On Thursday 16 January 2026, the Narrative & Cognition Lab hosted a hybrid seminar titled Reading Words and Worlds, facilitated by poet, translator, and transdisciplinary researcher Dr Patrick Errington.
The seminar explored how creative writing responses can highlight, enact, and enhance the creative process of reading. Drawing on literary and creative theory, neuroaesthetics, cognitive psychology, and literacy education research, Dr Errington introduced his UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project, Rewriting Wor(l)ds, which investigates how creative engagement with poetry can support more active and co-creative reading practices, particularly among young people.
Challenging the assumption that reading is a passive activity, the session examined reading as a dynamic interaction between reader, text, and environment, with a particular focus on lyric poetry and its interpretive richness.
The event concluded with an interactive activity in which participants were invited to develop their own co-creative responses to a poem, offering a hands-on demonstration of how creative reading and writing practices can deepen literary engagement.
On behalf of the Narrative & Cognition Lab, we would like to thank all attendees for their participation and contributions to a lively and engaging discussion.
Watch the full recording on Vimeo: Reading Words and Worlds
