A heady mix of comedy, music, spoken word, live poetry and audience participation - plus all the usual strange or stupendous Open Mic talent.

To register your interest contact Dean Parkin (think Eric Morecambe crossed with Philip Larkin, plus champion sideburns) at dparkin@thepoetrytrust.org

Supported by The Co-op Community Fund

A heady mix of comedy, music, spoken word, live poetry and audience participation - plus all the usual strange or stupendous Open Mic talent.

To register your interest contact Dean Parkin (think Eric Morecambe crossed with Philip Larkin, plus champion sideburns) at dparkin@thepoetrytrust.org

Supported by The Co-op Community Fund

In March, for the past three years The Poetry Trust has run an Advanced Seminar (with  funding from Jerwood 2006-2009), aimed at poets working towards a first or second collection. These intensive, five-day seminars all took place at Bruisyard Hall, near Saxmundham, Suffolk and were tutored by Michael Laskey and Peter Sansom and saw poets work in depth on their manuscripts, looking at other poets exemplary first collections in the process, and also create new work. The success of these seminars is evident by the calibre and ensuing success of many the poets who have taken part - e.g. Allison McVety, Katrina Naomi, Ed Reiss, Philip Rush and Kathryn Simmonds.

The next Advanced Seminar will take place 15-19 March 2010, with some of participating poets to be given showcase and further development opportunities at the 22nd Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, 5-7 November 2010.

The seminar will include:

• Group workshopping of participants’ poems
• One-to-one tutorials
• Discussion of sequencing a collection
• Craft talks and close readings of exemplary poems
• Writing workshops
• Practical help with giving readings

All tuition, accommodation (single occupancy) and meals (catered) are included. This will be a highly subsidised course, costing £285 per participant. Further bursaries including travel grants are available in exceptional cases.

TO APPLY IN PERSON OR TO NOMINATE A POET

To apply in person the following needs to be supplied:

• Full contact details (including email)
• A selection of poems (no more than six, published or unpublished)
• Publication history
• A brief biography
• A short statement of suitability for the course, likely contribution to the group and anticipated benefits (no more than 100 words)

To nominate a poet please ensure your nominee provides the above and also includes your letter of recommendation.

Please send this information, preferably by email, to: info@thepoetrytrust.org
or by post to:

Advanced Seminar, The Poetry Trust
The Cut, 9 New Cut, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8BY

All applications must be received by Friday 12 February 2010
Successful applicants will be notified no later than Friday 19 February.

If you have any questions contact The Poetry Trust on: 01986 835950 or email info@thepoetrytrust.org