Poetry Surgery (Norwich) with Helen Ivory


This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss your poems on a one-to-one basis with poet, artist and tutor Helen Ivory and receive professional feedback.  Helen's next sessions take place on:

Saturday 15 June 2013 (Book Online)
Saturday 29 June (Book online)
Saturday 28 September 2013 (Book online now)

Helen runs four one-hour sessions (11am, 12noon, 1.30pm and 2.30pm). £40 for Poetry Society members, £50 for non-members. Book online or send a cheque payable to the Poetry Society, or call with your credit card/debit card details. We will immediately contact you to confirm your session booking.

Once your booking has been confirmed, you will be asked to send your poems (up to 6 poems, or 150 lines maximum) no later than 2 weeks before the event, plus a brief accompanying note describing why you write poetry, what you hope to do with your writing and what you hope to gain from the Surgery.

Contact: Paul McGrane 020 7420 9881 or membership @ poetrysociety.org.uk

ABOUT HELEN

Helen Ivory is a poet and artist. Her third Bloodaxe Books collection is The Breakfast Machine. She is an editor for The Poetry Archive, and edits the webzine Ink Sweat & Tears . She is also co-editing with George Szirtes In their Own Words: Contemporary Poetry on their Poetry (Salt). Her fourth Bloodaxe collection Waiting for Bluebeard is due next spring. She programmes and teaches on the creative writing programme for Continuing Education at UEA, and she teaches for the Arvon Foundation and the Poetry School. www.helenivory.co.uk
 

FEEDBACK FOR HELEN'S SURGERIES SO FAR... 

"I really enjoyed the Surgery, and found it very useful - well worth the money. I liked the way she had read my poems through thoroughly in advance, and knew them well and had good suggestions ready." Jan Bay-Petersen, Cambridge

"I enjoyed my time with Helen hugely and if a price has to be put upon wise words, it was excellent value. Many thanks, and do please pass on my thanks to Helen for her infectious enthusiasm and enviable ability to 'stand back'. " Martin Childs, London

"I very much enjoyed my Poetry Surgery with Helen Ivory. She made strong suggestions connected with the way I use metaphors and line breaks, and pointed me towards poets whose writing will be of value to me in my future development. Helen is most engaging, and it was no effort to sustain a really helpful dialogue with her. She was constructive without being prescriptive, and provided me with reference material in the form of photocopies to bring home with me. It was certainly good value for money, and I would recommend it to friends. In fact, I may return to Helen at some future date to discuss progress." Richard Johnson, Cambridge

"The Poetry Surgery, certainly worked for me! Helen pitched the tone and content beautifully - she is obviously an experienced tutor. It was value for money, I would recommend it." Nigel Meager, Norwich

"I feel I have so much more freedom in my poetry and I'm looking forward to rebelling against my previous restrictions of rhyme and metering. It wasn't until our meeting that I realised how much I'd been forcing my work into a particular fashion, how much it was holding me back and the difficulties it was giving me. I also have a lot of reading to do, both with the books I own and ones she recommended." Gareth Hudson, Towcester

“Helen was very personable, friendly, warm and thoughtful - just what you need when discussing poetry and when having your work "looked at". At the same time she did not hold back in her critique - which was really helpful - but delivered it in a way that felt kind and supportive (and honest). She was a person rather than a critic and a knowledgeable and experienced person at that, who loves poetry… I felt energised and encouraged at the end of it.” Taiwo Afuape, London