Derwent Poetry Festival

November 12, 2010

to

November 14, 2010

Ciaran Carson, Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queens University Belfast, heads up the poets appearing at the 2010 Derwent Poetry Festival in Matlock Bath, 12th – 14th November. There will be further guest poets in the 2010 festival and the full programme will be posted on the Templar website during August.

Pomegranate New Playwriting Competition and Festival

Pomegranate Theatre is currently seeking submissions for their New Playwriting Competition. Shortlisted pieces will be performed as rehearsed readings in front of an audience and invited judges during the New Playwriting Festival in March 2011. The audience will then decide which pieces will go through to the final at the end of the week.

The prize for the winning piece will be £500 and a possible commission for a new full-length piece of work. Scripts can be in any style, be fact-based or fictional, and should be between 30 and 45 minutes in length. All pieces should be designed to be performed at The Pomegranate Theatre in a studio-style setting. Scripts should be for no more than 4 professional actors.

Closing date 30th September 2010.
There is a £5 fee for entering. Successful entrants will be notified by 30th October 2010.

For further information and an application form please contact Carole Copeland at the theatre on 01246 345215 or email carole.copeland@chesterfield.gov.uk

Joanna Danks offered worldwide publishing deal

Nottingham Writer’s Studio member offered worldwide publishing deal from Piatkus following Writing Industries Conference

Nottingham Writer’s Studio member Joanna Danks has been offered a worldwide publishing deal from Piatkus for her book, “In The Blender”. Her work was selected for an agent interview at the Writing Industries Conference 2010 with Oli Munson of Blake Friedmann Literary, TV and Film Agency, who is now her agent.

The book is creative non-fiction – a humorous guide to blending families, aimed at single mothers who are setting up home with single fathers.

How to pitch a freelance article

Writer, journalist and editor James K. Walker shares his top ten tipes for pitching an article as a freelancer. Read more

Lyric Lounge Leicester

July 30 – August 1 2010 will see New Walk Museum transformed into ‘Lyric Lounge Leicester’ – an enchanting performance space celebrating the power of live literature. Events are part of a region-wide series of mini-festivals taking place throughout 2010, following on from the massive success of last year’s ‘Lyric Lounge Leicester’. Alongside workshops and performance opportunities for local artists, audiences can feast on a variety of commissions and jaw- dropping lyrical moves by established poets.

http://www.lyriclounge.co.uk

John Hegley
“There’s warm wit aplenty, both in the poetry and in the engaging banter that sets the scenes,” Chortle. Hegley’s new show ‘Adventures of Monsieur Robinet,’ delves deeply into the world of one of the UK’s most prolific storytellers. Radio regular, published writer, and popular glasses wearer, John Hegley has made his mark everywhere. From sell out shows at Edinburgh Festival to comedy festivals worldwide, his poems about dogs, glasses and a whole lot more, have really gone the distance. John’s poems are renowned for being deeply humorous, personal and emotional. Marvel at his adventures in rhyme, rhythm and mandolin plucking, from someone whose background fuses Luton mundanity and glorious French culture. Catch him perform on Sat 31 July, 7pm. Tickets £10/ £5. Suitable for ages 7 plus with guidance.

Mark Gwynne Jones
‘inspired…one of the most accomplished performance poets in the land…drawing the audience into a world where things are not quite what they seem.’ The Guardian Eccentric, oddball poetry that makes for a unique experience and has made Mark a firm favourite in Edinburgh, at Buxton Festival Fringe and numerous venues across the UK. See him perform with his band Psychicbread, for a mesmerising fusion of music, poetry and humour. From a love affair with an orange girl, who had one too many sun bed sessions, to steering a Sherman Tank through rush hour, their work is compelling, contagious and surreal.
Mark and Psychicbread headline WORD! – Sun 1 August, 7pm. Tickets are £4/ £3. Suitable for ages 13 plus.

Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze
Jamaica born artist Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze is the world’s first female Dub Poet and has performed on every continent, apart from the Antarctic. Her published works ponder social and political issues, as well as her own experience of mental health. Jean is a Bloodaxe Poet and the author of seven collections of poetry and fiction. Catch her perform on Fri 30 July, 1pm, at Lyrical Lunchtime (FREE- just turn up) or leading a workshop inspired by museum objects on Sun 1 August, 2.30pm (FREE but booking essential – check website for details).

Andy Craven Griffiths
“If Macbeth had been into hip hop, he’d have sounded a bit like this.” Apples and Snakes Slam champion for Manchester Lit Festival 2004, Glastonbury 2005 and Munich 2007, Andy has wowed his fair share of audiences. A regular on BBC Radio 1 and 2, his work crosses exciting territory between poetry and rap. Far from being just a pretty face, Andy’s work is thought provoking and delivered with breathtaking ease. Andy comperes and performs as part of urban poetry competition ILUVLYRICS (suitable for ages 13 plus) – Fri 30 July, 7pm. Tickets £5/ £3 (performers get in free and need to sign up at 6pm on the night).

