Writing Co-Lab

The ghazal is an ancient form that is malleable to the time and space that the poet occupies. It is lyric poetry in its most pristine form and it manages to defy tradition whilst being traditional. In this 6-week, online class, we will read classic and contemporary ghazals across time and space, including ghazal poets, Amir Khusro, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Agha Shahid Ali, Sarah Ghazal Ali and more. We'll use these as inspiration to devise our own ghazals with meter and rhyme (and remember that a couplet is in itself a ghazal too!).

This is both a learning and generative workshop. Although there won't be opportunity for extensive feedback, there will be plenty of opportunity for experimentation and craft. Beginners and intermediate poets are especially encouraged to enroll since the format assumes no prior knowledge of the Ghazal form.