Online Writing Course: 'Landscapes' with Dr Craig Jordan-Baker

This four-part course will run on Thursdays, 7–8.30pm BST on 15 and 22 October, and 7–8:30pm GMT on 5 and 12 November 2026.

Landscape is never simply a backdrop, never mere ‘scenery’, but is a canvas of human concerns: our aspirations, our worries and our ideas of who we think we are. Each session in this series combines an inspiring lecture with writing prompts and a chance to share your thoughts and words with others. Craig Jordan-Baker will explore how landscape reflects the most powerful human emotions, focusing on fascinating texts that speak to the themes of perfection, wonder, fear and romance.

Session 1: Landscapes of Perfection

Text: The Bible (Genesis)

In this introductory week we consider Eden as one of the most enduring examples of the ‘perfect’ landscape and of humanity’s ‘true’ home. Focusing on the beautiful prose of the King James Bible of 1611, we will understand what perfection might look like, as well as why there might be trouble in Paradise.

Session 2: Landscapes of Wonder

Text: Topographia Hibernica by Gerald of Wales

While it might surprise us today, in the medieval period Ireland was seen as a place of exotic wonder by many inhabitants of Great Britain, the observations in Topographia Hibernica being the most famous example. However, wonder is not always the entirety, and the way we look at such landscapes – and the people in them – can be governed as much by colonial dreams as by awe.

Session 3: Landscapes of Fear

Text: Beowulf (Old English epic poem)

We might think the landscape offers us connection, relaxion and beauty, but this is not always the case. This week we look at the early English poem Beowulf to see an attitude where the human–Nature divide is extreme and where the landscape is riven with suspicion, fear and terror of the non-human Other.

Session 4: Landscapes of Romance

Text: Sir Orfeo (Middle-English narrative poem)

Love is the very best of things, and we often express love through landscape. This week we consider a medieval English retelling of the classical Orpheus myth, where we will see that such landscapes are not merely sites of romance, but are forums where chivalric values are tested to their limit, and where the natural and the supernatural collide.

Note: While reading the texts considered each week is not necessary, participants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the content, some of which is available for free. Where this is the case, links will be provided.

Craig Jordan-Baker is a senior lecturer in creative writing at the University of Brighton, with an interest in the representation of place, landscape and Nature. He regularly runs Nature-writing workshops and leads foraging walks for a variety of organisations. His first non-fiction book, If the River is Hidden, is an account of his 2021 pilgrimage along the Bann, Northern Ireland’s longest river. He has published two novels, The Nacullians and Brick Dust, as well as scholarship and journalism. His book on urban flora, Groundwork: On Knowing the Nature Near You, will be published by Transworld/Penguin in April 2027.

Ticket price is £80 (Early bird offer until 18 September 2026). £100 full price. 

If cost is an issue, please get in touch with Amy: events@resurgence.org

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