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Writing children's poetry

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In this interactive workshop you will be exploring a range of poetic styles for the different age groups. There will be plenty of practical activities, and a chance to perform a poem in a final ‘slam’.
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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: 23 May 2026
    End Date: 23 May 2026
    Sat (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30
    Online
    Location: Online
    Duration: 1 session
    Course Code: HW152
    Tutors:  Andrew Weale
    Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
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Any questions? writing@citylit.ac.uk or call 020 4582 0415

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.

Book your place
In stock
SKU
235642
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00

What is the course about?

You will look at how to write poetry in a free way without overthinking, a variety of poetic styles from the haiku to the iamb, and the next steps to becoming a professional writer of children’s verse.

What will we cover?

- Wild (or automatic) writing to access poetic flow;
- Different poetic forms, such as activity and shape poems;
- Age-related poems from younger years up;
- Rhyme and rhythm in poetry and picture books
- Next steps into the professional world of the children’s poet.

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

- write children’s poetry with more confidence
- demonstrate a broader knowledge of the types of poetry you can write.

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

No special educational attainments are required, but students should be able to write fluent English.

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

Through exercises in class, both individually and in groups, class discussion, analysing examples, and through tutor presentation.

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?

Please bring writing materials with you to class.

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

City Lit offers further courses in writing for children.

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.

Andrew Weale

Andrew Weale is a poet and author of five picture books, including Nora: The Girl Who Ate and Ate and Ate, and the Red House Award winning Spooky Spooky House. He also lectures on picture book writing at Winchester University as part of the Children’s Writing MA, and mentors writers for the highly successful Golden Egg Academy.

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.