Showcase: Drew Gummerson

This month Literaturenetwork.org showcases the writing of Drew Gummerson with an extract from his recently published novel. Drew’s first novel ‘The Lodger’ was a finalist in the Lambda Awards in the States. His latest book ‘Me and Mickie James’, about pop duo Down By Law, was published by Jonathan Cape in July 2008.

Drew is also a prize winning short story writer. He lives in Leicester.

Drew will be reading at Short Fuse on 17th March

Visit him at www.drewgummerson.co.uk

***

Hunchback Christmas

from

Me and Mickie James by Drew Gummerson

Me and Mickie James were moving down to London together. We were 24. We were going to be pop stars, Mickie James on keyboards and me on lead vocals. Mickie James had a hunchback but that didn’t matter. Even I knew it. He was the talented one.

We talked about how famous we were going to be on the train on the way down. “The world is fed up with manufactured pop,” I said. I put on my Ronan Keating voice. “I’m a talentless Irish twat,” I said. Mickie James laughed at this. He likes it when I’m funny. It takes his mind off his own problems.

During the journey people going to the toilet kept tripping over our Korg keyboard. “It’s not my fault it’s long, is it?” I said to this skinny bloke. Then this big bloke tripped over it. I apologised to him. You can’t be too careful these days, there are a lot of nutters about.

When we got off the train at Euston Mickie James asked me to take his photo. He wanted a reminder of the time we arrived. I took the picture on an angle, slicing off his hunchback. It was the sort of thing I’d done before. I’d been at Leeds art college for two years. I hoped I’d got it right. To be honest these disposable Kodak cameras are crap.

This guy we knew from a pub in Birmingham had told us to contact his mate who worked at St Pancras station. He said that he would sort us out for somewhere to stay.

We eventually traced the guy to the station manager’s office. He was wearing trousers that were too small and you could see the outline of his knob. Or it might have been a key chain.

“What do you want?” he said.

“We heard you had a room going,” I said.

He shook his head. “This is a bloody station not a hotel.” The other guys in the office laughed at this.

“You want to get some glasses mate,” said another one of the guys. He added, “What’s in Quasimodo’s case, is it a banjo?”

“Come on,” I said to Mickie James. “Let’s go.”

Dowload and read the full extract

Buy Me and Mickie James at Amazon

Word of Mouth

Nottingham Writers Studio presents WORD OF MOUTH, an inspiring evening of new writing from some of Nottingham’s leading novelists, playwrights and poets on Wednesday 4 March at 7.15pm at the Royal Centre.

WORD OF MOUTH is a very informal event, taking place in the relaxed surroundings of the Royal Centre’s Len Maynard Suite.  It provides a great opportunity to have a sneak preview of new work from the region, including short stories, drama, poetry and prose.  Work is read by the writers themselves or performed by actors from the Royal Company, the Royal Centre’s community theatre initiative.

WORD OF MOUTH is now becoming a well established and popular event at the Royal Centre.  On previous occasions audiences have been able to hear new work directly from such leading regional writers as novelists Jon McGregor, David Belbin and Nicola Monaghan and playwright Nick Wood.  In March people will have the chance to hear a new script from Award-winning TV writer Michael Eaton and poetry from Wayne Burrows (Editor of Nottingham-based literary magazine Staple); a short play by Richard Pilgrim; and fiction from Megan Taylor, Ian Douglas and Nigel Smith. The evening will be introduced by guest curator Ross Bradshaw from Five Leaves Publications.
Set up in June 2006 the Nottingham Writers Studio is based in The Lacemarket and is dedicated to the support and development of all forms of creative writing in the city.  Novelists, poets, songwriters, screenwriters, playwrights, critics, copywriters, indeed professional-level authors of all descriptions are welcome to join and to take advantage of a communal resource room with wi-fi access, magazines and books, with a meeting space and hot desking also available.

Tickets for WORD OF MOUTH at the Royal Centre cost just £5 and include a complimentary glass of wine. Please contact the Royal Centre Box Office on 0115 9895555 to book.
For more information on Nottingham Writers Studio please go to www.nottinghamwriters.wordpress.com

miniWORDS 2009 now live!

Charnwood Arts is pleased to announce the launch of its miniWORDS 2009 competition. As someone who has entered before we thought you would like to be the first to know that the website is now live again and accepting entries!

There is just one category in this year’s competition: miniSTORIES – a narrative in prose or verse in 50 words or less.

There will be one first prize of £250 GBP awarded. Second and third place, commended and highly commended will also be awarded in each category (although there will be no prize for this). Entry is completely free and you may enter up to three times.

Visit the website now for full details and to enter using the online submission form: http://miniwords2009.sharedspace.org/

Charnwood Arts would like to thank Ask Sue Witts for its generous support.

In A Hot Place

David Belbin, author of forty novels for Young Adults, has for the first time, published a story as a free download at: www.davidbelbin.com

The story, In A Hot Place has been published in the Morning Star and in an Evans anthology. David said of the story:

“It was inspired by December’s reports of a fifteen year old boy being tortured at Guantanamo Bay but is not specifically about that. After reading the story at an adult literary event last month, I realised that I wanted to make it as widely available as possible, especially for use in schools. It has a reading age of 7 and an interest age of 12+.”

Download In A Hot Place from David’s website: www.davidbelbin.com

The Lyric Lounge….Create a Lyrical Logo

July 2009 will see The Y Theatre transformed into The Lyric Lounge – a unique performance space celebrating the power of live literature.   For seven days, the Lounge will bring laughter, lyrics, music and visual magic to one of Leicester’s finest live venues.  As part of the cultural programme for the Special Olympics, Lounge events are expected to attract hundreds of artists, athletes, local families and literature fans alike.

