New residential short-course at Wortley Hall open to all exploring the work of Philip Larkin (1922-85). Course dates: Friday 16 – Sunday 18 March 2018.

Through reading and discussion, the aims of this weekend are to read, discuss and explore a selection of Philip Larkin’s poems. The recommended edition is the one edited by Anthony Thwaite published by Faber and Faber (available here).

Philip Larkin (1922-85)

Programme
Though some poems have been identified for each session, the tutors are happy to look at any other poems suggested by members of the group.
 
Friday (16th March evening)
Participants arriving from 4pm

Informal gathering before dinner

18.30:    Dinner

19.45:    Welcome & Introductions
              Session 1:   Introducing Philip Larkin: Church Going; Annus Mirabilis, I Remember, I 			Remember; To the Sea.
 
Saturday (17th March)

08.30    Breakfast

09.30    Session 2:   Documentary poems : Whitsun Weddings; Places, Loved Ones;  Show

11.00    Coffee

11.30     Session 3:    Poems about Love : Talking in Bed; Arundel Tomb; For Sidney Bechet.

13.00   Lunch

14.00   Free time

16.00    Tea 

16.45    Session 4:    Larkin in fiction and in real life. Discussion (extracts from fictional representations of Larkin will be provided including: That Uncertain Feeling – Kingsley Amis; Playing the Harlot – Patricia Avis; Larkinland – Jonathan Tulloch. Larkin’s biographers – has his reputation been affected by what we now know about his private life? (again material will be provided)

18.30    Dinner

19.45    Session 5:       Larkin - a grumpy old man? Toads; A Study of Reading Habits;
Homage to a Government; Wild Oats; Going, Going…
 
Sunday (18th March)

08.30    Breakfast

09.30    Session 6:   Time passing; Sunny Prestatyn; Mr Bleaney; Dockery and Son; Aubade…

11.00    Coffee

11.30    Session 7:        Poem MCMXIV; conclusion and evaluation

12.50    Soup and sandwich lunch….
                  heading for home….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
 
Participants are asked to view in advance some of the many youtube clips on Larkin – documentaries; Larkin reading some of his poems; discussions; film interpretations of poems etc. We shall try to look at some of these during the weekend – technology permitting.

Course tutors: 
Derek Summers is an experienced tutor and poet. He has run a successful RWF weekend on Dylan Thomas and his own publications include an anthology with the late Michael Foot, The Foots and the Poets (2010) and a more recent collection of poems entitled ‘brevities’. He is active in poetry circles in Oxford. 
John Boaler is a retired English teacher. He has previously run literary weekends at Wortley Hall on both R S Thomas and Tony Harrison. He is completing a Research MA at Swansea on ‘The Representation of Work and Industrial Relations in the Literature of south Wales between the wars.’

Registration:
The full fee for this study weekend package is £120 per person, which includes bed, breakfasts, lunches and evening meals. Places are limited, to book you will need to pay an initial deposit of £40 followed by a balance of £80 payable 3 weeks in advance of the event. To book or for further information please contact nick.mahony@gmail.com
Please note: up to two RWF bursaries available will be available to anyone in receipt of benefits. Successful applicants will receive the full weekend package for just £30 (plus possible support for travel expenses in addition to this). To apply, please email nick.mahony@gmail.com briefly stating why you would like to attend this study weekend and why you need a bursary. We particularly welcome applications from young people aged between 16-24.