Prose poems and zuihitsu

What defines a prose poem, as opposed to short or flash fiction, or a lyric essay? What do we mean by ‘poetic’ when we apply it to prose (or indeed poems)? Why write prose poems and zuihitsu?

In this workshop, we’ll be playing in the fuzzy boundaries between the categories of prose and poetry, investigating what makes something ‘poetic’ or ‘lyric’. We’ll look at prose poems and zuihitsu (a hybrid form started in 10th century Japan that ‘incorporates nonfiction, musings and confessions, poetry, and miscellany to create a spontaneous, layered text’ [Poetry Foundation]), by writers such as Will Harris, Emily Berry, Chen Chen, Claudia Rankine, Rona Luo and Sei Shōnagon. We’ll unpack what makes them tick and write our own.

You’ll hopefully leave the workshop having started to write three texts that resist categorisation, and with a better sense of the tools at your disposal to write prose, poetry and all in between.

This workshop is aimed at those who already have a working understanding of contemporary poetry and its use (or lack!) of line-breaks. You don’t need to have published or performed your poems anywhere, or any other qualifications, but you do need to come with an understanding of why you might (and might not) break the poetic line. If you’re not sure if this workshop is right for you, get in touch.

Facilitatory biography

Helen Bowell’s debut pamphlet The Barman (Bad Betty Press, 2022) was a Poetry Book Society Choice. She co-directs Dead [Women] Poets Society, edited the first anthology of bi+ poets, Bi+ Lines (fourteen poems, 2023), and with Troy Cabida edits fourteen poems‘ pamphlets and anthologies.