Writing Poetry with Iconography
By Dr. Roula-Maria Dib
July 17, 2025
Via Zoom
18:30-21:00
Fee: £25 (non-members)
15% discount applies for LABRC members
How about writing some ekphrastic poetry inspired by the symbolism and archetypal energies of icons?
This workshop will introduce you to how iconography, rooted in alchemical principles, serves as an early form of arts-based research, with alchemy serving as both metaphor and method on the journey towards creative spirituality. Exploring the profound symbolic language of iconography stirs contemplation on the creation of archetypal movements within this tradition. How can icons, characterized by rich symbolism and stylistic minimalism, serve as vehicles for both spiritual insight and transmediality through ekphrastic poetry? Delving into the archetypal essence of these symbols and the philosophical underpinnings of iconography, this workshop aims to elucidate their transformative power and highlight the timeless significance of this ancient art form —all while you give it a shot at experiencing it through writing your own ekphrastic poems in response to the images!
Biography: Roula-Maria Dib (PhD, Leeds) is a literary scholar, poet, and editor whose research interests are at the interstices of literature, modern poetry and poetics, creative writing, and Jungian psychology. She is also the founding director of the London Arts-Based Research Centre, founding editor of literary and arts journal, Indelible, and creative producer of literary event series, Indelible Evenings, as well as Psychreative, a virtual salon for researchers, artists, and writers with a background in depth psychology. She is the winner of the British Council’s Alumni Awards 2021-2022 for the Culture and Creativity category in the UAE and a holder of the UK Global Talent Visa. Her authored books include Jungian Metaphor in Modernist Literature (Routledge, 2020) and poetry collection, Simply Being (Chiron Press, 2021).
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