THE POETRY OF EVERYDAY LIFE
The simplest words must be enough.
– Berthold Brecht
Introducing Professor Kit Kelen’s One Year Flying Islands Poetry Manuscript Workshop
- running from January to December 2027
- minimum of six participants in each stream
- maximum of twelve participants in each stream
- $500 flat fee (GST free)
- (with possibility of a scholarship for a poet of demonstrably limited means, letters of support may be provided for successful applicants wishing to apply to a funding body.)
- certificate on successful completion and transcript available
The workshop is to be conducted:
- online (e-mail, ZOOM, and we may use our own Learning Management System on the Flying Islands website)
- on the phone
- with the possibility of a residential aspect (depending on the location of participants;
- any residential component would likely be conducted in Sydney, Newcastle or Markwell.)
This is a practical workshop that will include:
- regular writing stimuli/readings/exercises
- engagement with a range of forms and styles of poetry from a variety of periods and cultures
- feedback and other forms of response
- individual as well as group discussion
- regular guest poet sessions by ZOOM included throughout the year
- an invitation to daily practice, specifically to write poetry, in conversation with Kit, potentially every day throughout the workshop.
The focus of the workshop will be on the production of book-length collections of poetry by participants.
The theme ‘Poetry of Everyday Life’ is not intended as in any way prescriptive or restrictive but rather as a means of suggesting that poetry can be about everyday things (things that often go unnoticed around us) and that making poetry can be an everyday activity.
Who can apply?
Poets of all levels of experience are encouraged to apply.
In 2027, the workshop is planned to run with two streams. For those starting on their poetic journey, the reading stream is suggested, for those further along, the making stream may be better suited.
Both streams will be given regular stimuli and feedback (on-line [blog, email] and through ZOOM meetings). While there will be crossover between the two groups, the reading stream will be more focussed on spending time with (often famous) poems by others, and the making stream will be more devoted to the participants’ own work. Both streams will be making their own original poems throughout the year. The difference is one of emphasis and a matter of personal choice. Applicants are encouraged to nominate the stream to which they think they are more suited.
Poets not native to the English language are encouraged to apply. (Translation and working between languages will be one of our themes.)
Participation in the workshop is not limited to poets resident in Australia, although the residential potential will probably be enhanced for those who are. Likewise, being in a similar time zone might be helpful.
How to apply
Those wishing to apply to participate in the workshop should send a ten page sample of their poetry, along with a short biographical note and/or cv. This sample of work may (or may not be) accompanied by a descriptive synopsis of the idea for a book of poems. These materials should be sent as an e-mail attachment, in a single word file, the name of which will include the author’s name and ‘application for FI 2027 workshop’. This file should be sent, with a covering note to
KitKelen@emeritus.um.edu.mo. The deadline for applications is Thursday 31 October, 2026. Successful applicants will be informed in November, 2026. No correspondence will be entertained with regard to unsuccessful applications.
Proceeds
All proceeds from the conduct of the workshop are to fund the Flying Islands Poetry Community’s publication of poetry books. No one gets paid for this.
Caveats
There is no guaranteed prospect of publication associated with participation in the workshop. Acceptance or rejection of an application for the workshop does not imply any qualitative judgement, but is rather based on an assessment of whether a particular poet is likely to benefit from participation.
What some of the past participants say:
“I’ve found this year long workshop extremely helpful. The monthly meetings have kept me motivated and the visiting poets have been inspiring. Kit’s feedback is always enlightening and encouraging. All in all it’s been a great experience.”
“This course has been a great opportunity for me to experience different ways of arriving at a poem. Led by a range of fascinating writers, it has made my whole process feel less isolated and more fruitful than ever.”
“The 2024 Flying Islands poetry manuscript workshop has been a great combination of challenge, creativity and craft – and also companionship between our small group of poets. The diverse sessions, covering everything from finding your voice to structuring a collection, have been both practical and inspiring.”
“It’s been a wonderful privilege for me to join Kit Kelen’s Flying Islands poetry workshop this year. I’ve very much enjoyed the regular meetings and writing sessions led by some of the country’s premier poets, covering various forms, themes, styles, and innovations in poetry. I’ve learned a great deal from conversations with them, as well as with other workshop fellows, reading and sharing feedback on one another’s poems. Equally as enlightening are Kit Kelen’s commentary and advice on my poems. This year-long workshop has been a poetic journey, full of discovery for myself as an emerging poet, and has meaningfully opened my eyes to poetry as a practice.”
“This workshop has been an amazing journey. The daily challenges have sometimes been surprising/shocking, but also stimulating, inviting participants to think differently than the usual, to write more succinctly, to form a relationship with language we might not have had before. I have become obsessed with words!
