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POETRY KIT
ONLINE POETRY COURSES

Poetry Kits unique range of poetry and other courses available for anyone with an internet connection.

A Poetry Kit Online Poetry or Creative Writing Course is available
wherever you are.  If you are online you can take a course.
You need nothing other than a computer with internet access.
(One student has taken our poetry course using the email function on a TV and several
through access at their local libraries and Internet Cafes.)
So far students living in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, India, Pakistan, Germany, France, Viet Nam and China
 have taken successfully taken Poetry Kit courses.

INDEX TO COURSES

AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR - MONTHLY START DATES

 

ONLINE POETRY COURSES

Foundation    A basic course for suitable as an introduction to writing poetry.
Poetry 1 A ten week course in reading and writing poetry.  For the poets who wants to develop their skills.
Poetry 2 A course in advanced writing skills.  A course to help a skilled poet improve still further.
Critique A personal critique service.
   
 

LIVERPOOL BASED COURSES 

Performance A one day course in performing  poetry.  Conducted in Liverpool, UK.    (Fully booked.)
Residential  A five day poetry course in Liverpool, UK.    (Fully booked.)
 

OTHER ONLINE WRITING COURSES

Scriptwriting Scriptwriting for TV and Film.   (booked till mid 2008)
 

SPECIALIST STUDIES

Shakespeare  A look at the poetry of William Shakespeare
Bob Dylan An in depth look at the lyrics and techniques used by Bob Dylan
   

OTHER COURSES

Other Courses Other courses available.

 

All courses start at regular intervals.

Sign up for course news or for more information courses@poetrykit.org

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 


 

 

Poetry Foundation

Next course start date Monday 3rd March 2008
Following start dates Monday 7th April 2008

 

Monday 5th May 2008

 

Five week course requiring about 20 hours to complete

Duration - 5 weeks* - email based sessions and  guided study.

The Course  -  This foundation course in writing poetry takes the participant through some of the basic processes of writing poetry with lots of practical examples and writing exercises.  The purpose of the course is to allow the participant to explore many aspects of writing poetry and to introduce them to a wider reading and understanding.  

The course will look at modern free form poetry and several set forms including the sonnet.  This course has been introduced to enable those who are relatively new to poetry to develop their skill and to learn more about contemporary poetry.

Qualifications required - People wishing to take this course do not require any previous qualifications, they do however need to have an interest in the craft of writing poetry and a determination to improve their writing and produce successful poems. 

Fee - The course fee is £35 (UK£)

The Course Tutor - The course is presented by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing poetry and lecturing.  He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information about see an interview and his publishers page.

For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

 

Poetry 1

 

Next course start date Monday 3rd March 2008
Following start dates Monday 7th April 2008

 

Monday 5th May 2008

 

 

Ten week course requiring about forty hours to complete.

 

Duration - 10 weeks* - 20 hours made up of 20 1 hour sessions (average time - 2 sessions per week) and 20 hours of guided study and writing time (you could take more if you wish but this is the recommended minimum.)

 

The Course  -  This course in writing poetry takes the participant through some of the basic processes of writing poetry in an entertaining and interesting way. Through a series of set exercises, discussions and critique sessions, backed up with talks, notes and feedback.  The purpose of the course is to allow the participant to build their skills of observation and clarity of language while at the same time allowing their individual voice and technique to develop.   Through an integrated use of internet technology each course builds into a small community of poets who learn in a supportive and challenging environment, learning to give and take critique.

The course looks at a variety of styles and forms of poetry which will allow the participant to build a sound knowledge of some of the technical terms while utilising them in a practical and interesting way.   The course includes elements relating to preparing and submitting poems for publication,  reading poems and presenting them in a live setting, revising poetry and editing.

 

Qualifications required - People wishing to take this course do not require any previous qualifications, they do however need to have an interest in the craft of writing poetry and a determination to improve their writing and produce successful poems. 

 

Fee - The course fee is £60 (UK£)

 

The Course Tutor - The course is presented by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing poetry and lecturing.  He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information about see an interview and his publishers page.

 

For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

Poetry 2

Next course start date Monday 10th March 2008
Following start dates Monday 14th April 2008

 

Monday12th May 2008

 

Ten week course requiring about forty hours to complete.

Duration - 10 weeks*- Consisting of 20 hours made up of 20 1 hour sessions (2 per week) and 20 hours of guided study and writing time.

The Course - This course in writing poetry takes the participant on from the point of Poetry 1 and is intended for those with some experience at writing and who wish to develop their skills further.   The objectives of the course are achieved through exercises designed to introduce new concepts in writing and stretch the participant, discussions and critique sessions, backed up with talks, notes, support and feedback.  The purpose of the course is to allow the participant to build their skills of observation and clarity of language while at the same time allowing their individual voice and technique to develop.  The course looks at a variety of styles and forms of poetry which will allow the participant to build a sound knowledge of some of the technical terms while utilising them in a practical and interesting way.   The course includes elements relating to preparing and submitting poems for publication,  reading poems and presenting them in a live setting, revising poetry and editing.  

Qualifications required - People wishing to take this course do not require any previous qualifications, they do however need to be able to identify themselves as writers with some experience.  Those who have previously taken the Poetry Kit Poetry 1 course will find this a natural development.  

Fee - The course fee is £70 (UK£)

The Tutor - The course is presented by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing poetry and lecturing. He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information see an interview and his publishers page.

