Seeing, Writing, Rewriting 

The Foundations and Practice of Creative Writing 

with Reza Alipour 

On October 4, 5 and 6, 2026

In this workshop, conducted in Kurdish, we will enter the process of creating a text in three stages, not to teach a set of predetermined formulas or fixed rules, but to introduce participants to the process of shaping a text by strengthening their ability to see, work and experiment with language, select, remove, and reinvent. 

Seeing (Observation) 

Developing the ability to look and perceive, to pay close attention, to draw on experience, memory, and imagination, and bring the raw material into writing. 

Writing 

Transforming the raw material into language: how to bring the raw material of the first stage into words, paying attention to the role and function of words, sentences, images, rhythm, and tone, and discovering the distinctive voice of both the text and the writer. 

Rewriting 

Moving away from the initial draft, identifying weaker passages and redundancies, discovering the structure and form of the text, recognizing its genre, and revising and rewriting until reaching a stronger and more refined text. 

Reza Alipour is a Kurdish poet and writer from Saqqez in Rojhelat, Kurdistan. His collected poems were published by Balinde in 2026. He is the author of two novels, Lewê Memre (Don’t Die There) (2025) and Alif/Ya (2019). In 2023, he was selected as the author of Balinde’s annual statement on poetry.

Registration will be closed on September 30, open to all genres. Capacity is limited to ten participants and applying early is recommended. The application form can be found through this link. 

Please submit the following:

• A work sample of two pages. 

• A cover letter not more than two 2 pages that includes a bio, brief artist’s statement, and your writing goals for the workshop.