The Art of Writing with Theodore Ell

Art makes us think in a language all its own. How do we translate it into words, to share the experience with others?

This session explores the devices – description, perspective, imagery – of ekphrasis, writing that arises from art. Participants are invited to wander the collections of the National Gallery and seek inspiration for a short piece of writing in a genre of their choice – poetry, essay, memoir, short fiction – to share in a final workshop with award-winning poet and essayist, Theodore Ell.

Theodore Ell studied literature and modern languages in Sydney and in Italy. For several years he worked as an editor and translator and co-founded the international journal Contrappasso. From 2018 to 2021 Ell lived in Lebanon, accompanying his wife on a diplomatic posting. Ell’s essay ‘Façades of Lebanon,’ about the Beirut port explosion, won the 2021 Calibre Essay Prize. His poetry collection Beginning in Sight won the 2022 Anne Elder Award. He is an honorary lecturer in literature at the ANU.

This program is presented in partnership with Canberra Writers Festival.