1. What is the Poetics Research Centre?
Based in the English Department, the Poetics Research Centre is formed from a group postgraduate students and staff who are interested in exploring creative practice alongside critical approaches to contemporary poetry. Our research crosses disciplinary boundaries and focuses on the history and contemporary writing of diverse poetic forms and media. These include book arts and digital poetics, visual poetry, performance, visual arts, as well as sound and performance texts. The centre is part of a vibrant ecology of poetic making and criticism across the UK and beyond, with links to award-winning publishers. Find out more on the centre's new webpages.
2. Who are its members?
The core members are director Professor Redell Olsen, Professor Robert Hampson, Dr Prudence Bussey-Chamberlain and Dr Will Montgomery. Redell Olsen was recently awarded the DARE Art Prize, making work in collaboration with scientists at the University of Leeds and Opera North. Redell also leads the Poetic Practice BA English Third Year module and MA Poetic Practice pathway on the Creative Writing MA. Will Montgomery’s latest international project combines walking, creative arts and philosophical inquiry. Prue Bussey-Chamberlain’s most recent book is Queer Troublemakers: The Poetics of Flippancy (Bloomsbury), while Robert Hampson this year published Covodes 1-19 (Artery Editions).
3. What about Poetic Practice students and alumni?
We have a wide range of interests! Dr Karenjit Sandhu has recently completed a practice-based PhD in prose poetry, archives, performance and art objects. Her latest collection is Poetic Fragments from the Irritating Archive (Guillemot Press), while Rowan Evans’ debut collection A Method, A Path is being published by Bloomsbury Poetry in 2023. Current doctoral student Briony Hughes is researching hydropoetics, Kathleen Fraser, and Charles Olson, and is published by Broken Sleep. Caroline Harris is studying the poetics of deer and is co-organiser of the events series AWW-STRUCK: Creative and Critical Approaches to Cuteness. Alumni include poets and academics Elizabeth-Jane Burnett, Nisha Ramayya, Sophie Robinson, and education specialist Anna Trethewey.
4. Where can I see and hear work by members?
The Poetics Research Centre regularly puts on events, including readings, conferences and seminars on themes such as translation, ecology, sound, feminisms, race. For the latest news and events follow us on Twitter @PoeticsResearch. We regularly have a table at the prestigious Small Publishers Fair, where students on the MA Creative Writing Poetic Practice pathway have an opportunity to show their poetic works (and can even have them collected by libraries and archives). Read, watch and listen to a selection of projects and interviews on our newly launched showcase, Poetic Practice Now.
5. How can Royal Holloway students study Poetic Practice or get involved?
Students can get a taste for Poetic Practive by studying the BA English Third Year module. You can then go into more depth by taking the Creative Writing MA pathway in Poetic Practice. You may even then decide to take up a practice-based PhD. Find out more and read what students and graduates have to say about Poetic Practice on our web pages.
The centre puts on a range of events, including readings, conferences and seminars on themes such as translation, ecology, sound, feminisms, race. We recently organised a reading and discussion for the Great Big Green Week in September and have close links with the Living Sustainably research catalyst. For the latest news and events follow us on Twitter @PoeticsResearch. And look out for our events open to students. Hope to see you there!