Join us for a series of poetry workshops exploring the relationship between doubt, faith and creative expression. Doubt is an integral component of religion and art. We doubt what we cannot achieve. Doubt is the unwillingness to have faith in something other than the self.

‘doubt wisely; in strange way To stand inquiring right, is not to stray; To sleep, or run wrong, is’ (John Donne, ‘Satire III’)

Throughout this six-week workshop, we will turn doubt into an organising principle for our poetry, to make unsureness productive. Looking at poetry from Kaveh Akbar, Louise Glück, Lucie Brock-Broido, Sean Bonney and more to examine a wide scope of approaches to this fundamentally human affect.

Sessions will be held in Grosvenor East on Wednesdays between 14:00-15:30.

These sessions are open to all Manchester Metropolitan University students and alumni, and members of the public, of any or no faith. No previous experience of creative writing or poetry required. All are welcome.

The workshops are presented in partnership between Manchester Cathedral and the Manchester Writing School and Manchester Poetry Library at Manchester Metropolitan University. To sign up, express interest or ask any questions please email: tom.branfoot@manchestercathedral.org

About the host:

Tom Branfoot is the writer-in-residence at Manchester Cathedral and a recipient of the New Poets Prize 2022. He organises the poetry reading series More Song in Bradford. This Is Not an Epiphany, Tom’s second pamphlet of poetry, will be published by Smith|Doorstop in June 2023. See further details about Tom’s residency.