Review written by Lawton, L6 student

Loreto College’s creative writing enrichment group were recently visited by Bolton-bred poet, Oliver Lomax. The hour-long session was run by the English department – and, as part of it, Lomax discussed his poetry and gave the group prompts to write their own. He emphasised the importance of reading poetry throughout the workshop, and shared his own influences too – notably Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate. The value of poetry in the education system has been a noteworthy topic for some time. The session was both informative and thoroughly enjoyable.

During the workshop, Lomax read three highly personal poems, all of which were extremely evocative. The sincerity of his writing was thought-provoking and engaging; his poetry held an authenticity that made for a visceral and almost nostalgic experience. Lomax also discussed his working-class background – a clear part of his identity as a poet; his belief in cultural equality and the power of arts is evident in his work.

Whilst demonstrating the importance of teaching poetry, the workshop also emphasised its versatility. In practice, we discussed poetic structure – looking at ‘To Do List’ by Simon Armitage. This poem emphasised anxiety regarding the pace of life, whilst also highlighting Armitage’s obsession with racing driver Donald Campbell and his attempt to break the speed record. We noted the poem’s bullet-point structure and attempted to wite our own poem in this manner – a ‘to-do’ list of sorts, with a encompassing a part of history that interests us.

After the brilliant workshop, students commented on Lomax and his poetry; one said that ‘The session wasn’t like anything I expected, and I completely fell in love with it’. Another student stated that ‘Oliver Lomax translates experience to poetry very effectively.’

Lomax’s visit proved the undeniable relevance of poetry in modern education, and how it can resonate with today’s students.