Category: Poetry
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Happy New Year – 8th January – We’re Back!
This Thursday, 8th January 2026, is the first Riverside Writers session of the year. This week our session will include a poetry workshop delivered by Sammy Weaver, Rochdale’s Poet Laureate. Sammy will be encouraging and supporting the writers to create poems around themes of identity and origin – where we come from and what it…
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Poetry Events coming up in 2026
As Rochdale enters the final quarter of its year as Town of Culture there are several great poetry events coming up from Rochdale Creates and hosted by Sammy Weaver, Rochdale Poet Laureate. These events will feature some great local talent alongside nationally renowned performers, poets and writers. All events are free of charge but spaces…
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Merry Christmas from Riverside Writers
So this evening is Christmas Eve and in the morning Santa will be coming round with lots of new words, hopefully some books and ideas to write about. In the meantime Bob Tench, haiku specialist, who has attended Poetry Café in recent months, has sent the following for our readers. some good some laden this…
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Alternative Christmas – Thursday 18th December
Rochdale Central Library 10am to 12 noon This Thursday sees the final Riverside Writers session of the year so we will have a bit of a celebration – mince pies and lots of poetry and prose. We’ll have a theme of ‘Alternative Christmas” and invite members to bring something to read or to write…
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Poetry Café – The Legend of Krampus – Rochdale Laureate
There is plenty of creative writing activity in Rochdale as we head into December, so sharpen your pencils, fill your pens and join us. Poetry Café Tuesday 2nd December, 6pm to 8pm, Coffee on the Corner, Littleborough On Tuesday evening the Poetry Café, open mic event, returns to the excellent Coffee on the Corner…
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Our house, in the middle of our street
Thursday 20th November 10am – 12noon, Rochdale Central Library, Number One This week our workshop will be led by Eileen Earnshaw with the title Our house, in the middle of our street. Sounds like Madness to me, Baggy Trousers optional – but expect to be inspired, supported or cajoled to get your creativity flowing and…
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Remembrance workshop
Thursday 13th November, 10am – 12noon Rochdale Central Library In the week where those killed in war are remembered the Riverside Writers workshop, themed on remembrance, will be delivered by Ray Stearn. As always our workshops are open to anyone aged 18+, you just need to bring something to write with. The sessions are free…
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Letting the Light Shine In
Lemn Sissay inspired workshop 10am to 12noon Thursday 6th November 2025 Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside Tomorrow Eileen Earnshaw will be delivering a workshop themed on and inspired by national poetic treasure Lemn Sissay. There will be plenty of opportunity to create some new poetry, or other genre should you prefer. We welcome…
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The Raven – creative writing workshop, and Poetry Café
Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Rochdale On the day before Halloween it feels appropriate to look at the Raven. We will look at the classic, dark, poem by Edgar Allen Poe and plenty of other historical and mythological references to the raven, the largest and cleverest of the corvids. There will be plenty of…
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The Red Dress
Thursday 23rd October, 2025, 10am to 12noon Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside This week Maggie Kelly will lead a workshop based on “The Red Dress” a 14 year creative project by British artist Kirstie Macleod. The red dress itself has been embroidered by 380 people in 51 countries and is a stunning, and record…
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Ghosties and ghoulies and things that write poems in the night
Thursday 16th October, 10am – 12noon Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Rochdale As we head towards Halloween at the end of this month the spiders webs, skeletons, ghosts, vampires, pumpkins and plastic gravestones are popping up in front gardens around the country. In keeping with that the Riverside Writers are being treated to a…
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Sammy Weaver Workshops
This is short notice but Sammy Weaver is delivering a poetry workshop on Monday afternoon, 13 October 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Hare Hill House, Littleborough and there are still some places left.. If you’d like to attend you will need to book, free of charge, by emailing Nick at Hare Hill House on admin@moorendtrust.org Sammy will…
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Poetry Café and Riverside Writers Workshop
Poetry Café, Coffee on the Corner, Littleborough Tuesday 7th October, 6pm to 8pm Come along and share your poetry, read a favourite piece or enjoy listening to those performing, in the cosy café with lovely homemade cakes, excellent hot drinks and available since last month a glass of wine. If you wish to read please…
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Play – Thursday 2nd October
This Thursday is National Poetry Day and the theme this year is “Play”. In a workshop from Seamus Kelly with Ray Stearn we will look into play – there are lots of possibilities (and we don’t have to stick to poems) – broad games, from snakes and ladders to family strife around Monopoly, card games…
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Lancashire Themed Workshop – 25th Sept 2025
10am – 12noon – Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside This week the Riverside Writers session will be looking at the county of Lancashire along with its people and traditions Seamus Kelly will be leading a workshop with lots of opportunities for discussion and writing. As always anyone aged 18+ is welcome to join the…