Poetry Masterclass for Journalists, with Alan Spence

Learning Fund Case Study: National Union of Journalists (NUJ) - Highlands and Islands

When compared to training that teaches digital or industrial skills, a poetry masterclass may seem like an esoteric luxury. Yet, for writers, there is so much to learn from poetry that will improve general writing skills and cut across writing genres: the ability to distil complex ideas into few words; the focus on effective imagery; and not least the ability to capture strong emotion in writing, what the Romantic poet Wordsworth called, ‘the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.’ All of this was illustrated by multi-award-winning writer, Alan Spence, who delivered both a Book Week session in haiku and a poetry masterclass for the NUJ.

The Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen, and founder and director of the city’s WORDS festival, Spence is a former Scottish Writer of the Year, and his output has been phenomenal across all writing genres: short stories, novels, plays, poetry, and even an opera. His sessions were very special: an opportunity for people to hear not only his writing advice borne from personal experience, but also to hear him read his own work.

Haiku, a Japanese poetic short form, usually consists of just three lines and is therefore an accessible starting point and useful poetic discipline for writers beginning their poetry journey. Spence led his audience through his more conventional haiku output to his Glasgow Zen poems – quirky, insightful observations of the city and life in general. He also gave participants the rare treat of reading new and unpublished poems that he has been working on, in particular his latest attempts at sonnet writing. His gentle, sincere delivery was both moving and inspiring, with many participants emailing afterwards to express thanks for the session and note the magical quality of the experience.

A positive spin-off from the Book Week Scotland event was the way that it encouraged the NUJ’s growing community of writers, not just NUJ members but members across different unions who have taken part in creative writing courses and have retained an interest in writing. A diverse cohort of learners attended, including a carpenter, rail workers, teachers and journalists. Scottish Book Trust support for the session also enabled a reasonable rate for high quality services. The last survey showed the average annual earnings for writers stood at just £7,000, Scottish Book Trust’s support for Scottish writers is hugely valuable. As the poet Robert Graves once said, ‘There is no money in poetry, but then there is no poetry in money either’.