Dennis Haskell

Australian Poet and Literary Scholar

Admin

Workshop on Poetic Form

by

As part of the Perth Poetry Festival Dennis will be giving a workshop with fellow poet Annamaria Weldon.

It will be from 11.30am-1.00pm, Saturday 19 September in the Queens Building (level 1, 57 William St, Perth City): Poetic Form: What is it and What’s it to You?


The history of English language poetry has seen a gradual loosening of formal poetic requirements. This was given such momentum by the Modernist revolution that most contemporary poetry is written in free verse, and there is a strong contemporary movement promoting prose poetry. This may make it seem that contemporary poetry has no formal requirements at all but that is simply not true. All poetry has elements of form that don’t apply to prose, and different forms will suit different poems, according to subject matter, tone and authorial stance.

This workshop will discuss contemporary poetic form, the reasons for the shift from traditional stanza and rhyme, and the formal elements that best suit draft poems submitted by participants. 


Also as part of the Festival Dennis will be reading from his latest book as part of the Voicebox reading: 2pm on Sunday 27 September, again in the Queens Building.

Launch of And Yet

by

Dennis is attending Government House Lesser Hall on Thursday 20th of August at 5.30pm to 7pm to launch his new book And Yet …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31/08/2020

The launch was a resounding success.

Please see photos from the event below.

 

 

Poetry reading, China

by

Dennis has been invited to read his poetry in Hangzhou, China from 5-8 April. The visit is prompted by scholars and poets at Zhejiang University translating some of his poems.

Poetry workshop

by

Dennis is conducting a poetry workshop for emerging writers on behalf of WA Poets Inc from 10.30am-1.30pm on 16 February at the OUT in Perth Office in Northbridge. The subject is:

The music and texture of poetic language

Poetry is the richest use of language that we ever achieve; that, I believe, is what makes it poetry, although the richness can vary according to subject and the poet’s stance. Language has its own music and, although it is abstract and this fact is rarely recognised, has its own texture. Through the accidents of history, English is the richest language in the world and this workshop is intended to make you more aware of its possibilities, particularly through a focus on sound patterning, rhythm and extended syntax.

Perth PEN Centre

by

With a number of other Perth writers, Dennis is working to create a Perth Centre of PEN International. Founded in the 1920s, with John Galsworthy as its first President. PEN International is a writers organisation which works to promote literature and responsible freedom of expression, including activities to free writers imprisoned under unjust censorship laws. Almost 150 PEN centres exist in 100 countries, including in Sydney and Melbourne.

 

We had an empty chair on stage, symbolising a writer in prison, at four sessions of the Perth Writers Festival, and have received over 80 expressions of interest. If you wish to join us or learn more, please email perthpen@gmail.com

We have a fundraiser with Priya Basil (Berlin) and Sisonke Msimang (South Africa) at 6.30pm on Thursday 5 April at the Centre for Stories, 100 Aberdeen St, Northbridge; cost $20/$16 unwaged. Please feel very welcome to come but register at www.centreforstories.com/events