Poetry workshops for all abilities!
Coming up in July and August, we have a series of poetry workshops taking place in our libraries. All are free to attend – but please book your spot on EventBrite. All our workshops are practical giving you a chance to delve into your inner poet with inspiration from our expert poets.
With Cia Mangat
- 20th August, 7-9pm
- Southall Dominion Centre and Library
An opportunity to use your own stories and mythologies as inspiration for your poetry.
With Amir Darwish
- 23rd July, 6-9pm
- Acton Library
Explore the theme of wonder through our five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.
With Shagufta Iqbal
- 6th August, 7-9pm
- Ealing Central Library
A relaxed poetry workshop aimed at all level of writers drawing inspiration from the wonders of the natural world.
Meet the poets
Cia Mangat is a poet from London. She founded and edited Zindabad, a zine for people in diasporas worldwide, facilitates writing and zine-making workshops, and was selected for the 2026 Mayday Rooms and PageMasters Print Residency. Her work has been published in fourteen poems, gal-dem, Propel, and bath magg and has been broadcast by the BBC. Her debut pamphlet Lobe is out with The Poetry Business.
Amir Darwish is a British Syrian poet and writer of Kurdish origin living in London. Darwish has appeared on programs like BBC 4 and participated in literary festivals worldwide, including in India and Turkey. He is the poetry editor of The Other Side of Hope literary magazine. His poetry collections include Dear Refugee (2019) and Don’t Forget the Couscous (2015), both published by Smokestack.
Shagufta K Iqbal‘s writing has been featured in a wide range of anthologies, including Slam: You’re Gonna Wanna Hear This (Macmillan), Spin! (Otter-Barry Books), The Book of Bristol (Comma Press) Her children’s poetry collection is ‘Everything In-Between’ (Troika), and her second poetry collection ‘Blue, Babe’ (Nine Arches Press) is out in Autumn 2026. Shagufta’s poetry and storytelling have been commissioned by leading organisations such as the V&A, Tate Lates, Southbank Centre, WOMAD Festival and CBBC.