Nicholas McLachlan
- County
- Kerry
- Genre
- Poet, Short-Story Writer
- Sessions
- Reading and Q&A, Discussion with Writer, Creative Writing Workshop, Master Class
- Age Group
- 7 - 10, 11-15, 16 - 18
- Level
- Primary, Post Primary
- Languages
- Works in English ONLY
- Availability
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Mornings, Afternoons - Travel
- Yes
Publications/Repertoire/Productions & Background Experience
Nicholas McLachlan is a writer and teacher of poetry and fiction. His first collection of poetry, The Rain Barrel, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2015. He is currently working on a second poetry collection and a collection of short stories. He received the Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship in 2016 and the Ireland Chair of Poetry bursary in 2020.
He works on the Dept of Education’s TAP (Teacher Artist Partnership) and BLAST (Bring Live Arts to Students and Teachers) arts-in-education programme.
Writing is in his blood. His mother is the poet and novelist, Leland Bardwell.
Session Details
My teaching philosophy is a practical one and involves writing and reading. Many of the principles and practices of writing are common to fiction and poetry and can only be fully understood by engaging in the process of writing. Whether it’s a workshop on fiction or poetry or a combination of both I like to get students writing so they can experience this for themselves.
At primary level the techniques I use to generate work can include templates and scaffolding, acrostics, synonym poems, alphabet poems, etc., as well as exercises that encourage the use of the senses. This is work that can be done individually, in pairs or in small groups.
At second level I like to expose the group to the work of contemporary writers, particularly writers and themes they can identify with. A typical session at this level will generally include a more subtle analysis of sensory detail, imagery, concrete nouns, particulars and texture. I will use dramatic monologues, advice and what I know poems, as well as fiction writing techniques such as scene setting, character, voice and descriptive writing to get students writing.
For image of The Rain Barrel go to: https://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=366&a=271
- Telephone
- 086 0645312
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