Imtiaz Dharker Poetry Reading

On Friday 8th November, 55 A Level English students had the privilege to attend a poetry reading by renowned poet Imtiaz Dharker.

The poetry reading was a deeply engaging experience that captivated everyone in the audience. Her words, already powerful on the page, took on new layers of meaning as she read them aloud, her voice adding texture and depth. By the end of the reading, it was clear that Dharker’s poetry doesn’t just speak to the listener, it also offers a lasting sense of connection and inspiration. Mrs Teal, Head of Key Stage 5 English at Presdales School

Imtiaz Dharker’s visit was incredibly powerful and the way she explained and delivered her poems gave a strong insight into the world of writing and poetry. The range in her poetry, from being about her troubles growing up to sonnets, portrayed how much of a great poet she is, and the different ways in which you can deliver your feelings, even if the inspiration was originally something completely different. Dharker answering our questions was also very useful for aspiring writers/poets. Overall, the entire atmosphere was incredibly welcoming and warm, and Dharker’s visit to Ware allowed for many young writers to have a deeper insight into poetry and literature. Kamila Soltysik, Year 13

On Friday we went on a trip to Ware to watch the renowned poet Imtiaz Dharker. She spoke about why she writes her poems and what inspires her. It was a different experience to hear such poems being read aloud as it allowed us as listeners to grasp a deeper meaning behind the different pauses and phrases she’s chosen to use. It was also eye-opening to  realise that she’s influenced by little things in life, showing me that everything in life has significance, whether we acknowledge it or not. Neive Reid, Year 12

Imtiaz Dharker visit was very insightful and interesting to know her thought process and structure into how she plans a poem, but when she does plan, her poem most of the time does not mirror her plan. When she was reading out the poems, particularly “Tissue”, it was very insightful to know that poets generally are not told or asked from Exam boards if their poems can be used or not. However Dharker implied that she could not understand why “tissue” is used for GCSE as the complexity of the poem and the difficulty to interpret the poem are challenging at best. Jess Pullum, Year 13

Imtiaz Dharker,a  Respected contemporary poet, visited Ware poetry society this week where we had the pleasure of attending one of her readings. Dhkaer guided us through a series of poems, some recent from her new book and some old that she felt were still relevant for her or for society today. She introduced us to the procedures of her writing process, inspirations and how to go about publishing our own poetry. While we don’t study Dhkear as part of our A level, her wise words induced me to appreciate poetry as an art form and therefore I found the experience wholly valuable. Rachel Harvey, Year 13

On our trip to hear from poet Imtiaz Dharker I really enjoyed how passionate she was about both her poetry and the poetry that inspires her. I particularly appreciated how she wrote one of her poems as a response to the poetry of Wilfred Owen (a first world war poet), especially with my own family history involvement in the military and the closeness to remembrance day. Dharker’s poems are filled with emotions, history and larger themes that expand her poems’ audience and grasp of the world. She is a firm believer in the power of poetry and her attitude towards reading her poetry reflects this, she is passionate and expressive, easy to understand and encouraging to all those who read and study her poems. Hannah Green, Year 13

On Friday, we went to see the poet Imtiaz Dharker do a poetry reading which was captivating and interesting.  She spoke confidently with a deliberate tone throughout the poems that brought new meaning to them and made them much more interesting rather than just reading them.  I particularly enjoyed her opening poem “From another country” which captivated me with its themes of her heritage and the microaggressions of racism she experiences.  Many of her poems follow these themes of her heritage and conflict in these circumstances but also the range of joy and love.  Overall, I found it to be a very interesting and inspiring experience. Madison Scully, Year 13

The English trip was very wholesome, the poetry was fulfilling and taught you a lesson  of prosperity and kindness but also the hardships people face throughout their life.  Imtiaz Dharker spoke with a soothing voice, with growing passion for her poems throughout the time she was on stage. These poems were thought through and conveyed a narrative of understanding. The poems she talked about ranged from politics to romance and to conflict, Sharing many different perspectives along the way. Eva Pidduck, Year 12

I really enjoyed the poetry trip to see Imtiaz Dharker. We got to listen to some of her poems, and learn some of the backstory behind them. Her poems are very well written and it was nice to hear how she read the poems in her own style. I really enjoyed the poems from her most recent book, although they were dark they were very powerful. I liked her poem titled ‘a century later’, where it has a metaphor of war related to school. Sophie Hayes, Year 12

Going on the poetry trip, I did not expect to be so amazed by Intiaz Dharker, a passionate, intelligent, and inspiring poet. Everyone I spoke with complimented her poetry skills and delivery, and we were all captivated by her powerful words. Some of my favourite poems she read included Tissue, which was complicated but meaningful, and From Another Country, which was political and powerful. Overall, this was a very educational and influential English trip that will continue encouraging all English students to excel in poetry. Amelia Johnson-Hart, Year 12

