Poet Sue Sinclair led a workshop on erasure poetry at last year’s Horseshoe Literary Festival. The festival will be held for the second time in Corner Brook from October 12-14. (Submitted by Adam Beardsworth)
Writing is no picnic – but a walk in the park can help you write, says Matthew Hollett, one of the speakers at this week’s Horseshoe Literary Festival in Corner Brook.
The Horseshoe Literary Festival celebrates its second year with a series of writing workshops and readings from local authors, as well as musical performances by artists such as Louise Gauthier and Noah Hamilton.
Adam Beardsworth, festival organizer and co-founder of Horseshoe Literary Magazine, says the festival is open to anyone “interested in stories, narratives and poetry.”
The event also provides a chance for aspiring writers to connect with local, published authors who can offer advice.
Walking, seeing, writing
On Friday and Saturday, Beardsworth says, a series of four workshops will take place at the Rotary Arts Centre in Corner Brook, with authors teaching various writing skills and techniques.
Hollett is a poet and photographer and says his workshop, titled “Walking, Seeing, Writing,” builds on his enthusiasm for looking closely at the world around him.
Matthew Hollett is a poet and photographer who leads a workshop where participants take a walk in nature and learn how to connect their observations with their writing. (Submitted by Matthew Hollett)
As a photographer, he says he is a very visual person, and this ability carries over into his writing style. He likes to play with descriptive language to paint a picture for the reader with words.
In his workshop, participants will take a walk outside and learn how to reflect on writing through their experiences in nature. He says participants are encouraged to bring a phone or camera to take photos.
While it is a writing workshop, he says, it is also an opportunity for people to network and discuss how they see places and landscapes – especially up close.
“This approach to my writing comes partly from the fact that I am very short-sighted,” Hollett said.
“Without contact lenses or glasses, I can hardly see anything, so it’s natural for me to look at things very closely.”
The event takes place from Thursday to Saturday.
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