Workshop: "Whose Line Is It Anyway? Reading and the 'anxiety of influence' " with Helen Mort

Workshop: "Whose Line Is It Anyway? Reading and the 'anxiety of influence' " with Helen Mort

Dubrek Studios, 67 Bridge St, Derby DE1 3LB

10 am - 12 pm

Our first in-person workshop this year is led by the incomparable Helen Mort. In “Whose Line Is It Anyway? Reading and the 'anxiety of influence' " Helen will explore how reading widely can feed your creative practice, examine the concept of 'the new' and look at a range of poems that have influenced the way contemporary writers work. There'll be discussion, there'll be creative writing prompts and no previous experience is necessary.

Places on this workshop are limited, so booking is essential.

About Helen Mort

Helen Mort is a poet and novelist from Sheffield, United Kingdom. Her poetry collection Division Street[ is published by Chatto & Windus and was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and Costa Prize.  Her second collection No Map Could Show Them explored the history of women’s mountaineering and started life in Banff! Her latest, The Illustrated Woman (2022) looks at the power of body modification and the role of the ‘tattooed lady’ in society. She has also published a novel called Black Car Burning (2019) set in Sheffield and her memoir A Line Above The Sky (Ebury, 2022) examines the relationship between mountains and motherhood. Much of her work is concerned with connections between landscape(s) and the body.  She’s a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and teaches at Manchester Metropolitan University. She also likes climbing and running up hills!

Ticket Options:

At Derby Poetry Festival, we aim to make our events and workshops as accessible as possible, so everyone can take part. Which is why we have 3 ticket options available. 'Event Ticket - Supported' is a discounted rate ticket for those on a lower income to still be able to access the event. Our standard ticket is the normal rate of the event, and goes towards paying our artists, accessibility coordinators and associated fees with holding the festival. Our Pay It Forward ticket option is for those who wish to contribute towards the supported tickets, as well as attending the event. This helps us provide more supported tickets and host bigger and better events that everyone can access. Each ticket option allows you the same access to the event.

About Derby Poetry Festival

Often referred to as DPF, Derby Poetry Festival is a four-day poetry and literature festival held in the centre of Derby in the autumn. We are dedicated to developing new writing talent in Derby and bring excellent work to the city.

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Previous headliners include Terrance Hayes, Raymond Antrobus, Rachel Long, Linton Quasi Johnson, recent T S Elliott winner Joelle Taylor and Shivanee Ramlochan.

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We host a range of performances, workshops, slams and panel discussions for all ages in partnership with many venues in the city including: Quad, Derby Museums, Derby Theatre and Derby Libraries.

Supported by Arts Council England and Derby City Council.