Sharing stories and poems aloud in a group is a wonderful way of bringing people together and starting conversations.
In these sessions, we read short stories and poems. There will be pauses for discussion around the reading where we will talk about how the story or poem makes us feel, about any emerging themes we are noticing, or particular lines or phrases which really ‘speak’ to us and why? Does anything relate to us personally, or remind us of something?
We then introduce a short and expressive creative writing activity using prompts from the stories and poetry, or themes that emerged from our conversations. There will be an opportunity at the end of the session for people to share their writing if they choose to.
“This course has been a lifeline to many” – -Tom, student
Recently we read the first chapter of this brilliant book by James Bowen about how his life changed when he rescued and adopted his cat, Bob.
In another session, we explored the poem Plum Tree Among Skyscrapers by Poet Laurette Simon Armitage in celebrating spring for World Poetry Day. This poem is the first in a collection called ‘Blossom’ in response to the National Trust’s blossom campaign. This campaign is seeking to bring blossom back to the UK countryside through the planting of 20 million trees by 2023 to combat climate change. We discussed this important area in our reading of Simon’s poem, here is an extract:
She was Queen of the May
on a roundabout once
in a roundabout way.
She’s piggy-backed
in a roundabout way.
across trading estates, hitched
in a mistle thrush beak,
drifted with thistledown.
She’s thumbed a lift into town.