About the course
‘Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ — E.L. Doctorow,
‘Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves.’ — Viola Spolin
This workshop invites you to move beyond the inner critic and step into a space of movement, play, and discovery. Over four sessions, we will explore poetry as a living process—where rhythm, memory, and observation collide to create something unexpected.
We will experiment with how poems emerge from the natural world, the productive ‘chaos’ of chance, and the visual energy of the page. By drawing inspiration from poets such as Mary Oliver, Anne Carson, Zaffar Kunial, Fiona Benson, Niall Campbell, Sarah Howe, and others, we will discover how to balance wild spontaneity with the hidden coherence of language.
Session 1: Nature and Coherence
Discover how patterns and small wonders in the natural world can become a rhythmic map for your poems.
Session 2: The Architecture of Chance
Use improvisation and creative play to bypass the inner critic and spark surprising turns in your writing.
Session 3: Memory & Metaphor
Explore how memory and metaphor can be used not as static records, but as active engines for creativity and discovery.
Session 4: Visual Poetry and Line Breaks
Experiment with the page’s white space. We will use line breaks and visual arrangement to control the tension, silence, and movement of your poems.
You will leave the workshop with a portfolio of fresh drafts, a toolkit of generative techniques, and the confidence to let your poetry evolve organically through play, attention, and curiosity.
About the tutor
Romalyn Ante FRSL is an award-winning Filipino-born British poet, novelist, and editor. She is based in the Midlands and currently sits on the editorial board for Poetry London. Romalyn was born and raised in Lipa, Philippines, and writes in English as her second language. Her debut collection, Antiemetic for Homesickness (Chatto, 2020), was shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize and longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, and was named as one of The Poetry School’s Best Poetry Books of 2020. Her second collection, AGIMAT (Chatto, 2024), was awarded the Society of Authors’ Arthur Welton Award and was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and Observer Poetry Book of the Month. Her debut novel, The Left-Behind Child, will be published by Penguin in August 2026.
Who is it for?
All underrepresented writers—those who face barriers to opportunities due to mental health issues, physical health/disability, sensory impairment, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, substance misuse, survivors, carers, working class backgrounds, and those from the LGBTQIA+ community, Black, Asian, traveller, mixed heritage or other global majority backgrounds.
Dates & Time:
Mondays: 1 – 22 June
6-8 pm
This course takes place online via Zoom. Links will be sent seven days prior to the first session, and again the day of the first session.
Access:
You can see our full access commitments here.
- When you book, you can let us know about any access needs you have and we will do our best to accommodate them.
- Workshops will not be recorded, as we wish to ensure a safe and open space for all participants attending.
- Presentations and course handouts will be provided.
Cost:
£75 / £37.50 concessions
In order to make our resources stretch further, we have to subsidise some workshops with nominal fees well below most online courses. The more who book at full price, the more we’ll be able to offer.
Concessionary places are available for those on benefits, pensioners, unemployed/underemployed or on low wages. We do not ask for proof that you qualify.
If concessionary spaces are unavailable and/or the course is fully booked, we can add you to the waiting list if you e-mail info@creativefuture.org.uk.
Other workshops
We are offering as many workshops and as many places as our resources allow—they are heavily subsidised by our limited funding.
You might also want to have a look at other workshops on offer elsewhere.
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