Lyric Lounge Leicester

30th July, 31st July, August 1st.
10.00am – 10.00pm
New Walk Museum

‘The Lyric Lounge’ is a groundbreaking, site specific festival of poetry and spoken word. Following its sell out success at The Y Theatre in 2009 and after 12 months of eager anticipation, this year it comes to New Walk Museum…

A whole range of free activities will run from 10am until 10pm and take place in the main gallery, studio rooms and cafe. In the day, chill out with coffee, books and films, draw with festival artist in residence; Tim Clarke, or choose from an impressive host of poetry workshops. Be entertained with music and poetry over ‘Lyrical Lunchtimes’, chat to The Book Doctor, or take to the mic yourself.

In the evening catch everything from WORD! with Mark Gwynne Jones and his amazing band, to John Hegley, The Godfather of performance poetry. John will be performing his brand new show, ‘The Adventures of Monsieur Robinet’ – against a back drop of museum objects.

With a line up that includes poetry from the internationally acclaimed, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and music and lyrics from the likes of Kenny Wilson, Mike Sole and ILUVLYRICS, ‘Lyric Lounge Leicester’ invites participation from people of all ages and is definitely not to be missed. For the full programme, associated projects and information on the festival’s late night cabaret, visit www.lyriclounge.co.uk .

‘Lyric Lounge Leicester’ is part of the ‘Igniting Ambition’ programme. It is artistically directed by Lydia Towsey with patronage from Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze. ‘Lyric Lounge Leicester’ It is managed by Writing East Midlands, in association with WORD!. It is funded by MLA (Museums Libraries and Archives), with further support from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester Libraries and Leicester Arts & Museums Service. It’s delivery group includes: The Literature Network, Find Your Talent and 2Funky Arts.

Scribal Gathering

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

Writing School Leicester – Summer School

Writing a Short Story with Bead Roberts
10.00-12.00 daily w/b 16th August £60
Suitable for beginners and those with some writing experience. Using written exercises, shared responses and group discussions, students will learn how to build the skeleton of a short story in their chosen genre.

Writing, Planning and Developing a Book for Children or Teenagers with Debbie White13.30-15.30 daily w/b 16th August £60
This course is not an introduction to children’s writing, but if you are having problems plotting, creating character, establishing believable settings, or just getting started then individual help and advice will be on hand from the tutor. Come along and be prepared to write, so that by the end of the week you will have made good progress towards that ultimate goal – a publishable book for children or teenagers.

For more details see: http://www.writingschoolleicester.co.uk/Sumer_School_2010.html

Braunston Festival

Music, book, film and food events with all the fun of a village fair. 28 – 30 August 2010.

Saturday 28 August – Books, film, family and food: Including authors Sophie Hannah and Tim Butcher; Roald Dahl Museum Storytellers; children’s events; floating opera; local writers CW@M; local producer food stalls; mini-beer festival; family film “Fantastic Mr Fox.” Braunston Village Green & Village Hall.

Sunday 29 August – Crafts and sports: Crafts marquee and workshops from Stitch and Make artists; climbing wall; coaching sessions; fun races; Owls Galore; family film “Avatar.” Braunston Playing Fields and Village Hall.

Monday 30 August – Music and dancing: Open air concert with leading UK folk musicians Eliza Carthy and Chris Wood; world music band Sheelanagig; DJ slots; Royal Oak Morris dancers.

Full programme at www.braunstonfestival.org.uk from early June. Contact info@braunstonfestival.org.uk to find out more or get involved.

D.H. Lawrence Festival

Now in it’s 7th Year the D.H. Lawrence Festival brings togehter a diverse programme of events and activities including reading groups; lectures; events as part of the national Heritage Open Weekend; film screenings, exhibitions; guided walks; workshops and family events.

The full programme will be available from July 2010.

For further information telephone 01773 717353, email culture@broxtowe.gov.uk, visit www.dhlawrenceheritage.org or join the D.H. Lawrence Festival Facebook page.

Nottingham Writers’ Days

Nottingham Writers’ Days are a programme of one-day intensive writing workshops, led by award-winning writers from Nottingham Writers’ Studio. Each day will include workshop sessions, writing exercises and peer reviewing, plus individual discussions about your work. The sessions will be held at Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery from 10.15am-5.30pm, followed by a group dinner at 6pm.* There will be a limit of 12 participants for each workshop.