Lyric Lounge organisers are searching for a talented artist to design a killer logo for the high profile project.  The winning design will receive huge exposure by appearing on the Lounge website, as well as posters, flyers, the main programme and a special publication.   The winner will be promoted as part of press liaison and a framed logo will appear at The Y Theatre throughout the week of the Lounge.  There is also a 2Funky Records goody bag up for grabs, filled with urban music and merchandise.

The Brief
Create a winning logo for The Lyric Lounge, highlighting the theme of live literature (cutting edge poetry and spoken word). The design must be in eye-catching colour and appeal to young people. It needs to feature the full title of the project – The Lyric Lounge.

The design must be your own original idea and although you will retain the intellectual property rights, 2Funky Arts will own the copyright and right of use. All entries must be newly created and previously unpublished.

How to Apply
Designs should be emailed to Rickin Bilimoria (as a JPEG or PDF if possible) on rickin@2funkyarts.co.uk, or dropped in/ sent as a hard copy to 2Funky Records, 62 Belgrave Gate, Leicester, LE1 3GQ.  For more information or to discuss your idea, call Rickin Bilimoria @ 2Funky Arts on 0116 222 0639.

Deadline Monday 2nd March 2009

The Lyric Lounge is managed by 2Funky Arts, with creative programming from WORD and guidance from a steering committee (led by Writing East Midlands). It is part of MLA and Renaissance East Midlands’ contribution to the region-wide ‘Igniting Ambition’ programme and is being undertaken in partnership with Arts Council East Midlands. With thanks also to support from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester Libraries and Leicester City Council.

Macbeth @ Sparkenhoe Theatre

Something really not to miss if you can make it in the remaining (alas) few days: MACBETH at the Sparkenhoe Ark Theatre, Leicester. It’s a ‘youth theatre’ performance with Macbeth & Co. fighting for survival in an underworld of criminal gangs. Guns in the place of swords but the integrity of the Shakespeare text is kept and it all worked remarkably well in the stage-setting of an abandoned warehouse “somewhere in the U.K. Time: present day”. Tight directing from Angela Goring and top-notch acting with a furiously intense performance from Callum Arnott as the Man himself, a powerful, believable Lady M. in Frances Tither and strong, confident acting  from Kieron Attwood as Banquo. But all hails to the other actors of course. There were no ‘also rans’. Go for it!

Sparkenhoe Ark Theatre, Sparkenhoe Street, Leicester LE2 ODL (2 mins. walk from train station). Box Office: 0116 253 9273.Tickets: £7. 23-28 February. Performances: 9.30 a.m. / 1 p.m. / 7.30 p.m.

Mslexia Poetry Competition

Mslexia’s prestigious and highly successful competition continues to provide a showcase for both established and emerging poets.

Ruth Padel has been named as the judge of the 2009 Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition.

Ms Padel, a prize-winning British poet and writer, is the author of six collections of poetry including Rembrandt Would Have Loved You, Voodoo Shop and The Soho Leopard. She won the 1996 National Poetry Competition, and has been shortlisted for the T S Eliot, Whitbread and Forward Prizes as well as for the Kiriyama Prize for Nonfiction in the US. She was chair of the Poetry Society (2004-2006); is the first resident poet at Somerset House; and, from March 2009, will be first Writer in Residence at Charles Darwin’s Cambridge college (Christ’s), on a Leverhulme Fellowship. Her latest collection, Darwin: A Life In Poems, will be available in February.

Ms Padel says: ‘Mslexia reaches places other magazines cannot reach. It is both good for society and good for poetry – for encouraging people to read as well as write the stuff. I am delighted to be judging the Poetry Competition.’

The winners will receive a top prize of £1,000; second prize of £500; third prize of £250; and 22 other finalists will receive £25 each. All 25 winning entries will be published in the summer issue (July/Aug/Sept) of Mslexia. Poems may be in any style, of any length, on any subject. The entry fee is £5 for up to three poems, and there is no limit on the number of entries. Closing date: 24 April 2009.

* Previous winning poems can be read at www..mslexia.co.uk/whatson/msbusiness/pcomp_active.html

Behind the Scenes – Moira Furness

Moira Furness Saturday 28th March, 11am-1pm Furnace Lane, Moira, Nr Swadlincote, DE12 6AT

Feel the glow of history from this nineteenth century blast furnace set beside the Ashby canal and in woodland grounds. Poet John Gallas will guide you through an exploration of the remains of this unique industrial monument. This workshop will have you seeing our industrial past in a new light.

The museum is open until 3pm. On site there is also a craft village and café with home-made food, as well as woodland and canal walks. So, after the workshop you could linger and make a day of it!

Reader in Residence

Perth Prison

Perth

Description:This partnership project between Perth Library Service and Perth Prison is funded until the end of May 2010 through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Perth Prison and Perth Library Service are looking for a self-employed arts worker with experience of group work and an ability to respond creatively in a challenging setting. He/she will be required to demonstrate a wide range of reading interests.

The successful applicant will spend three days per week working in Perth Prison directly with prisoners and two working in Perth’s Library headquarters on developing materials and workshops, etc.

Remuneration:£20,000

How to apply:
For further information and application guidelines please contact Caroline Beaton, Community Libraries Manager:

Tel. 01738 477001

e-mail cfbeaton@pkc.gov.uk

Call for Submissions: NewLit

Newlit is looking for non-fiction eBooks on the subjects of Creative writing; How to Books; Business; Finance; Mind, Body and Spirit; Fashion.

If you are interested in submitting a script (between 30-70 pages in length), please send an initial email to susan@newlit.co.uk or call 0845 5390138.

Organization:
newlit
Contact Name:
Susan Yearwood/ 0845 5390138
Contact Email:
susan@newlit.co.uk

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