Poetry of Birds Workshop

Birds have flitted through our minds and nested in our imagination since ancient times. Inspired by birds’ flight and song, poets have written some of the greatest works of the English language.

This workshop explores the deep relationship between birds and poetry.

You will look at the rich tradition of avian poetry across a range of species, from swifts to songbirds, eagles to skylarks; and the myriad ways birds inspire contemporary poets in the light of the ecological crisis.

Through creative writing exercises in a supportive environment, you’ll also have the chance to test your own poetic wings and free your lyric song.

Beginners welcome. 

About the tutor

Mary Montague is a poet and nature writer. She is a biologist by background, with a PhD in ornithology. A love of the natural world informs much of her writing. Her poetry collections are Tribe (Dedalus 2008) and Black Wolf on a White Plain(Summer Palace 2001). She has been published in numerous journals, nationally and internationally, has been widely anthologised, most recently in Queering the Green (Lifeboat Press 2021). Her work has also been translated into French, Italian and Russian.

Mary is a qualified teacher with many years experience of teaching in schools, as well as extensive experience in facilitating and tutoring creative writing and poetry in a variety of settings. She also works as a Queen's University tutor delivering courses on birds and on evolutionary theory. She has received a number of grants from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and was a 2019 recipient of a Poetry Ireland Tyrone Guthrie Centre Mid-career Bursary. Her recently completed novel is under consideration by publishers. She contributes to The Guardian’s Country Diary. 

More details of Mary’s background and work can be found at: Mary-Montague.com