Multi-award-winning poet Henri Cole will hold a poetry masterclass at Poetry Ireland this evening. Born in Japan and raised in Virginia in the US, Cole’s multicultural and multilingual background has served as a medium through which his poetry has been brought to life. With nine published collections of poetry, one of which, Middle Earth, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry, Cole has countless other awards under his belt, such as the Kingsley Tufts Award, the Rome Prize, the Berlin Prize, the Lenore Marshall Award, the Jackson Prize and the Award of Merit Medal in Poetry from the Academy of Arts and Letters.
As executive director of the Academy of American Poets, a non-profit organisation promoting poets and the art of poetry, from 1982 until 1988, and having held many teaching positions in some of the top universities in the the US such as Harvard University and Columbia University, Cole’s masterclass is one not to be missed by any aspiring poet.
With a lack of poetry classes available being led by successful and knowledgeable poets, Cole’s masterclass will provide a platform that is not readily accessible in the Dublin scene. While many classes may be held throughout the literary world of the city, Cole’s multicultural background, culminating in his ability to speak four languages, gives this class an edge. Each language requires often opposing or conflicting mindsets and thought processes, thus rendering his poetry different from those who have mastered but a single language. Aspiring poets will benefit from his knowledge. As a rare visit to Ireland, this class will not be repeated frequently in the coming years, and thus, it is an opportunity of which full advantage should be taken.
The class will be presented this evening in partnership with the School of English in Trinity.
Tickets at €15 each are limited and can be found on poetryireland.ie