For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

 

Performing Poetry

 

Next course start date

 Fully booked until end 2009

 

1 Day Residential Poetry Course in Liverpool

 

Duration - 1 day,  There is no better time to visit Merseyside than during the two tremendous years of celebration in 2007 - 700th Anniversary of the founding of the City and 2008 the year Liverpool is European Capital of Culture.  Jim Bennett who has won many prestigious awards for performance of his poetry conducts a 1 day workshop for those interested in improving their performance techniques or learning how to approach performance for the first time. A great confidence and skills builder.

 

The Course - The workshop includes, writing for performance, characterisation, techniques of performance.

 

Fee - The course fee is £70 (UK£) (A max of 6 on the course except by special arrangement)

 

The Tutor - The course is presented by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing poetry and lecturing. He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information see an interview and his publishers page.

for information  courses@poetrykit.org For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

 

Residential Poetry Course

Next course start date Monthly but fully booked for 2006 - 2008 - next available course June 2009

 

1 Week Residential Poetry Course in Liverpool

Duration - 1 week, Monday to Friday.  There is no better time to visit Merseyside than during the two tremendous years of celebration in 2007 - 700th Anniversary of the founding of the City and 2008 the year Liverpool is European Capital of Culture.  Jim Bennett has regular 1 week residential workshops in Poetry writing and development. 

The Course - The workshops will include, poetry techniques, finding and responding to a subject, choosing the right form, finding the right voice.  Editing and revising. 

Fee - The course fee is £70 (UK£)

The Tutor - The course is presented by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing poetry and lecturing. He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information see an interview and his publishers page.

for information  courses@poetrykit.org For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

Critique

Next course start date Ongoing

 

The Critique Service - Critique and close reading of up to 10 poems (some limitation in respect of word and line length may mean this figure is reduced if the poems are longer)

This is an individual critique service available from Jim Bennett, allowing those using the service to send 10 poems and have them individually critiqued by Jim who is an internationally known, prize-winning  poet.  By sending poems over a period of time the participant can use the service to develop their skills and to get feedback on their progress.

Fee - The fee for this service is £30 (UK£)

The Tutor - The critiques are given by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing and performing poetry and lecturing.  He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information see an interview and his publishers page.

For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

 

The Poetry of Shakespeare

Next course start date Monday 17th March 2008

 

Five week course*

Duration - This 8 session course over 5 weeks takes a look at Shakespeare's writing.  We will be particularly interested in exploring Shakespeare's Sonnets and longer poems, but will also look at how poetry is used in some of his plays and the effects achieved.   This is also a key course in learning about criticism and reading poetry.   Amongst other things we will be looking at close reading and how the writers life is reflected in their art.

Qualifications required - People wishing to take this course do not require any previous qualifications, they do however need to be keen on finding our more about Shakespeare and exploring his work.

Fee - £30

The Tutors - The course is written and supervised by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing and performing poetry and lecturing.  He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information see an interview and his publishers page.  The course is delivered by Bill Westron, editor of The Western Magazine and a former Lecturer in Creative Arts and Literary History at New York..

For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

 

The Poetry of Bob Dylan

Next course start date

Monday 10th March 2008

 

Five week course *

Duration - This 8 session course over 5 weeks takes a look at Bob Dylan's writing. 

The Course - This 8 session course takes a look at Bob Dylan's writing.  We will looking at examples of his writing from periods throughout his career and examining how he uses words to shape the environment of the song, we will also be looking at his influences and the influence he ha had on others.  We will also look at his body of work and to try to understand the position he occupies in popular music.   Fee £30.

Qualifications required - People wishing to take this course do not require any previous qualifications, they do however need to be keen on finding our more about Bob Dylan and exploring his work.

The Tutors - The course is written and supervised by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing and performing poetry and lecturing.  He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information see an interview and his publishers page.  The course is delivered by either Jim Bennett or Bill Westron, editor of The Western Magazine and a former Lecturer in Creative Arts and Literary History at New York..

For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

Scriptwriting for TV and Film

All Courses start dates Monday 24th March 2008

 

20 week course*

Duration - This course over 20 weeks looks at all aspects of scriptwriting .

The Course - The course looks at all aspects of writing for TV and Film.   Fee £165.

Qualifications required - People wishing to take this course do not require any previous qualifications, they do however need to be keen to learn about scriptwriting.

The Tutors - The course is written and presented by Jim Bennett who is a highly experienced lecturer having delivered courses in creative writing for the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and for the WEA.   Jim is a full time professional poet who earns his living from writing and performing poetry and lecturing.  He has won many awards over a forty year writing carer.  For more information see an interview and his publishers page.

For more information email - courses@poetrykit.org

 

OTHER WRITING COURSES

 

Various other courses are available from time to time including:
 
Poetry in English - When English is not a first language (6 weeks)
Creative Writing  - General introduction to Creative Writing (10 weeks)
Writing Reviews - Introduction to review writing. (5 weeks)
Sci Fi and Fantasy - Genre writing course (10 weeks)
Travel Writing - Introduction to Travel Writing  (10 weeks)

For  further details of these or any of our other courses email - courses@poetrykit.org   

*  The duration of the course is approximate and for guidance only.  In practice most courses will run over a longer period than stated as this

depends on students turn around time for assignments.

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