Poetry Masterclass: Wading Through Treacle with Paul Farley
Poets are often asked: Where do your poems come from? How do they first see the light of day? And poets have often responded with all manner of rationales, rules of thumb, anecdotes and origin myths in the hope of making useful sense of it all—or blooms of chaff meant to deflect from what they consider to be an unanswerable question. But there is one form of hard evidence: drafts. What can drafts tell readers—and their original authors—about how a poem emerged and how it found its feet?
In this masterclass, Paul will share the trail of drafts that led to a single poem, along the way considering some of the intersecting forces that are in play when working with words. It also offers a chance for participants to discuss Paul’s approach to the art more generally, and to share their own experiences of working with drafts.
This Masterclass is for poets with some experience, ideally for those whose work has appeared in magazines, pamphlets or books.
Additional Details
Is this a recurring event? - No
Short description
A masterclass with Liverpool poet Paul Farley, acclaimed for his inventive engagement with everyday life, urban spaces and overlooked landscapes. Paul is a Forward Prize and Somerset Maugham Prize winner, whose latest collection, 'When It Rained for a Million Years', was shortlisted for the T S Eliot Prize 2026, as well as a regular broadcaster and radio dramatist. This is a rare opportunity to explore the making of a poem with a celebrated and much-admired poet.