Join hosts Jen Feroze and Degna Stone for a Sunday afternoon delve into poetry - come as you are.

This month we’re chatting about poetic forms!


After the summer break, we'll ease gently back in to our Open Mic and Practical Chats with one of the themes suggested by attendees of our Summer Gathering: "How to find the right form for my poems."

There are countless poetic forms to choose, from the décima to the dramatic monologue, the golden shovel to the glosa. So this month, we'll be showcasing poems that follow a form.

Whether you choose a sestina or a sonnet, the trick is to make sure that the form doesn't overwhelm the poem. I've read more villanelles that buckle under the weight of the rhyme scheme and repetition than I care to mention. But when they work, boy do they sing!


We'll kick off as usual with our open mic before diving into the chat. We'll let the conversation flow naturally but we might think about the following: How can you use form as a way into a poem or as a way of approaching difficult subjects? How do you know when to abandon a form and let the poem be what it wants to be? How do you know when to persevere? Come along and let us know!

Tickets for Non-Women Poets' Network members: £2 suggested donation (or more, if you're able to).  Your generosity helps us to keep our ticket prices low. 

Open Mic poets and Women Poets' Network subscribers receive free entry!  To join the WPN, and receive free entry to all our online events, please click here.

SIGN UP FOR THE OPEN MIC HERE!

Priority will be given to new readers, please submit one poem only. 

Please note, that once the open mic has started, latecomers will be admitted in the breaks between each poet.

12.30 - 12.35 pm - Welcome

12.35 - 1.35 pm - Our open mic is one poem per person, max 14 line-up. We screen share your poems for accessibility. Plus, it's wonderful to see people's craft at work.

There's no theme more open than poetic forms so who knows what we'll get! Funny or serious, complex or simple. There are so many forms to choose from or maybe we'll see the invention of a new form!

1.35 - 2 pm - Our practical chat this month is all about how the rules and structures of poetic forms can help us to write brilliant poems.

You don't need to be an expert to join the conversation, your curiosity is more than enough! Bring your compassion and encouragement, and let's see where the conversation will take us.

2 - 2.30 pm - Our Breakout Rooms give you the opportunity to continue the conversation in smaller groups. They're also the perfect place to make connections with other women poets across the UK.