Poetry Workshop hosted by Professor Douglas Dunn

In 1987, while attending Harrogate Grammar School, English teacher Julia Nozedar received on Prize Day a book of poetry by Douglas Dunn, a Scottish poet she greatly admired. Twenty years later, she finally had the opportunity to have it signed when this eminent Professor of English and Director of the Scottish Studies Institute at St Andrew's University visited Dollar to give a Creative Writing seminar to senior pupils.

On 26 October in the Maguire building, Professor Dunn hosted a workshop on ‘Versification’ in poetry attended by Form VI pupils who are taking Creative Writing as a part of their Advanced Higher English. The afternoon included discussions on such topics as the resurgence of rhyme, the importance of exploring words ‘from the inside’ and poetic structure.

Pupils were then asked to analyse and comment on the effectiveness of a selection of poems produced by Dollar pupils. After discussing the poems in groups, they were read by the pupil poets with great flair. Professor Dunn complimented the readers several times on their oral expression saying that their deliveries were emotive and confident. He also critiqued their writing giving the pupils pointers on how to improve. Professor Dunn then read one of his poems, An Address to Adolphe Sax in Heaven, to an audience awed by his presence; they were hearing a great Scottish poet reading his own work.

Ms. Nozedar commented: ‘When I taught in York, the English lecturers at York University often visited schools to speak with senior pupils. I thought setting up these types of links would be very beneficial to our AH Creative Writing pupils so I emailed Professor Dunn and he immediately accepted.’

The afternoon proved inspiring to pupils and teachers alike. Bruce Torrance, Form VI, said: ‘The lesson on poetic structure was very useful and I will try to use what I have learned in future creative writing tasks.’

Professor Dunn has served as a member of the Scottish Arts Council (1992-4) and holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Dundee (Law) and Hull (Literature). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1981.