POETRY IN PARIS – A WEEK OF POP-UP POETRY WORKSHOPS
7th-12th October 2024 (Provisional Schedule)

Your Tutor
Sue Burge is a freelance creative writing tutor, poet, editor, and mentor based in North Norfolk in the UK. She has taught creative writing for over thirty years in a wide variety of educational settings, including universities both in the UK and abroad. Sue is also a film studies tutor and specialises in French film, amongst other genres. She is currently a regular tutor for The Poetry School. Sue’s poems have been published in a wide range of journals and have also featured in themed anthologies on science fiction, modern Gothic, illness, Britishness, endangered birds, WWI and the ongoing pandemic. Over the past four decades she has had a fruitful relationship with Paris, where she has both lived and worked, and is passionate about the history, geography and culture of the city. In 2016 Sue received an Arts Council grant to write a collection of poetry responding to Paris’ cinematic heritage. The result, Lumière, was published by Hedgehog Poetry Press in 2018. Her other poetry collections are: In the Kingdom of Shadows and Confetti Dancers (Live Canon), and The Saltwater Diaries (Hedgehog Poetry Press). Sue’s next poetry collection, The Artificial Parisienne, in which she explores the various alter egos she has left in the city, is forthcoming with Live Canon. Sue is currently working on a book of partly autobiographical lyric essays which explore the lives of incomers to Paris.
To discover more about Sue’s work visit Sue Burge

The course
Paris has long been a place of inspiration for writers and artists from all over the world. Hemingway, who lived, loved and wrote in the city, famously said, “There is Paris, and there is home.” This course offers you a chance to discover what drew these creatives to Paris by, each day, exploring a new and fascinating area of the city: disused railway lines, flea-markets, flamboyant bridges, gritty street art, classic film locations, little-known art treasures, famous graves, Roman Paris and more! For each pop-up workshop, tailor-made worksheets will be provided to get your creative juices flowing. There will be innovative poetry prompts, as well as information about the specific areas we are discovering, and the writers and artists connected with them, and plenty of writing time. Each workshop will end at a restaurant or café to share work and relax. The evening mini-balades (short walks) are designed to immerse you in the history and culture of specific areas on the way to carefully chosen restaurants brimming with stories and inspiration. The lunchtime/evening eatery choices range from Belle Epoque gems, to classic Bistros to cosy Breton crêperies. This could be the start of a wonderful creative relationship with a city that never ceases to surprise and delight.

Please note, you do not need to speak French, the course is conducted in English and you can have fun trying out your French in restaurants and so on. I’m always happy to help!

Fee £465
Seven participants only
Secure your place with a £150 deposit (non-refundable)
Balance to be paid 10 weeks before the course start date

The course fee includes:
• Introductory Pre-Course Zoom and a pre-course pack
• A reading and film list for you to explore at your own pace which will deepen your knowledge of Paris
• Five pop-up poetry workshops which will take place in various parts of Paris – most will involve some walking and participants should be able to comfortably walk up to 3km (most walks are shorter) and handle occasional steep steps/slopes.
• All handouts and materials
• Three guided mini-balades (short walks) of 45-60 minutes on the way to group meals
• Lunch arrangements/bookings after morning workshops
• Facilitation and advice on how to make the most of your free time
• Feedback on six poems generated by the course
• Zoom showcase in November 2024 (invite your friends and family and relive the course and its results!)
• End of course reading with wine, cheese and nibbles

The course fee does NOT include food (except for the last night), accommodation or transport. Participants are responsible for making their own way to Paris, booking their own accommodation and paying for their own food at group meals (lunchtime and evening).

By the end of the course you will have:
• discovered hidden aspects of Paris by visiting places off the beaten track and exploring restaurants/cafés with a rich history and culture.
• experimented with various techniques and innovative writing prompts which will allow you to respond poetically to Paris and its street-life in new and surprising ways.
• recharged your creative energy in a community of fellow writers.

Please note that this schedule is provisional and I reserve the right to make changes due to unforeseen circumstances (extreme weather conditions and the problems that come with closures etc when negotiating a big city). I struggled to narrow down the places I wanted to share with you to just five or six choices, so if we do need to resort to alternatives, they will be lovely!

POETRY IN PARIS – A WEEK OF POP-UP POETRY WORKSHOPS
7th-12th October 2024 (Provisional Schedule)