This Friday - free event at the All Good Bookshop.Welcome to the world of modern urban poetry!  Anna Robinson, Selina Rodrigues and Ruth Valentine all write about places and scenes we know –  a housing estate, a call centre, Grenfell Tower – with insight and humour and poetic skill.Anna's third collection, Whatsname Street, tells the story of the estate in Waterloo where she still lives, in the voices and encounters of her predecessors. In the shadows and whoops of the last partyshe slipped…See More

Life Writing & Memoir Evening Workshop, with Giovanna Iozzi‘You must write a memoir as if you’re writing a novel, you have to give it a shape.’ Blake MorrisonOver 6 weeks, we will explore how to shape and structure our writing in a compelling and novelistic way. We will learn ways to hook our readers into our story, keep them turning the pages, charm and alarm them with our characters and reveal fascinating, relatable truths about our lives.We will investigate what is meant by a strong…See More

Prioritise Your Writing, with Alison ChandlerProducing a full-length work – whether it’s a novel or novella, a memoir, biography or a collection of stories – requires a love of writing, a willingness to grow as a writer and lots of hard work. Practicing all three in the company of an encouraging, supportive group makes the whole experience a lot more productive and a lot more fun!Our classes are small and each session is bespoke, tailored to participants’ specific goals. We workshop our words,…See More

Finding the Poem 2, with Paul LyallsThis is a course for anyone who wants to liberate their creativity and immerse themselves in the joy of language. Playful, fun, entertaining, enlightening – explore your word power with Paul Lyalls. Full of off-kilter pen to paper tangoing, including an Edinburgh Festival Comedy approach to humour in poetry, scuba diving what you’ve been surviving via a trip to India!A set of 6 workshops (one of 4 separate sets which can be taken in any order).Week 1) Should…See More

Novella Fever:If the short story is like a photograph and the novel is like a film, the novella is like a fever.In six weeks, we will aim to start (or finish) drafting a novella. What you work on may be only slightly longer than a short story or slightly shorter than a novel. You may have an idea to explore, or a short story that’s growing, or something resembling a novel in progress.On the course, we will look at what gives this particular form its power. We will think about the value of the…See More

Flash Fiction Workout, with Giovanna Iozzi‘Flash is its own form, uniquely suited to innovation and experimentation…That’s what makes it so exciting to read and write. Flash fiction, done well, can be so mind-bending and fresh.’ Kathy FishIn this class, we will explore the exciting short form of Flash Fiction using quirky themes, concepts and visual writing prompts. We will:Read a wide range of published Flash pieces from the heart-breaking, funny and joyful to the experimental, uncanny and…See More

Introduction to Creative Writing Part 2, with Alison ChandlerCreative Writing Part 2 follows on from Part 1 but newcomers are very welcome.This set of six sessions builds on the fundamentals of storytelling, looking in detail at ways to develop a sophisticated narrative and a sense of what your writing communicates to a reader. As with Part 1, the emphasis is on supporting you as a writer in a friendly, positive and constructive environment where we all learn from each other.Week 1) What kind…See More

Join author Selim Özdoğan with his translators Ayça Türkoğlu and Katy Derbyshire for an evening of reading and conversation all about their newly published book, 52 Factory Lane.   Selim Özdoğan’s beautifully melancholy Anatolian Blues trilogy unfurls a woman’s whole life between Turkey and Germany. Gül moves to a new country and learn all kinds of longing: for her two daughters, for her father the blacksmith, for scents and colours and fruit. Yet imperceptibly, Factory Lane becomes a new kind…See More

Here at Collage Writing Room, we have 2 free places to give away on Poetry and Life Writing courses starting next week? If you're interested, email kate@collage-arts.org saying why you think you would benefit from the course.Have a look at our website for details of these and all our courses for mornings and evenings!http://collagewritingroom.com/spring-programme/ (some of the programming script has leaked through in our website, so…See More

NEW!! Flash Fiction Workout with Giovanna Iozzi‘Flash is its own form, uniquely suited to innovation and experimentation…That’s what makes it so exciting to read and write. Flash fiction, done well, can be so mind-bending and fresh.’ Kathy FishIn this new class, we will explore the exciting short form of Flash Fiction using quirky themes, concepts and visual writing prompts. We will:Read a wide range of published Flash pieces from the heart-breaking, funny and joyful to the experimental,…See More