Tag: Poetry
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Katie Haigh at Riverside
The Dreaded Blank Page – Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, 10am – 12noon This week we are delighted to welcome Heywood based poet and writer Katie Haigh as a guest facilitator. Katie is known as the leader of the monthly Heywood Scribblers writing group, previously led a writing group at Darnhill and facilitated for…
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Poetry Café and Riverside Writers
Another week with plenty of opportunity to get our creative writing juices flowing with two local events: Time – by Eileen Earnshaw Rochdale Central Library, Thursday 9th April, 10am – 12noon This week Eileen will be leading a workshop around the concept of time and its use in literature. What a great way to spend…
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Sestinas – Thursday 19th March
Rochdale Central Library – 10am to 12noon A focus on poetry this week as Eileen Earnshaw will be bringing us a workshop about the Sestina – a French poetic form that…. Maybe I’ll wait until Thursday morning before saying more. Anyway that almost explains the French photo for this post. As always there will be…
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Journeys Workshop
Rochdale Central Library 10am to 12noon Thursday 26th February This week at Riverside Writers Seamus Kelly will be inviting writers to take a journey. Destinations, times and all sorts of storylines will open up ahead of us with a series of writing exercises. Whether writing stories, poems or any other genre there are…
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Happiness
Thurs 19th February, Rochdale Central Library This week at Riverside Writers weekly session Eileen Earnshaw will be leading a creative writing workshop focused on “Happiness”. With examples and discussion there will be plenty of opportunity to create new pieces of writing – plenty to be happy about. Just bring something to write with and your…
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Never Never – Workshop with Ray Stearn – 12th February 2026
Well! what an inspiring week of creative writing and poetry in Rochdale, including a great performance by Riverside Writer, Yasmin Hussain, standing up really well alongside some seasoned top performers including Rochdale Young Poet in residence Alende Amisi, Sid Calderbank, Hafsa Aneela Bashir and Mike Garry. For more about those recent events please visit One…
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Refuge – Thursday 29th January
For the Riverside Writing Group session this week Seamus Kelly will be leading a workshop titled “Refuge”. In view of the things happening in the USA and other parts of the world and the prevalence of anti-immigrant feeling in some parts of the UK it seems an appropriate time to look at refuge once again.…
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Jan 22nd – Writing Animals
This Thursday 22nd January our workshop led by Seamus Kelly will consider “Writing Animals”. In this session we will consider different approaches, writing from different points of view, and look at some examples (well known and less so). There will be plenty of chance to write and share. This workshop should be informative and help…
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15th January – E-piphanies
This week Eileen Earnshaw will be delivering a workshop themed ‘E-piphanies’. Come along and find out, there is sure to be ideas, inspiration and plenty of chance to write. As always our session runs from 10am to 12noon, at Rochdale Central Library, and all aged 18+ are welcome to attend. PLEASE NOTE – THIS…
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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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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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Wintering – Thursday 11th December
10am to 12noon, Rochdale Central Library Riverside Writers workshop this week will be led by Eileen Earnshaw on the theme of “Wintering”. So now that storm Bran has passed it is time to get out and do some writing. As always anyone aged 18+ is welcome to come along, no need to book, just bring…
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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…