Faber & Faber

The Faber Academy: Becoming a Poet 2009

A practical workshop-based course which covers all aspects of poetry-writing, from improving your technical skills to putting together a first collection.

'Becoming a Poet 2009' is a six-month course commencing in October 2009. Students will attend weekly evening workshops designed to develop an appreciation of the poetry canon as a source for writing, hone practical skills, while becoming better writers and editors of one’s own work.

In addition there will be six full-day sessions to take place on one Saturday every month. Most sessions will be led by the Course Director, poet Daljit Nagra. There will also be guest seminars given by well-known poets and publishers to provide a unique insight into the publishing industry and access to established poets.

'Becoming a Poet 2009' is an intensive course aimed at new or experienced writers who aim to publish a first collection of poetry. Students will be expected to devote as much time as possible to reading the work of other writers, writing new poems and editing existing ones so that by the end of the course they should be in a better position to assemble a strong body of work which they may wish to consider submitting to key poetry journals and publishers.

Equally, students should finish the course with a greater and more rounded enjoyment of the pleasures of reading poetry as well as a fuller appreciation of poetic technique and composition.

Individual feedback will be given by the Course Director and students will be expected to peer-review each other’s work on a regular basis. There will be opportunities for students to discuss ‘next steps’ with the Course Director and with the guest speakers. At the end of the course all students will be expected to give a short reading at the Faber offices before a select audience.

The course will be selective.

Course Programme

All classes will be based at the offices of Faber and Faber Ltd:

Bloomsbury House
74-77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA

The course consists of 24 two-hour evening sessions and 6 full-day sessions. Evening sessions will take place on Tuesdays from 7.00pm-9.00pm. Full-day sessions will take place on Saturdays from 10.00am-5.00pm.

NOTE: There is a two-week Christmas break between sessions 14 and 15.

The subject matter of sessions as listed below is a guide only. The exact course content will be finalized according to the experience and interests of the group and guest speaker availability. The detail of the course content is at the discretion of the Course Director and the Faber Academy.

Session Details

06/10/09    Introductory session and reading habits
13/10/09    Guest speaker
20/10/09    Workshop a poem by each student
24/10/09    Dramatic, lyric and narrative voice
27/10/09    Sources for writing
03/11/09    The reader's expectations
10/11/09    Historical and political contexts
17/11/09    Form and vers libre
21/11/09    Rhythm and scansion
24/11/09    David Harsent – Libretti
01/12/09    Workshop a poem by each student
08/12/09    Guest speaker
15/12/09    Beginnings and endings  
19/12/09    The nature of language and end of phase one
05/01/10    The Line
12/01/10    Syntactical devices
16/01/10    Significant genres
19/01/10    Modernism/Post-modernism/Mainstream
26/01/10    Guest speaker
02/02/10    Grammatical devices
09/02/10    Tone & Audience
16/02/10    Intertexuality
20/02/10    Guest speaker
23/02/10    Types of rhyme
02/03/10    Phonology
09/03/10    Figurative language
16/03/10    Guest speaker
20/03/10    Towards a first collection
23/03/10    Workshop a poem by each student
30/03/10    Performing your work & recap

How to Apply

There are 16 places available on 'Becoming a Poet 2009'.

Applicants should write a letter of application and return it to c/o Patrick Keogh at the Faber Academy no later than 19 June 2009. The letter should state briefly their writing experience and why they wish to attend this Faber Academy writing course. In addition, they should include:

1.    A sample of their poetry [3-5 poems. Max 5 pages of A4 (point size 12)]. Please do not send your only copy as this will not be returned.

2.    A stamped addressed postcard if they wish their application to be acknowledged.

3.    A stamped addressed envelope for receipt of the results of their application.

Course cost: £3,000

The Faber and Faber Fellowship

One place on the course will be allocated free of charge. This place will be chosen at the discretion of the Course Director and the Faber Academy and will be based on merit and not financial circumstances.

Course Director

Daljit Nagra was born and raised in West London, then Sheffield, and currently lives in Willesden where he works in a secondary school. His first collection, Look We Have Coming to Dover!, won the 2007 Forward Prize for Best First Collection and was shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award. In 2008 he won the South Bank Show / Arts Council Decibel Award.