1-2-1 sessions/mentorship/manuscript assessments

I have a few slots available each year for 1-2-1 sessions online, looking at poetry or other creative writing.

This is for poets at any stage looking for focussed feedback or mentorship, or artists from other disciplines who would like to bring poetry/writing/text into their practice.

These can be one-off sessions, or a few sessions spread out in which we’d work towards a goal (exhibition, pamphlet, collection, publication etc.)

Previous mentees have gone on to publish collections, pamphlets, win poetry competitions, and put on award winning exhibitions & events.

I have taught for The Guardian, The Poetry Society, The Poetry School, City Lit, as an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths University, as a Guest Lecturer at Falmouth University and many more.

For rates and availability please email me (ellafrears [at] hotmail[dot]com). Limited spaces available. It’s helpful to include a short sample of work in your email if you can.

I also run a weekly 1 hour online workshop for a small group of artists and writers called ‘Seasonal Frears.’ These are six week terms, Friday mornings 8-9am or 9.30am-10.30am and are generative, relaxed and a fun and productive way to start your day – all levels of writing experience welcome. Terms are 6 weeks long and groups are limited to 10 students. The cost is £150 per term. If you’re interested in joining for a term email me (ellafrears[at]hotmail[dot]com).

Upcoming

January 2026

• 12-17th January – Arvon Residential course with Martina Evans
• 20th January – Exeter University
• 31st January – reading in Stroud

February 2026

• 9th February Cafe Writers online reading
• 10th February Valentines special workshop with Page of Wands, Lala Books

March 2026

• 14th March – Creative Body Process, Totnes

April 2026

• 12th April – Plymouth
• 25th April – talk in Darlington

Archive

2025

• Workshop in Norwich with TOAST
• 30th January – Reading at Well Read Books, Lisbon.
• 6th February – Burley Fisher Books with Keiran Goddard
• 8th February – Workshop for Writers’ Block Cornwall
• 9th February – Workshop for Writers’ Block Cornwall
• 10th-14th February – Arvon Online course
• 13th February – Outspoken, The Southbank
• 18th February – Goodlord at Foyles with Octavia Bright
• 22nd February – Writing masterclass for Rough Trade Books, Wendover
• 27th February – Reading at Battersea Arts Centre
• 7th March reading at the Soho Poly
• 24th March – at Bookbar with Sheena Patel
• 27th March reading in Catford Library for Spread the Word
• 29th March in Manchester
• 8th April – Tongue Fu
• 13th April – Judging final of Unislam
• 16th April – Rough Trade Books Event
• Gothic Bar, Kings Cross
• 25th-27th April- SUPeR Books, Copenhagen
• 2nd May – Falmouth Poly – Wayward Festival
• 8th May – York Centre for Writing
• 7th-30th Online course for Moniack Mhor
• 19th Drop-in poetry workshop, Roundhouse Camden
• 20th Kent and Sussex competition judge
• 22nd Reading in Norwich TOAST
• 24th Online workshop for Outspoken
• 31st May – events with David Harsent and Frank Skinner in Launceston
• 16th July – Guest on Arvon course in Totleigh Barton
• 26th July – workshop with the Southbank Collective
• 2-3rd August – Sandy Hill Arts Weekend
• 11th August – Stress Test Live at Edinburgh Book Fest.
• 8th August – Closing party – SET Woolwich
• 21st August – Well Versed, Tooting Market
• 23rd August – The Wake festival, West Sussex
• 10th-21st September – David Collins Foundation Exhibition
• 20th-3rd Nov – Outspoken Academy
• 25th October Creative Body Process with Sian Davey
• 7-11 November residency Corfu, Greece
• 27th November – Workshop at Penryn Arts Centre
• 1st December – Poetry Christmas Party, The Social

2024

• 26th-28th reading & workshop at Galle Literary Festival, Sri Lanka
• 6th February workshop with the Roundhouse Collective
• 7th February, poetry judge for Putney Highschool’s Poetry Festival
• 27th March – reading at The Social for the launch of Sharan Hunjan’s book Open Mouths https://www.thesocial.com/events/rough-trade-books-open-mouths/
• 25th April reading in Plymouth
• 20th -25th May – Arvon residential course with Martina Evans
• 25th-26th May – Creative Body Process with Sian Davey
• 11th-25th June Poet in Residence at Haberdashers’ Aske School
• 7th June – reading in Penzance, Cornwall with Hypatia Trust https://hypatia-trust.org.uk/events/women-in-word-festival-ella-frears-poetry-reading-and-in-conversation-with-qa
• 18th June – Launch of Goodlord at The Social, London SOLD OUT https://dice.fm/event/gv2m2-goodlord-a-launch-by-ella-frears-18th-jun-the-social-london-tickets?lng=en
• 20th June – Tate St Ives – Reading & In Conversation https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/book-launch-ella-frears
• 21st June – Launch of Goodlord at the Verdant Tap Room, Penryn – SOLD OUT Book (free) tickets here
• 26th June – LRB Bookshop – In Conversation with Will Burns https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rough-trade-presents-will-burns-ella-frears-tickets-890940967417
• 3rd July – One Track Minds
• 4th July – Reading at launch of Ginny Suite, Horse Hospital – tickets
• 5th July – City Lit Masterclass showcase https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/city-lit-poetry-masterclass-showcase-2024-tickets-903157818347?aff=oddtdtcreator
• 11th August – Edinburgh Book Fest event with Holly Pester
• 12th August – Edinburgh Book Fest – Stress Test Live with Joe Dunthorne & Stuart Murdoch (Belle and Sebastian)
• 1st-5th October Istanbul Poetry Festival
• 10th October – Forward Prize for Poetry reading, Durham
• 14th-19th October Poetry Residential workshop, Dartington
• 24th October Tongue Fu, Rich Mix London
• 27th October Southbank Centre ‘London Living’
• 31st October – Spork Poetry, Exeter Phoenix
• 7th November – Rejection is Romantic, South Parade Gallery
• 8th-9th November Aldeburgh Poetry Festival
• 11th November, reading and workshop at The John Hansard Gallery, Southampton
• 14th November, reading in Groningen – forum
• 20th November – reading at Lewisham Library, Deptford
• 24th November – reading in Edinburgh for Push the Boat Out Festival
• 25th November – Scarlett Sabat curates, the Social London
• 28th November – reading at the Coronet Theatre, London
• 5th December – Mirrorball Glasgow
• 12th December – Adult Entertainment, The Haggerston Pub

