“Is there a felicity in the world superior to this?”

Sense & Sensibility’s Marianne Dashwood isn’t the only person to find herself inspired by nature – from Keats’ nightingale to Dickinson’s “thing with feathers”, Vernon Scannell’s ‘Nettles’ to Lucille Clifton’s ‘Fox’, poets have a long tradition of translating the beauty (and lessons) of nature onto the page.

Taking our cue from Marianne’s love of the great outdoors, we will take a relaxed stroll through nearby woodland before sitting down to write poems of our own, just a stone’s throw from the house where Jane Austen wrote and published her works of genius. As well as taking inspiration from our environment, there will also be help from example poems and specially devised writing prompts.

This workshop will provide a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in which to explore your creativity. It is suitable for all abilities. Ages 18+.

Refreshments provided – just bring your notebook and pen!

Tutor: This workshop will be led by Ellora Sutton, a poet and PhD candidate based in Hampshire. She was the Poetry Book Society Spring 2023 Pamphlet Choice with Antonyms for Burial (Fourteen Poems), and her most recent pamphlet, Artisanal Slush is out now from Verve. Amongst other things, she is the poetry reviewer for Mslexia and has been previously been the poet-in-residence at Jane Austen’s House. Her PhD research looks at using poetry as a means of assessing the impact of urban planning on women.

Details:
Date: Saturday 3 May
Time: 10.30am – 1pm
Location: This event will take place at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton. Find us. 
Tickets: £35

 Tickets for this event include House entry for this day only. 

This event includes refreshments, please let us know on booking if you have any dietary requirements. 

 This event is part of our Spring Fling: Sense and Sensibility Festival, running from 1 – 11 May 2025