Back Room Poets is an Oxford-based group of poets that exists to promote and encourage poetry and the work of its members by running workshops and organising readings.
Workshops take place on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. Note: Currently the majority of workshops are still being conducted via Zoom Meetings, subject to further notice.
Please come along to try the workshop for a couple of times before deciding to join the group. You don't even have to bring a poem if you are feeling nervous. If you do bring a poem, please bring at least 8 to 12 copies so they can be circulated among the poets attending. Our workshops are an excellent opportunity to obtain constructive criticism in a relaxed environment from other poets, most of whom are regularly published in magazines or have published chapbooks or full collections. See the separate section below for a description of our workshop procedure.
Workshops take place on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. Note: Currently the majority of workshops are still being conducted via Zoom Meetings, subject to further notice.
Please come along to try the workshop for a couple of times before deciding to join the group. You don't even have to bring a poem if you are feeling nervous. If you do bring a poem, please bring at least 8 to 12 copies so they can be circulated among the poets attending. Our workshops are an excellent opportunity to obtain constructive criticism in a relaxed environment from other poets, most of whom are regularly published in magazines or have published chapbooks or full collections. See the separate section below for a description of our workshop procedure.
Workshop Procedure
If you want to take part in an in-person workshop bring about eight to twelve copies of your poem so that members have a copy in front of them to read and base their suggestions on. We take each person who has brought a poem in turn. First we read the poem to ourselves, then the poet reads the poem out loud so that we can compare our impressions of the poem with the way they present it verbally. The other poets then make their observations, and at the end of that the poet whose poem is being considered gets a chance to reply to the comments made. Go on, try us!
If you want to take part in an in-person workshop bring about eight to twelve copies of your poem so that members have a copy in front of them to read and base their suggestions on. We take each person who has brought a poem in turn. First we read the poem to ourselves, then the poet reads the poem out loud so that we can compare our impressions of the poem with the way they present it verbally. The other poets then make their observations, and at the end of that the poet whose poem is being considered gets a chance to reply to the comments made. Go on, try us!
Readings
Readings take place in a variety of venues, often with guest readers. In the past we have had a number of well-known poets read alongside our members. Past guest readers have included Jo Bell, David Harsent, Fiona Sampson, Penelope Shuttle, George Szirtes, Hugo Williams, Roddy Lumsden, David Constantine, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Jean Sprackland, Jane Draycott, Pedro Serrano and Jamie McKendrick.
We have also organized a number of readings as part of the Oxfringe festival and its successor events.
Readings take place in a variety of venues, often with guest readers. In the past we have had a number of well-known poets read alongside our members. Past guest readers have included Jo Bell, David Harsent, Fiona Sampson, Penelope Shuttle, George Szirtes, Hugo Williams, Roddy Lumsden, David Constantine, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Jean Sprackland, Jane Draycott, Pedro Serrano and Jamie McKendrick.
We have also organized a number of readings as part of the Oxfringe festival and its successor events.