2023

• 10th January – Reading at TATE ST IVES – Book your free ticket: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/barbara-hepworth-art-and-life/poetry-reading-with-ella-frears SOLD OUT
• 17th January – MA Poetics of Imagination, Schumacher College, poetry workshop 2.15pm
• 17th January – Speakeasy – poetry reading & Q&A online https://thewritersblock.org.uk/events/
• 25th January – Guardian Masterclass online https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/2022/mar/04/on-brevity-how-to-write-very-short-poems-with-ella-frears SOLD OUT
• 26th & 27th January – School’s readings and workshops as part of TOAST Poetry’s schools tour
• 4th February – special guest tutor on Sian Davey’s photography course SOLD OUT
• 6th-10th February – Poetry Course at Dartington with special guest Sheena Patel https://www.dartington.org/event/expose-and-disclose/
• 15th February – Arvon guest reader, the Hurst
• 8th March – Reading for International Women’s Day, Foyles Charing Cross Rd – https://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Events/Detail.aspx?eventId=4304
• 10th -11th March Uni Slam & Hit the Ode, Birmingham https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/hit-the-ode-march-2023/
• May 6th & 13th – ‘creating your first collection’ workshop, City Lit https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/create-your-first-poetry-collection
• 24th May – reading & Q&A at Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt for Elizabeth Price’s SOUND OF THE BREAK https://schirn.ticketfritz.de/en/Event/Kalender/13391/33985?typ=Vorlage
• 27th May – in conversation with Don Patterson about his Memoir (Norwich) more details https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/from-toy-fights-to-poetic-heights/
• 27th May – launch of Rialto 100 guest edited by Ella Frears & Will Harris (Norwich) more details tbc. https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/a-republic-of-poetry/
• 1st June – presentation of Risplendi, Cara the Italian translation of Shine, Darling in Lugano, Switzerland
• 3rd June – presentation of Risplendi, Cara the Italian translation of Shine, Darling in Milan
• 26th June AHRC conference with Southampton University in Glasgow speaking about writing for their ‘pride in place’ project
• 30th June – City Lit showcase https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/city-lit-poetry-masterclass-showcase-tickets-647120864927
• 3rd July Panel for Exeter University
• 4th July Magma #86 (FOOD) launch, 49 Maltby Street https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/myevent?eid=652924894937 SOLD OUT
• 6th July – Guardian Masterclass Online https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/2022/mar/04/on-brevity-how-to-write-very-short-poems-with-ella-frears
• 8th July – Poetry Takeaway with the Southbank Centre Collective
• 13th July – Magma #86 potluck launch, Mount Florida Books, Glasgow
• 19th July – ‘All Keyboards are Legitimate’ launch, Chener Books, Dulwich
• 21st July – workshop with Sound artist at Newlyn Art Gallery
• 22nd July – Poetry 1-2-1s for Quay Words, Exeter
• 25th July – reading in Liverpool – La Violette Società https://www.tickettailor.com/events/violetterecords/936224
• 26th July Chairing an in conversation for Rough Trade Books – Foyles Charing Cross
• Stress Test Live – Edinburgh Book Fest https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/joe-dunthorne-ella-frears-aidan-moffat-john-osborne-martha-sprackland-stress-test
• 7th September – poetry workshop for Sian Davey, Creative Body Process SOLD OUT
• September 23 – June 24 – City Lit Year Long Poetry Masterclass (applications close August) https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/masterclass-poetry-a-year-long-workshop#:~:text=constructive%20feedback%20on…-,This%20year%2Dlong%20poetry%20masterclass%20is%20open%20by%20selective%20application,them%20for%20publication%20and%20performance.
• 11th October – Winchester Poetry Festival, panel on Cornish Poetry
• 21st & 22nd October – Guardian Masterclass weekend intensive https:/https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/2023/aug/09/the-fundamentals-of-poetry-and-poetics-an-intensive-weekend-workshop/
• 21st October – Stress Test Live at the Southbank Centre
• 27th October – Stress Test Live at the Southbank Centre

FAREWELL SATURN – CASSINI’S FUNERAL 

Sept 15th 2017, Bold Tendencies, Peckham 

photos by Cat Goryn 

After nearly twenty years in space and countless discoveries made, on the 15th September 2017 the Cassini Spacecraft was sent the command to plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere — destroying it completely and resulting in a fiery end to the mission. 

Funded by the Arts Council England and in partnership with writing agency Spread the Word, Ella Frears was Poet in Residence at Royal Holloway University responding to the final months of the mission; working towards elegy and asking what the death of a machine one billion kilometres away might mean to us. 

The ‘Space Funeral’ was curated by Ella Frears, hosted by writer/performer Stuart Silver. 

Featuring poetry written during the residency as well as newly commissioned works by:

Composer, Rufus Isabel Elliot

Architect/Designer, Emma-Kate Matthews

Filmmaker, Louis Rizzo-Naudi 

Memorial temporary tattoos were designed by Ben Jones