When the sun dips below the horizon, city lights flicker on, and the world transforms. Night reveals a different kind of life—raw, unfiltered, and charged with energy. For those who feel a pull to capture these moments in writing, Write the Night offers a space to bring nocturnal themes alive on the page. Led by myself, Alan Parry, this workshop is designed to inspire poets of all levels to explore the intensity, mystery, and humanity of the night.
Taking place on 17th November, Write the Night invites you into the darker side of poetry, focusing on themes of loneliness, transformation, and even vice, all under the quiet cover of night. Whether you’re an experienced writer or just finding your poetic voice, this workshop will deepen your understanding of night-time’s unique power—and help you harness it in your own work.
For me, night-time is more than a setting; it’s a world filled with stories waiting to be told. From my debut poetry chapbook, Neon Ghosts, to the award-winning collaboration Belisama, and my spoken word show Noir, my work has always engaged with nocturnal themes. My poetry draws from an electrified cityscape where night is a playground for love, loneliness, and lives lived on the edges of society.
My background in English Literature and Creative Writing (BA) and Popular Culture (MA) informs my approach, blending a deep respect for literary tradition with an eye for contemporary expression. As Editor-in-Chief of The Broken Spine, I have cultivated a unique editorial voice, helping poets sharpen their craft and navigate complex themes. My ability to guide writers through this creative journey will be at the heart of Write the Night.
I have designed Write the Night as an immersive experience, pushing participants to explore their own connections to the night and craft poetry that captures its enigmatic qualities. The workshop will be packed with thought-provoking activities and discussions, including:
The workshop begins with a curated look at night in poetry, from Keats’ gentle, mystical night to Langston Hughes’ lively Harlem after dark. Participants will read, discuss, and interpret poems that capture night’s diversity—its calm, its chaos, and its hidden worlds. Together, we’ll unpack how poets like Hughes and Kaufman created rhythm, tension, and character through their unique depictions of the nocturnal cityscape.
Urban night settings are ripe for poetry that pulls readers in. In this exercise, I’ll introduce the art of crafting scenes with gritty realism. Participants will explore settings such as neon-lit streets, smoky jazz bars, and rain-soaked alleys, where detail and atmosphere heighten tension and authenticity. By layering sensory elements like sound, touch, and smell, writers will bring their night-time scenes to life.
Night often amplifies human experience, giving life to characters on society’s fringes. I will challenge participants to create complex night-time characters—a late-shift nurse, a radio DJ, or a cab driver—and avoid clichés by exploring their inner lives. Through this exercise, you’ll build characters that embody night’s tension and humanity, expressing the vulnerability and resolve that often emerge in the small hours.
I believe that poetry shines brightest when it takes risks, so this workshop will introduce prompts that push you to confront raw, visceral themes like vice, desire, and isolation. From a noir-inspired monologue to a free-verse exploration of loneliness, each prompt is designed to inspire poetry that captures the grit and glow of night. This is your chance to write fearlessly, exploring the edge where comfort gives way to honesty.
In a guided writing exercise, participants are encouraged to weave together specific night-time images like shadows, neon, and bluebirds, creating a layered scene driven by the senses. By focusing on touch and texture, this exercise deepens the mood and movement of the poem, encouraging writers to evoke the night as more than a backdrop, but as a tactile, immersive experience.
My experience as a poet, performer, and editor brings a unique depth to Write the Night. As co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Broken Spine, I have edited over 20 collections, working with poets like Matthew M. C. Smith, Casey Bailey, and Elisabeth Horan. My expertise lies in helping poets to uncover their boldest ideas while refining their craft.
My own creative journey also includes collaborations like Belisama, which won the Dreich Alliance Award, and my recent solo works Echoes and Twenty Seven. My poetry often embraces themes of transformation, community, and the complexities of modern life, blending a love for modern classic literature with a contemporary voice that’s unafraid to confront the intense realities of urban life.
My approach in Write the Night will be open and collaborative, and will make space for new voices and seasoned poets alike. This is a workshop for anyone who wants to step outside the comfort zone and create poetry that is as complex and compelling as the night itself.
Write the Night is a space to capture the pulse of life after dark. Whether you’re drawn to the solitary hours of reflection or the vibrant energy of the city, I will guide you through writing that resonates with the night’s mysteries. This is your invitation to create poetry that’s daring, resonant, and true.
Join me on 17 November and let’s make the night come alive in words. Secure your spot now!
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The Broken Spine is a poetry and arts collective proudly published on the coastal edge of North-West England. Founded in 2019 by Alan Parry and Paul Robert Mullen – two school friends reunited after twenty years through a mutual love of poetry.