All tickets for evening events are available from The New Walk Museum Box Office: 0116 225 4900. For the full ‘Lyric Lounge Leicester’ line up, including FREE workshops, film screenings, after show parties, and open mic and mentoring opportunities, visit www.lyriclounge.co.uk

Workshops can be booked via: word@wordpoetry.co.uk

New books from Paul Sutherland

Spires and Minarets

A new pamphlet of Paul Sutherland’s poetry Spires and Minarets has been published by Sunk Island Publishing. Information about Spires and Minarets can be found at http://www.scribd.com/doc/29317530/Spires-and-Minarets .
Retail cost, £3.50 + 50p (post and parcel) Cheque to N.P.Sutherland please and sent to Jasmine Cottage, 4 Church St., Market Rasen, LN8 3ET

Some quotes about Spires and Minarets,

‘Spires & Minarets traces Paul Sutherland’s modern pilgrimage through parts of Lincolnshire, one of England’s most ancient (and yet forgotten) shires. His direct experience of the landscape, its birds, animals, plants informs his poems and prose pieces, as do his encounters with the people who live in that landscape. Underlying it all is an appreciation and celebration of the continuity of human habitation within a specific place. Originally an outsider (Canadian born, long settled in England; Christian become Sufi) Sutherland nevertheless becomes absorbed into the landscape and its history. Lincolnshire becomes home. In this way the English landscape reveals again its extraordinary power to accept and transform; and having doing so, gives back its richness in literature. Spires and Minarets adds to and expands the scope of our tradition of nature and landscape writing, opening it up in ways that no one could have expected.’
Michael Blackburn, poet and publisher, Sunk Island Publishing

‘In Spires and Minarets Paul Sutherland takes the reader on a journey which is both physical and spiritual through the Lincolnshire fens. I particularly like the notebook format which mixes short and long entries, prose and poetry. Immediate and sensitive observation of landscape, its wildlife and small objects discovered in it are starting points for lyrical writing and impassioned meditation on central subjects.’
Myra Schneider, published poet, editor, workshop leader.

April Renga

The second collection April Renga is published by Wellhouse Press in association with Dream Catcher. Paul Sutherland has long had a fascination with Japanese style of linked verses or renga and has written and been involved in writing many examples of the form. In April Renga he is both a contributor and editor of a sequence of 36 miniature ‘renga’ poems. It’s a perfect bound 40 page book with firm laminated colour designed cover in about A6 size. The sequence was written by members of the Driftnet Poets with Paul Sutherland’s guidance and contribution over three years including the process of editing and re-writing.

One reader has described the book as, ‘a beautiful production and with one poem per page the idea of renga or linked poems is more understandable and enjoyable. You can see better how the poems are subltly related, rather than in a narrative structure.’

Renga highlights the importance of ‘spacing’ in poetry. In the Foreword, to the book, Paul writes, ‘The form [renga] asks the reader to do more than pause but to undertake an imaginative leap to perceive or imagine how separate poems might be related without direct narrative or logical links.’

April Renga costs £6.00 + 50p (post and parcel) Please make cheque payable to N.P. Sutherland. The two books can be purchased at the slightly reduced rate of £10.00 including postage and parcel. Cheques sent to: Jasmine Cottage, 4 Church St, Market Rasen, LN8 3ET

Large’s plays capture the feel-good-factor

HUMOUR, glamour and an all-round feel-good factor – Keith Large’s Laughs from Leicestershire opened their summer tour in style in front of a sell-out audience at Buxton’s Poole Cavern.

Laughs from Leicestershire from Carrot Napper on Vimeo.

The Loughborough College technician and playwright hosted three of his latest playlets cocking a lighthearted snoop at the more absurd features of real life.
Britain’s moaning culture, pointless bureaucracy and obsession with self-adulating minor celebrities all came under Keith’s wicked microscope – and were duly beaten into verbal submission.

Top of The Bill was Jeff Stewart – he of 24 years as Reg Hollis in the popular ITV police drama – who took the role of Willie Jefferson, one of four all-too-precious contestants on a Scottish version of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

But for all his polish and professionalism, ears and eyes were more than equally drawn to the younger talent in the troupe.

‘Glamour’ duo Genevieve Cleghorn and Helen Bolitho were up front, in your face and outstanding throughout the evening whilst Loughborough College student Brian Fury is a prime example of what Keith’s company is all about – loud, brash and very entertaining.

There was a further College link, too, with former engineering student Jack O’Ballance providing the props and stage management.