Cost: £45 NWS Members and Concessions £75 Non-members per event. This will include tuition, tea/coffee on arrival (replenished throughout the day), lunch, and dinner.

For more information and to book, please contact: admin@nottinghamwritersstudio.co.uk

Summer/Autumn Programme 2010

Saturday 10th July 2010
‘From Idea to Screenplay’ with Michael Eaton
Writers who wish to participate in this workshop must have no inhibitions, for they will be required (in the company of folk they have never met before) to develop an idea of their own through various stages: the pitch, the outline, the treatment and, at last, the screenplay. In the history of cinema the genesis of most films has come from a story which already existed, so the focus will be on ‘Adaptation’. Each participant should bring a five minute statement of an idea they would like to turn into a screenplay (of any length). This founding notion might derive from a newspaper article, from another medium, perhaps even from an incident in their own lives. In the morning we will benignly share these tales and in the afternoon we will critically work together to wonder how the principles of narrative structure might be mobilised to turn base metal into dramatic gold.

Saturday 25th September 2010
‘Planning and Developing Your Novel’ with Nicola Monaghan
This course will focus on the issues faced by a novelist producing an extended piece of work. Looking at plot, narrative structure, character and practical approaches to planning your work, the session will involve writing exercises, discussion and analysis of other writers’ work. Ideally participants will have been writing for a while and, to get the most out of the day, will bring ideas about a project to develop during the workshops.

Saturday 23rd October 2010
‘Cross It Out and Start Again: Editing Fiction’ with Jon McGregor
This course will look at the art of editing, where much of the work of writing is really done. We’ll study some before-and-after examples from published writers’ work, and consider some of the aims and challenges of insightful editing, before moving on to wield the mighty red pen over some of our own work. The workshops will concentrate on editing shorter pieces, but we will also cover ways of approaching the overall structure and shape of a novel. Participants should bring a piece of writing with them: either a short story, or a novel extract with associated synopsis/outline. Mighty red pens will be provided.

Workshop Leaders

Michael Eaton, MBE, is a screenwriter who specialises in docudrama. His work includes Shipman, Shoot To Kill and Who Bombed Lockerbie. His fictional work includes Flowers of the Forest and the TV series Signs and Wonders. He has adapted works by George Eliot and Charles Dickens for BBC Radio 4, and is visiting Professor in the School of Creative Writing at Nottingham Trent University.
See Michael Eaton’s entry at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247861

Nicola Monaghan has worked as a teacher, a financial analyst and a software guru. She gained an MA in Writing from Nottingham Trent University in 2004. Her first novel, The Killing Jar, won a Betty Trask Award, the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Prize and the Waverton Good Read. She has subsequently published a second novel, Starfishing, and a novella, The Okinawa Dragon. http://www.nicolamonaghan.co.uk

Jon McGregor is the author of the critically acclaimed If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things and So Many Ways To Begin. He is the winner of the Betty Trask Prize and the Somerset Maugham Award, and has twice been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He was born in Bermuda in 1976. He grew up in Norfolk and now lives in Nottingham. Even the Dogs is his third novel. http://www.jonmcgregor.com

BOOKING FORM

Please return this booking slip to: Nottingham Writers’ Studio, 49 Stoney Street, Lace Market, Nottingham NG1 1LX with your BOOKING FEE (£45/£75 per day). Cheques are payable to Nottingham Writers’ Studio.

We will confirm your reservation upon receipt of this booking form and fee, and you will be emailed/sent a full itinerary of the day. Places will be offered on a ‘first come’ basis. If the course is full, payment will be returned.
Nottingham Writers’ Days

– please indicate which workshop/s you would like to attend
Saturday 10

th July 2010 ‘From Idea to Screenplay’ with Michael Eaton
Saturday 25

th September 2010 ‘Planning and Developing Your Novel’ with Nicola Monaghan
Saturday 23

rd October 2010 ‘Cross It Out and Start Again: Editing Fiction’ with Jon McGregor
FULL NAME:

ADDRESS:

POST CODE:

TELEPHONE:

EMAIL:

*All participants must be 18 years or over. You are welcome to book more than one event.

Please tell us about any special requirements you may have (including dietary requirements) here:

Aly Stoneman
Coordinator
Nottingham Writers’ Studio
Sutton Place Business Centre
49 Stoney Street
Nottingham
NG1 1LX

0115 9597947

admin@nottinghamwritersstudio.co.uk

http://www.nottinghamwritersstudio.co.uk

Derwent Poetry Festival

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.