The monthly ZOOM workshops have been extremely varied, giving a wide range view of ways of writing poems; also giving an opportunity to meet fellow poets face to face, hear their poems (rather than reading them on the blog) and to ask questions.
I am enjoying the workshop so much I would like to continue it next year.”
“Organised around a daily Challenge, I found the format inspirational, enabling me to establish a regular poetry-writing habit and accumulate a rich source of material to be further refined and edited, hopefully, for future publication. One has freedom to pursue one’s own topics, as well as to produce poems on topics one never would have written about, otherwise. Coupled with monthly Zoom sessions hosted by an assortment of other established poets, I recommend the workshop as an excellent opportunity to write your head and heart off. Dialogue and critique on our blog or directly with and from others in the group adds further to the experience. Kit is an enthusiastic facilitator of the whole shebang.”
“Participating in this year’s long workshop has helped me focus on writing toward a book, and kept me writing in a more productive pace. I also feel like I’ve improved my standard. Posting poems on a blog for comments has been very good, but I’ve especially enjoyed the monthly Zoom workshops. I would highly recommend this workshop to beginner and more experienced poets.”
‘My relationship to poetry has been completely overhauled through this year-long poetry workshop. I have had many opportunities to collaborate and connect with fellow poets that I’ve met along the way. Being introduced to guest poets and others I didn’t know has inspired me to pursue different forms and experiment with various styles I wouldn’t have otherwise explored. Kit has so much energy, passion and knowledge of poetry and I feel so grateful to be guided by his expertise. It’s such a rare event to journey through the world of poetry together with fellow poets that can offer constructive feedback and support growth. I have appreciated this precious gift that has evolved slowly and deliberately throughout the year– allowing for contemplation and creativity. Thank you for accepting me into the community!’
People who’ve been around the workshop traps, will be familiar with those where the convenor’s general response is to tell you how lovely your poem is and how clever you are. This might be comfortable for a weekend meeting but it’s not sustainable for a year and it definitely doesn’t help to improve your poetry. Along with the praise, when deserved, you need helpful suggestions as to how to revise, where to go with your poem, what you should maybe do next. And sometimes there needs to be some tough love. That’s what you’ll get in this workshop. Useful and honest advice!
This has been an invaluable opportunity to commit to the push and pull of poetry – pulling works into shape with supportive, astute feedback from Kit and fellow poets, and pushing myself to write often, to try new things, and to push through the times when inspiration won’t come and confidence wanes.
About Your Workshop Leader – Christopher (Kit) Kelen, FRSN Emeritus Professor of English (University of Macau)
Christopher (Kit) Kelen is a poet and painter, resident on Worimi lands, in the Myall Lakes of NSW, Australia. Published widely since the seventies, he has more than a dozen full length collections in English as well as translated books of poetry in Chinese (several), Portuguese (several), French, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian, Swedish, Norwegian, Filipino, Greek, Romanian and Esperanto. His latest volumes of poetry in English are IN EARLY LIGHT – aubades and Food of Love – Concert Pieces.
Kit has shortlisted for and won poetry prizes through five decades since the eighties (an ABC/ Bicentennial Award, a Poetry Australia Award). His first book of poems The Naming of the Harbour & the Trees won an Anne Elder Prize in the nineties. Kit Kelen was the winner of the 2024 Newcastle Poetry Prize and the Inaugural 2026 Southerly Poetry Prize.
Kit has been writer/artist in Residence in many parts of the world – in Australia, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Iceland, Finland, Romania, the US and Cyprus. A number of these residencies have led to book publications – for instance Bundanon Residencies produced his books Time with the Sky and To the Single Man’s Hut. Time at the Messen residency on the Hardanger Fjord produced Poor Man’s Coat and a book in Norwegian entitled Glasfjorden (the glass fjord).
Kit has had ten solo painting and drawing exhibitions – in Australia, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Macao. Recent exhibitions include Palimpspectre (in 2023, at the Manning Regional Gallery, NSW) word & unword (2024) at the WORDXIMAGE gallery in Maitland, and MY FIRST FOREST OF WORDS at the Stirrup Gallery, in Marrickville.
Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Macau, where he taught for many years, Kit Kelen is also a Conjoint Professor at the University of Newcastle and a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW. His bachelor’s degree was in English Literature (mainly poetry), his Masters in linguistics. He has two doctor’s degrees – one in Poetry and Poetics and the other in the teaching of Creative Writing. In 2017 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Malmö, in Sweden.
Series Editor for Flying Islands Pocket Poets Series (with now around one hundred and twenty volumes), Kit has mentored many poets and translators from various parts of the world, and conducted a number of on-line communities of practice in poetry (most notably Project 366 [from 2016-2020]). You can follow Kit’s work-in-progress at the Daily Kit – https://thedailykitkelen.blogspot.com/
