Writers of Colour Poetry Writing Workshops - Autumn Term 2026

Writers of Colour Poetry Writing Group with poet and former Edinburgh Makar, Hannah Lavery. 

This course is for for Black writers and writers of colour based in Scotland.

Calendar of events

Suggested donation £40 - £80 (£10 - £20 per workshop x 4).

Please only book 1 ticket per workshop - do not book an online ticket and an in-person ticket for the same date. In-person participants will also be sent Zoom links in case unable to join online.

Second Thursday of the month:

• September 10th, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
• October 8th, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
• November 12th, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
• December 10th, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Hybrid: online & in-person

Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH)

2 Hope Park Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9NW

(Google Maps link)

Access + essentials

• Please register for all sessions - we are aiming for a cohort of writers.
• This course is for writers of colour based in Scotland, 18+ years, at all levels of writing.
• Registering for this course means you agree to our Safer Spaces Policy.

• This course has a suggested donation of £40 - £80 (£10 - £20 per workshop x 4). Donations help cover some of our costs, but you can donate a lower amount or register for free if on a low income. No questions asked.

• Travel, data and carer/childcare bursaries available - please complete this form after each workshop.
• All sessions are hybrid: in-person and over Zoom with 15 participants.
• Sessions include a comfort break. You may mute your mic, switch off video, fidget, or take a break any time.
• Live captions and transcripts provided by Otter.
• Please add your access requirements during registration.

About your facilitator

Each writing workshop will be led by Hannah Lavery, with writing prompts and a safe space for exploring and developing your writing practice. 

Hannah Lavery is an award‑winning poet, playwright, performer and experienced workshop facilitator. She served as Edinburgh Makar from 2021 to 2024 and is an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Scottish Literature. Her poetry has been widely published, and her poem Scotland, you’re no mine was selected by Roseanne Watt as one of the Best Scottish Poems 2019. Her autobiographical play The Drift toured Scotland as part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s 2019 season. In 2020, she was named one of the Scottish Voices for BBC Writers’ Room, won a Peggy Ramsay/Channel 4 bursary, and received a Creative Edinburgh Award for her work with the Writers of Colour group and Fringe of Colour. Her highly acclaimed play Lament for Sheku Bayoh, which she directed, was produced in collaboration with the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Edinburgh International Festival. Hannah is a former Imaginate Accelerator Artist and a former Associate Artist with the National Theatre of Scotland. Her debut poetry collection Blood, Salt, Spring was published in 2022 and shortlisted for the Saltire Award. It was followed by Unwritten Woman in 2024 and a third collection in 2026, Everything Everyday, published by Polygon. Hannah's website.