Artwork: ‘Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom’ (2000)by Anselm Kiefer

A critical and creative exploration of violence and gentleness through non-fiction, visual art, poetry, and fiction. This close reading and writing course examines how some of the most compelling contemporary writers and artists hold violence and gentleness together in their work, one of the defining challenges of human relationships today.

Over ten weeks, Sarah will draw on her own experience working in violence-charged environments such as prisons and courtrooms, and introduce participants to the insights of Anne Dufourmantelle on the power of gentleness. We will unpack Teju Cole’s concept of cold violence, the invisible harm embedded in the systems around us, and Hannah Arendt’s ideas of critical creativity in her famous work, ‘Thinking without a Bannister’. We will also study the striking visual art of Ana Mendieta and Anselm Kiefer alongside the powerful fiction of Édouard Louis and Anna Burns.

Our three very special guests are forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead, poet Matthew Dickman, and writer Édouard Louis. By the end of the programme, you will have identified a writing project of your own that engages with these themes and formulated a clear, practical roadmap for its realisation.

Draft Programme (Full Syllabus Published in January)

Every Thursday, 7pm-8.30pm Irish Standard Time on Zoom

Week One (February 12th): Introduction to the Volume of Violence–The Power of Gentleness

Week Two (February 19th): Special Guest Dr Gwen Adshead

Week Three: (February 26th):Non-Fiction: ‘Bad Laws’ by Teju Cole

Week Four: (March 5th) Visual Art I: The Work of Ana Mendieta

Week Five: (March 12th) Visual Art II: The Work of Anselm Kiefer

Week Six: (March 19th)Special Guest Poet Matthew Dickman

Week Seven: (March 26th) Eco Violence and Gentleness in the Poetry of W.S. Merwin

Week Eight: (April 2nd) Fiction: ‘Thinking Without a Bannister’ by Hannah Arendt

Week Nine: (April 9th) Fiction: Anna Burns

Week Ten: (April 16th ): Special Guest Writer Édouard Louis

 

*Two Full Scholarships Are Available For This Programme. To be considered for a scholarship, please write a 500-word response to this quote from Anne Dufourmantelle by January 15th 2026, to srbyrne@gmail.com:*

“When they are not despised, the gentle are persecuted or sanctified. We abandon them because gentleness as power shows us the reality of our own weakness“

*Please note that the price of this course has been highly subsidised by the Disaster School Seed Funding. Please only apply for a scholarship if you otherwise would not be able to participate in the programme due to financial constraints*