Tellingly these were a couple of hours that literally flew by, leaving a distinct taste for more.

That will come soon for hungry audiences at three more iconic venues – Cambridge’s ADC Theatre where the likes of Sir Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson made their names, on Thursday, July 21; the 503 Theatre in London , recently acclaimed by The Guardian as ‘arguably the most important theatre of all’, on Sunday, August 1; then a breathtaking run at Spotlites at the Merchant’s Hall, just 100 yards off Prince’s Street, at the Edinburgh fringe from Sunday, August 15 to Saturday, August 21.

Lecturer in Creative & Professional Writing

Closing Date Tuesday, 10th August 2010
Department School of Education

Salary £32620 to £43840 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience (salary can progress to £50,822 per annum, subject to performance)
Applications are invited for the above post in the School of Education, based at the University’s Jubilee Campus. The person appointed will provide leadership, curriculum development and quality assurance for the School’s BA creative and professional writing course. They will also write, research and publish in an area relevant to one of the School’s research centres.

Candidates should hold a good honours degree in English Language/Literature, creative writing or a related subject, a postgraduate qualification and a PhD (completed or near to completion). They should also have proven competence in teaching of creative writing.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr S Speight, Email: sarah.speight@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this Email address will not be accepted.

For full details and how to apply please see: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Jobs/CurrentVacancies/ref/SM00465E

Scribal Gathering

August 4, 2010
7:00 PM	to	10:00 PM

LeftLion presents ‘Scribal Gathering’ at the Nottm Contemporary Gallery.

7.00 Doors
7.15 Intro – 10 mins
7.25 Joe Coghlan – 15 mins
7.40 Rachael Pennell (play) – 15 mins
7.55 May contain Notts: Al Needham – 15 mins
8.10 Break – 10 mins
8.20 Open mic (Break) – 30 mins
8.50 Poetry Bingo – 15 mins
9.05 WORD! – 30 mins
9.35 Break – 10 mins
9.45 Hhymn – 30 mins

Joe Coghlan is a performance poet and a member of Derbyshire outfit ‘Hello Hubmarine’. His powerful and emotional beat style poem ‘15th December’ is about a young boy who saves a man from committing suicide on a bridge.

Rachel Pennell runs Lucky Fin Productions and gives voice to women written out of history. She will be performing a scene from one of her current plays Chocolateria Hysteria. As France explodes into bloody revolution, Pauline Leon trades in the world’s most seductive substance – chocolate. A compelling and imaginative tale of four women and their struggle for love and liberty.

Al Needham needs little introduction to Nottingham folk. The author of sex blog of the year ‘Todger Talk’ will be giving his very unique view of local life. He is the Editor at LeftLion magazine, alright duckeh…

Open Mic slots are mostly booked in advance but we’ll also sign a few up on the day.
Poetry Bingo is your chance to win the latest books by local authors and publishers so steal your nana’s big red marker pen or better still, bring her down with you and learn how to call out in style.

WORD! Is a Leicester event run by Lydia Towsey and Pam Thompson. They’ll be bringing some of their crew down to give you a taste of other wordy events going on in the East Midlands.

Hhymn are quite simply the best band in Nottingham and have sponsored our literature podcasts Write Lion with their beautiful alternative folk tunes. Expect violins, trumpets, mandolins and a vocal that will melt you to the floor.

Contact: books@leftlion.co.uk

Everything You Ever Wanted to Ask an Agent

Agents are the bridge between writers and publishers, and are among the most influential people in the publishing industry. The role of the agent can include much more than simply selling a book, and agents are increasingly responsible for finding and nurturing talented new writers. Choosing the right agent can affect every step of a writer’s career, and understanding how the agent / author relationship works is essential to making that choice.

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John Berlyne is a partner at the Zeno Literary Agency with John Richard Parker. Zeno represents both fiction and non-fiction, with particular expertise in handling genre, their list leans towards science fiction and fantasy, boasting best-sellers, household names and prize winners.

Oliver Munson joined Blake Friedmann in 2003, after completing an English Literature degree from the University of EdinburghandanMAinPublishing Studies from City University. He has a particular interest in popular non-fiction, commercial fiction and sports writing.

James Wills is a Director at Watson, Little Ltd and looks after a dynamic and wide-ranging list of writers. He has an MA in 20th Century Literature from the University of Leeds. He looks for striking, quirky, character-driven commercial and literary fiction that is thrilling, bold and beautifully written.

Bernie Corbett is a British trade unionist and former journalist. In his role as General Secretary of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain he covers TV, film, radio, new media and print publishing. In his newspaper career Bernie Corbett was chief sub-editor of The Guardian (London) and chief features sub-editor of The Independent (London).

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