Doubt Wisely – Poetry Workshop Series with Manchester Cathedral Writer-in-Residence Tom Branfoot

doubt wisely; in strange way

To stand inquiring right, is not to stray

 — John Donne, ‘Satire III’

Join us for a series of poetry workshops exploring the relationship between doubt, faith and creative expression. Doubt is an integral component of religion and art. We doubt what we cannot achieve. Doubt is the unwillingness to have faith in something other than the self.

Throughout this six-week workshop, we will turn doubt into an organising principle for our poetry, to energise uncertainty. Looking at poetry from Kaveh Akbar, Louise Glück, Lucie Brock-Broido, Sean Bonney and more to examine a wide scope of approaches to this fundamentally human affect.

We will begin by thinking about the concept of doubt and how it affects faith, art and selfhood before considering poetic theory including Keats’ concept of negative capability, irony in our modern world and the lyric ‘I’.

Each session we will analyse poems, look at contextual frameworks for understanding the topic and do some prompt-based writing exercises. Thinking about doubt in terms of metaphysics and theology we will be examining poetry from John Donne and Alfred Lord Tennyson as well as a plethora of contemporary writers.

Sessions will be held in Grosvenor East on Wednesdays between 14:00-15:30. These sessions are open to participants of any or no faith. It would be ideal if students could commit to attending all sessions, though if this is not possible do contact me.

These sessions are open to all Manchester Metropolitan University students. No previous experience of creative writing or poetry required. All are welcome.

Outline Plan

Week 1 – May 10th: Introduction

Week 2 – May 17th: The Self and Doubt

Week 3 – May 24th: Negative Capability

Week 4 – May 31st: Metaphysics

Week 5 – June 7th: Practising Happiness

Week 6 – June 14th: The Alphabet Is Not Ours

How to sign up

Find out more on the event page. To sign up, express interest or ask any questions please email: tom.branfoot@manchestercathedral.org

About Tom

Tom Branfoot is the writer-in-residence at Manchester Cathedral and a recipient of the New Poets Prize 2022. He organises the poetry reading series More Song in Bradford. This Is Not an Epiphany, Tom’s second pamphlet of poetry, will be published by Smith|Doorstop in June 2023.