Writing haiku poetry
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Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
- Start Date: 09 Aug 2025End Date: 09 Aug 2025Sat (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30In PersonFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
- Start Date: 07 Feb 2026End Date: 07 Feb 2026Sat (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30In PersonFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This interactive day workshop offers students the opportunity to learn about key literary figures in the haiku genre and write their own poetry inspired by a range of stimuli and prompts.
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...
- Develop knowledge about prominent haiku poets.
- Understand the compoenents of haiku poetry.
- Write your own haiku poems using a range of stimuli.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is a beginners course, no prior experience is needed.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Students will be taught through a mixture of pair work, group work, writing exercises, games and tutor instruction.
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.
For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.
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?
You will need to bring writing materials such as pen and paper with you.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit offer a range of poetry courses. For further information browse the writing section of our website.
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 Twitter.
Pearl Elizabeth Dell May is an internationally known Haijin (Haiku Poet). Her poems have been widely published in anthologies, newspapers, and in collaboration with museums and art exhibitions. She is a member of the British Haiku Society, the National Association for Poetry Therapy and Lapidus, an organisation that advocates creative writing for health and wellbeing. She has led many writing groups and workshops and has been Poet-in-Residence at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve and University Hospital Southampton.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.