Workshop

Reading and writing poetry (EN)

Immerse yourself in The Yellow Nineties – deviant, decadent and queer poetry in Fin de Siècle England. An excellent introduction into ‘Two Loves’ on the live and love of Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas on the same evening.

Simon Mulder will present some of the most interesting poems of the time by sometimes forgotten poets: Lord Alfred Douglas, Olive Custance, Ernest Dowson, Algernon Charles Swinburne and Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. After discussion, we get to work to create our own reflections on the themes that haunted that time as well as ours: what is the purpose of art? How to find beauty? And what can and cannot be said in a poem? The workshop is mainly English spoken but writing in Dutch is of course possible, and help in Dutch as well. Writing materials and a preview edition of the book ‘Two Loves’ are provided. We have space for fifteen persons, so that everyone may get enough attention. Whoever wants to present the result of their work, can make an appointment through Simon Mulder for a recording with filmmaker André Grove.

Simon Mulder

Simon Mulder (1986) is a Dutch poet, elocutionist, and artistic director of The Celebrating Poetry Foundation (Stichting Feest der Poëzie), with which he organises poetry and music events. For The Celebrating Poetry Foundation, he develops performances, podcasts and poetry video’s. Also, he performs in The Netherlands and abroad with his own poetry or that of great poets of the past, writes essays, compiles anthologies for HetMoet/Menard Publishers and gives workshops in writing and reading poetry. Besides that he is a teacher of classics (Greek and Latin) in secondary education.