About Us

The Poetry School was founded in 1997 by three poets - Mimi Khalvati, Jane Duran and Pascale Petit with the aim of providing structured, high quality teaching programmes for adults to develop their poetry from its beginnings through to advanced level.

Originating in London, the Poetry School has grown into the only major national organisation whose sole focus is teaching the art of writing poetry. With established teaching centres throughout England as well as online courses and downloadable courses and activities, the Poetry School is unique in its ability to reach and develop aspiring poets wherever they may be.

Teaching the art of writing poetry

The breadth of our programme is second to none, comprising courses, workshops, seminars and tutorials with a focus on the key areas of a poet’s apprenticeship.

We offer everything from courses teaching form and technique to reading courses on classic and contemporary poetry; inspirational workshops on specific themes to stimulating talks, residentials, tutorials and seminars. At the Poetry School, we recognise that there is no one single way to learn the craft of poetry, so we employ traditional and innovative teaching methods to suit a variety of tastes and learning styles – from a short burst of inspiration to longer programmes of study.

Our activities take place in the evening, daytime, at weekends and online, so whatever other commitments you may have in life, we aim to provide you with access to our activities at a time that suits you.

The poets and critics we work with reflect our commitment to a teaching a range of poetic aesthetics cultures and language. Visit our tutors to find out who we work with.