Somewhere Else Writers were delighted to welcome Philip Rush as our workshop tutor for an afternoon devoted to lyrical writing. A local writer and publisher, Philip led an excellent session on the topic, focusing initially on haibun (a Japanese form that combines prose and haiku). We looked at examples of haibun from traditional Japanese poets, such as Basho, and contemporary poets, including Roger Robinson, Barbara Sabol, and Amanda Bell. Moving on to longer prose, it was interesting to discuss the lyrical and well-observed writing of Esther Kinsky, particularly in ‘Grove’, a novel that occupies the ground between fiction and memoir.
As well as reading and discussion, we were also able to do some writing during the session using the Esther Kinsky example for inspiration. We came away from the session enthused, and many of us are already trying our hand at writing more lyrically or composing haibun. Pictures of the event can be viewed in the gallery section of our website.
Somewhere Else Writers Group 