Writing haiku: a taster

What is the course about?

Using examples by haiku masters, both ancient and contemporary, plus a variety of prompts, expect to come away with some haikus of you own, having practiced the art of brevity and 'showing, not telling'.

What will we cover?

- The components of haiku poetry.
- Examples of haiku poetry.
- Approaches to writing haiku poetry.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

By the end of this session you will be able to develop and write your own Haiku.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This workshop is open to all, no prior experience is needed.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The workshop will support you in learning and applying the rules of Haiku. Through a tutor talk, discussion, and guided writing exercises you will learn to write Haiku for fun with opportunity to share your ideas and writing.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

We recommend bringing a notepad and pencil.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

You can join one of our term-long Ways into poetry courses.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Bluesky.