How do you write a poem that makes people cry? Or laugh? Or gasp aloud at its beauty? Or stop and think deeply? If you have ever wondered about what makes a poem compelling or pondered the mechanics of producing a mesmerising poem, you may be interested in doing this four hour class with poet Miriam Lo.

The aim of this class is to help writers explore the following:

• Issues of significance (ie. what really matters to you and why you want to write about it)
• The marriage of form and content (how to find a poetic form that is the best match for your content).
• Poetic devices (practice using your poetic tool-kit to intensify effects in your poems)
  

This class will include information/teaching components as well as practical components.
Participants will need to bring:

• their favourite poem
• pen/pencil and paper

Biographical Note: Miriam Wei Wei Lo was last year’s judge for the Tom Collins Prize. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Queensland, and her poems have been published in literary journals both in Australia and overseas, as well as broadcast on Australian radio. Her first collection, Against Certain Capture (Five Islands Press), won the WA Premier’s Book Award for Poetry (2004). She currently combines writing with her full-time job as a mother of two small children.
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