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This writing course, Poetry Workshop: The Archive of Remembering and Forgetting with Sara Saleh, takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.

In his book Nothing Ever Dies, Viet Thanh Nguyen writes, ‘all wars are fought twice, the first time on the battlefield, the second time in memory’. This workshop will explore the poetics of forgetting and remembering, the ways in which a poem can serve as an archive of personal and political hauntings and history.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ >

In this workshop with poet and author Sara Saleh, we’ll look at contexts of intergenerational trauma and healing as inheritance, and the way in which both pain and survivorship can sharpen our senses and open/close us to certain detail. In this workshop we will explore the stark and different ways poets move through the surreal and mundane to explore memory and loss. We will collectively deconstruct and construct language, literary technique, and spatial and temporal form, to show the shifting, spectral nature of memory. Finally, participants will write to prompts where the poem, and the self, is scattered, gathered and regathered – in tangible and unexpected ways.

Expected learning outcomes

In this workshop, participants will:

1. Explore different poetic forms
2. Independently respond to poetic prompts
3. Critically read poems and offer collective insight and feedback
4. Write original poetry based on an understanding of poetic theory and contemporary practice in the themes of memory and loss.

This workshop takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.

Participant requirements

Pen and paper, or a fully charged device. Please read our FAQ before enrolling.

If you have questions about this course, please contact us.

Reviews for Sara Saleh’s courses

‘The pace of the course, the expert knowledge, and the variety of prompts suited me. Even though I enrolled in the workshop feeling disconnected from my creativity, I found it easy to respond to the writing prompts. The poems that Sara chose to use as stimulus were highly engaging and inspirational.’ — Jane, 2023

‘Sara ran an excellent course—[in] the structure, her politeness and management of the students.’ — Lina, 2023

‘[Sara’s course] inspired me to start practising again. I appreciated how well Sara was able to engage diverse members of the group and encourage participants at different stages in their writing life.’ — Sue Lynn, 2023

‘The pace of the course was perfect for me. Time was expertly divided between instruction, writing, and sharing our responses. Feedback was constructive. I enjoyed the writing prompts very much and I left the course feeling exactly how I wanted- back in touch with my creativity, and with a clear, positive outlook on my world.’ — Participant, 2023

‘Sara knew what she was doing in every detail.’ — Participant, 2023

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