Abandoning the Line with Chris Tse

Prose poetry is a delicious contradiction and an uninhibited rejection of the traditional verse/prose binary. This ‘formless form’ has surprised and confounded writers and readers for centuries – what makes a poem a poem if it doesn’t contain line breaks?

Although early versions of the form date back as early as the 17th century, prose poetry has seen a surge in popularity in recent years with several dedicated anthologies published in Australia and the U.S. So, what sets prose poetry apart from other prose genres and forms?

In this workshop with current New Zealand Poet Laureate Chris Tse, participants will analyse contemporary examples of prose poetry before writing their own prose poems. What can prose poetry offer to both writers and readers that other poetic forms can’t?

Poetic Portals: Workshops for every poet, everywhere

Designed for both seasoned sonneteers and fresh formalists, our weekly workshop series this year features established international poets focusing on form. Whether this is your first foray into writing poetry, or you’re a career poet looking to brush up on your skills, these sessions will open new portals, techniques and pathways into poetic craft.

All workshops are run via Zoom, and tickets are by donation (pay what you can) with a suggested sliding scale of $10 concession / $20 full / $30 solidarity