing arena, representing presses and journal publications.
Speakers: Ivor Indyk, Judith Beveridge, Jeremy Fisher, Georgia Richter
Facilitator: Delys Bird


Poetry and New Media: new forms, new audiences, new possibilities
This panel brings together practitioners currently involved in the creation and delivery of poetry within a variety of environments and contexts - from dunny doors to cyberspace.
Speakers: Carol Jenkins, Johanna Featherstone, Susan Hayes, Patrick Pittman
Facilitator: Felena Alach


Poetry – Performance vs Print
What are the points of difference? What are the points of similarity? Does one have more value than the other? This is an opportunity to explore both sides of the argument and to consider how each form might contribute to the potential development, sustainability and appreciation of poetry. What are the current trends, issues and opportunities? Where might the future take us?
Speakers: Vivienne Glance, Carol Jenkins, Rebecca Giggs and Mark Tredinnick
Facilitator: Dennis Haskell


Something About Country
Enjoy personal perspectives and readings from poets whose work is conspicuously informed by the landscape and language of specific places and cultures.
Speakers: TBC
Facilitator: Vivienne Glance


Poetry and Community
Scoping the opportunities and how to respond to them.
Speakers: Pilar Kasat, Johanna Featherstone, Nandi Chinna
Facilitator: Lockie McDonald


Poetry and Education - Strategies for using and promoting poetry in the classroom and library
Each of our panellists will describe their work in education and share insights into what poetry can be and how it can be used in the classroom.
Speakers: Johanna Featherstone, Sherryl Clark, Kris Williams
Facilitator: Meg McKinley

Attendance at panel events is free of charge.