Writing and poetry workshops and courses
Many people enjoy learning to write poems or stories—and I enjoy helping them learn! I have years of experience teaching in-person and online poetry workshops and writing lessons.
Do you want to win writing competitions and get published? My tactful, constructive feedback has helped many writers! Ask me about becoming your poetry mentor or writing coach.
Image: Artem Podrez
Writing and poetry classes for everyone!
My writing classes are friendly and supportive. There’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ writing, no judgment, assessment, or competition—just encouragement, inspiring writing experiments, easy-to-understand information, and helpful feedback.
Jackson’s honest, respectful feedback has helped me to write with more confidence … Because Jackson is so willing to share [their] knowledge, I always come away feeling that I’ve learned something new.
Elizabeth Nicholls
As well as a much-published, awarded writer and poet, I’m a trained adult educator and group facilitator. I have over 15 years’ experience teaching poetry, writing and associated subjects. I have presented hundreds of in-person poetry workshops and writing courses for libraries, colleges, schools, community groups, and individuals, as well as private online poetry lessons and mentoring for a number of writers. I have also taught tertiary courses online and in person.
I’m available to present in-person and online writing lessons and courses for individuals and groups, and poetry workshops for all levels, from beginners to established writers. I’d be happy to travel to your venue.
I’ll get you writing. Contact me today!
Praise for my work as a writing tutor and poetry teacher
There is no right or wrong with Jackson: [they] will simply help you to find places within yourself and your writing that have not yet had permission (from you) to come out. Jackson gives you the permission to give yourself that permission—and this is the basis for fine creative work.
Andrea Barnard
[Jackson’s TAFE writing course] was a really great course and from that time with Jackson I have strengthened my passion for writing.
A few years later I joined Jackson at Poetry Kitchen and found it very beneficial. This led me to have some private [writing lessons] with Jackson and I gained so much from the one-on-one experience. Jackson can take a bow for getting me to the stage of publishing a poem. Since then I have had four poems published in Creatrix and a short story in Redgum Reports, who approached me to write something …
Jackson is a great teacher and [their] own writing is a wonderful inspiration to the student. [Jackson] has given me the confidence to continue.
Ann Harrison
Ask me about being your writing or poetry tutor!
My writing and poetry courses and workshops
Here are some of my most successful creative writing workshops and courses. Ask me about tailored sessions for you or your organisation.
- Poetry Editing
Poetry is art made with words. In this workshop, we’ll learn how to refine our poems to achieve their potential as artworks and reach the audience they deserve through publications and awards. - Create Your Own 21st-Century Poems
A 7-week introduction to contemporary poetry writing. - Creative Writing for Adults course
Express yourself freely in a safe, supportive environment. Learn new ways to put your feelings and thoughts into words and make them into poetry or stories. - Expand Your Boundaries creative writing workshop
Leap or tiptoe out of your comfort zone. Let my writing experiments lead you to write in new ways. Look at example pieces and discuss how form can create feeling. - Perennially Popular Poetry
It’s often said that poets today are writing for each other — but what if we want to capture the imagination of those who are not poets, critics, or students? In this workshop, we’ll learn what it takes to write a great poem, and maybe come away with some of our own. - Poem Clinic
Don’t abandon your sick and injured poems: bring them in for a friendly healing session. Some need cosmetic surgery; some need deep healing. Explore what works, what doesn’t, and what to do about it. - The Semantics of Silence: Writing Poems That Breathe
Poetry is made of words, but that’s only half the story. Poets compose with silences, too. The pauses in a poem let it breathe and come alive. In this workshop, we explore the uses of silence through writing experiments and examples. - Writing for the Ear poetry workshop
Discover how contemporary poets use the music of language to affect the reader’s consciousness. Learn about the different kinds of pause and silence; the types of line break and their effects; consonance, assonance, and rhyme, and their effects; and the principles underlying rhythm and cadence in English-language poetry.
Contact me to book an in-person or online writing class
Jackson 