Workshop – Storytelling in Poetry

Discover the narrative power within your poetry in this immersive workshop led by acclaimed storyteller Sahand Sahebdivani (IRN). As the founder of Amsterdam’s renowned cultural centre Mezrab, and recipient of the Amsterdam Prize for the Arts, Sahand brings decades of experience in weaving personal and collective stories into compelling performances. 

Storytelling is an ancient art form of which the practicioners know how to make tapestries with their words. In crystal clarity they weave through action and description. They are concise in one place, and meandering in the next. 

In this session, you'll explore how storytelling techniques can enrich your poetic practice. Whether you're crafting concise verses or expansive narrative poems, Sahand will guide you in harnessing the elements of storytelling to add depth and resonance to your work.  

Join us to transform your poetic voice, learning from a master storyteller whose work bridges cultures and genres. This workshop is ideal for poets eager to infuse their writing with the vividness and emotional impact of storytelling. 

This workshop will be given in English, but you’re free to join no matter which language you write in!

Sahand Sahebdivani

Sahand Sahebdivani has been a storyteller for a quarter of a century. Many of his stories are inspired by his family, which left his native Iran during wartime in 1983. He is the founder of the Mezrab, which has since grown to become the most important European stage for the artform, as well as a school and a production house. He works on a wide artistic spectrum: drawing from the intimacy of the small meetings, to the theatricality of performing on big theater stages. He performs and teaches all through the Netherlands, as well as international stages.