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Author and poet Natasha Burge aims to inspire the kingdom’s writers by staging an online workshop on Monday to help them improve their skills.
The fictional and non-fictional published wordsmith, who was nominated for the prestigious American literary Pushcart Prize, is the writer-in-residence of Qal’at al-Bahrain Site Museum.
She is working on a collection of poetry and lyric essays that use psychogeographic methods, an approach to geography that emphasises playfulness and ‘drifting’ around urban environments, to explore concepts of place and belonging.
Natasha, 34, above right, who went to high school in Bahrain, will be conducting the workshop for those that want to use the museum as a source of inspiration for their work. “Using the workshop, writers will be well equipped to enhance their skills of characterisation, setting, and more. I even have a fun exercise about giving and receiving feedback – which tends to be a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be!”
The techniques are appropriate for writers of all skill levels; beginners will enjoy the chance to begin thinking about their craft, while experienced writers will be able to hone their existing skills. The session will also be uploaded using the museum’s Instagram, feed @qab_sitemuseum.
Natasha added: “There is a tremendous amount of beauty and inspiration in this setting and always something new to learn and explore. Being here has added a new dimension to my work.”
Qal’at al-Bahrain, also known as the Bahrain Fort or Fort of Bahrain and previously as the Portugal Fort, is an archaeological site with excavations carried out since 1954.