Imtiaz Dharker is a very inspirational, interesting poet with a very thoughtful ideas and representations of everyday things we see in experience in life. She views the world deeply and takes note of the minor details of life which are actually quite beautiful. We went on a trip to Ware to listen to Imtiaz Dharker read some of her exquisite poems and the reasons to why she wrote them. She also talked about personal experiences in which inspired her to write some of her poems. He performance was purposeful and the room was silent in awe of her presentation. We heard the poems how she wrote them and wanted them to be seen and heard rather than our interpretations. At the end she answered some simple but challenging questions which she carefully listened too and answered in great detail to fulfil our expectations of a good answer. The trip was very hopeful for students looking to be a poet or a writer in the future but also opened everyone’s minds to be creative and look at life in a way that everything has a meaning and a purpose. Bethany Botheras, Year 12

On Friday the 8th November, Year 12 and 13 English students had the incredible opportunity  to hear Imtiaz Dharker share a selection of her poetry, as well as her personal stories and inspirations, and other poets’ work that she admires. As she read her poems, she demonstrated the strong passion and dedication she has for her craft, and captivated the audience with her powerful voice and words. To those of us studying poetry at A Level, it was an extremely invaluable experience for our understanding of how poems can be written and expressed to audiences, and we are thankful to the English department for organising this trip. Hattie Pryke, Year 12

From the visit from Imtiaz Dharker we learnt as writers that to produce quality meaningful pieces of writing the work often reflects a deep understanding of personal human experience, capturing moments and truths with precision. However this writing also challenges conventions, pushing the boundaries of expression and inspiring others to see the world through a different lens. Her work is not just technical but also evokes deep emotions. The visit focused on poems and her process of how to write them and what leads her to choose specific topics. Dee Cole, Year 12

Attending Imtiaz Dharker’s poetry talk was an inspiring experience. She shared her journey, inspirations and life experiences which helped her write her poems, and therefore gave me a new appreciation for poetry. She exposed us to the power of words and showed us how poetry can express emotions, bring attention to important matters, and connect and reconnect people. Imtiaz also read some of her works, showing the deeper meanings and emotion imbedded in each poem with the way she read. Overall, the trip was both educational and interesting. India Brooker, Year 12

I found the Imtiaz Dharker trip into Ware was very interesting and helpful, considering we had the opportunity to hear exactly how Imtiaz Dharker imagined her poems being read and all the different interpretations that she believed would be taken from the poem. We also saw a true insight into how she developed her poems, and through a series of questions, how the poems ended up being published after her hard work exploring them. Overall, I believed this trip was very helpful and intriguing for us, English a level students. Tabitha Hawkins, Year 12

Friday’s trip to Ware to listen and enjoy Imtiaz Dharker read a selection of her poems was insightful and heartwarming. She has a beautiful voice and way of thinking that was portrayed in her poems, I very much enjoyed listening to her thoughts and beliefs. However, I most enjoyed listening to her sonnet, written about her late husband, she expressed her feelings and love in a very wonderful way. After Imtiaz’s reading, we were given the chance to ask questions about her writing process and personal opinions on other poets which I also very much enjoyed and felt grateful for the opportunity. Purdie Leslie, Year 12

On Friday 8th of November, English students from Year 12 & 13 took a trip to Ware to listen to poet Imtiaz Dharker. Dharker is a renowned poet, having received the Queen’s Gold Medal for English Poetry and consideration for the role of Poet Laureate – so we were lucky to have this opportunity to hear from her in person. She began with readings of her many poems, providing us with insights into her thoughts behind each one, and then the afternoon ended with a Q&A session where we were able to ask our own questions about her poetry. Hopefully this experience will help add depth to our learning and provide us with additional information for the poetry we study in class. Martha Ker, Year 12

I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to see  Imtiaz Dharker, it was interesting listening to her talk openly about her process of writing these poems and how she draws inspiration from current and historical events, she is able to cleverly share important messages through her poetry and is able to inspire many. Furthermore, it was extremely entertaining listening to her read her poems as it gave a new perspective that you can’t get from simply reading them, it was amazing to see how passionate she is about her work and poetry. Florence Hudson, Year 12

Léna Howard (Year 8) has had a poem sent in for a competition to Young Writers. Léna’s poem ‘Bringing in the New’ has been chosen for publication in a book showcasing young writers’ work, called Winter Wonderland – Festive Thoughts. A copy of this will be available in the school library in due course.

Young Writer’s Writing Competition ‘Unsolved’

Students across KS3 to KS5 entered the Young Writer’s writing competition ‘Unsolved’, where they wrote mini-sagas in the style of a thriller.

The students selected to be published in November are:

Year 8

Lily Corney

Evie Bowkett

Farrah Duman

Isla Warriner

Gwen McDonald

Olivia Baptiste-Talajka

Olena Sklyarenko

Year 9

Ruby Horner

India Phillips

Cara Nolan

Year 10

Halle Maurice

Nadia Nikolajewicz

Kiera Walker Hiam

Martha Gant

Olivia Unwin

Emily Man

Lucy Norris

Alice Hawkins

Lila Higgs

Caitlin Lambourne

Olivia Watson

Libby Senior-Dickson

Agnese Prane

Reggie Webb-Ingall

Phoebe Marchant

Isabel Wright

Charlotte Moorcroft

Ruby Chiswick

Sasha Chellan

Hana Gashi

Tilly Peart

Darcy Smith