Books & Things – July 2010 – The Lyric Lounge

Books & Things – July 2010 – The Lyric Lounge
News, events and opportunities for readers and writers
http://literaturenetwork.org

Hello!

This month in Books & Things we think about reading – Everybody’s Reading. The new festival of reading in Leicester takes place between 2nd-10th October 2010, and we want YOU to help get the city reading. We also get excited about the Lyric Lounge, and update you with all the latest news, events and opportunities for writers and readers around the East Midlands region.

For all this and more…read on!

Damien Walter
Literature Network Coordinator

NEWS
Everybody’s Reading is a new festival of reading taking place in Leicester between the 2nd-10th October 2010. Events will be taking place across the city from schools and libraries to arts centres and theatres. The aim of the festival is to get Leicester reading, and we want YOU to help! Anyone who loves reading can get involved by putting on an event as part of the festival, and there are small grants to help with costs. You can get more information here and follow the festival on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GetLestaReading or join us on Facebook.

Dan Tunstall, published by Five Leaves press, has been shortlisted for the Bransford Boase award for young adult fiction. Dan will find out if he has won on 14th July, and we wish him luck. The Lawson-West poetry competition announces its winner, as decided by regional poet Emma Lee. Another of our regions talented poets, Mark Goodwin, also releases his new publication Shod this month. And Siobhan Logan takes her icelandic inspired poetry to a trio of summer festivals. And as if that was not excitement enough, playwright Keith Large announces that he has signed Jeff Stewart AKA The Bill’s Reg Hollis to the cast of Laughs for Leicester plays!

EVENTS
The Lyric Lounge takes place in Leicester between 30th July – 1st August 2010, three days and nights of spoken word festivities at the city’s New Walk museum featuring John Hegley, Mark Gwynne Jones, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, ILUVLYRICS and the Book Doctor among many others. Lyric Lounge artistic director and Literature Network blogger Lydia Towsey lets us in on the creative process behind the lounge.

WORD! continues the spoken word magnificence on 6th July at the Y-Theatre, with a very special guest, the one and only Steve Carroll. The Nottingham Writer’s Studio begins a series of Writers’s Days starting with screenwriter Michael Eaton on 10th July. And the Southwell Library Poetry Festival is an entire poetry festival in a library between 13th-18th July. Really, what more could you want from life?

BLOGGERS and PODCASTS
The Writing Industries podcasts, recorded live at WIC 2010, continue with panel discussions on poetry and community, and how public finding supports writers. Helen Jaeger wants to know if your reading is in a rut, and suggests ways to break old reading habits. Ross Bradshaw celebrates the truly remarkable Jon McGregor, Aly Stoneman wonders about the process of judging poetry contests, and James Burt asks the burning question, why bother writing at all?

OPPORTUNITIES
The Dylan Thomas Sony Reader award might sound unlikely, but is actually an excellent opportunity for novelists under 30. The International Playwrighting festival is open for submissions, and wouldn’t it be wonderful to see an East Midlands playwright produced there? Mslexia magazine return with their women’s poetry competition. Yes…women only so the chaps out there are out of luck. And the Our Corby project seeks a writer in residence, a good opportunity for writers with community experience.

Damien Walter
Literature Network Coordinator

http://literaturenetwork.org

(To unsubscribe from this newsletter please email ‘unsubscribe’ to editor@literaturenetwork.org)

Books and Things – May 2010 – A Festoon of Festivals

Books & Things – May 2010 – A Festoon of Festivals
News, events and opportunities for readers and writers
http://literaturenetwork.org

Listen to The Carrot Nappers, a special podcast production of the play by Keith Large.

Hello!

May heralds the start of festival season for writers and readers in the East Midlands. In this month’s Books & Things we take a look ahead at festivals happening this summer. We also bring news of local playwriting success at the Edinburgh festival, advertise a host of opportunities for writers in the region and continue our series of Writing Industries podcasts.

For all this and more…read on!

NEWS
Following on from the success of Carrot Nappers at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge, Leicestershire playwright Keith Large has been invited to take a trio of plays titled ‘Laughs for Leicester’ to the Edinburgh festival fringe for a seven night run. Well done Keith! Regional publisher Five Leaves produce four books this month including Vintage by Leicester author Maxine Linnell. New Walk magazine is a new literary journal being launched by Leicester University in October, with issue one including work from Andrew Motion among others. And James Urqhart, well known to members of Nottingham Writers Studio, joins Arts Council England as the East Midlands new Relationship Manager, Literature.

EVENTS
***Festival Preview***
The Lincoln book festival (12th-14th May) features an exciting and varied programme of events celebrating books and all that they inspire. The Derbyshire literature festival (1st-14th June) includes many celebrated authors, many of whom are based in Derbyshire or feature the county in their work. Derby city hosts the Alt.Fiction festival (12th June) of fantasy, horror and sci-fi, back for another year of alternative fiction excellence. The Lowdham book festival (15th June – 1st July) includes a line-up of over 75 writers, many of them from the region. And finally the Lyric Lounge (30th July – 1st August) brings three days of spoken word wonder to the city of Leicester.

And in non-festival events Vintage by Maxine Linnell is launched at Leicester Writer’s Club on 13th May. Also in Leicester, poet Siobhan Logan takes a look at the science and mythology of the Northern Lights. And Naked Words, a series of one day creative workshops for writers of all levels starts this month in Northampton. And don’t forget Short Fuse at the Y-Theatre Leicester!

OPPORTUNITIES
I am an American Poet, this is American Poetry offers writers in the region the chance to engage with American poetry first hand, courtesy of the Nottingham Poetry Series. Tickets for this four day event are on-sale now. The second Writing and Meditation retreat takes the theme of ‘The Beginners Mind’ and combines creative writing with Buddhist meditation for excellent results. A new short story contest raises funds for LOROS, as well as giving prizes to the winning writers. The Asian Writer invites contributions on the theme of ‘Celebration’ for a new collection. And the National Poetry Competition is, as the title suggests, a national competition for poetry.

BLOGGERS and PODCASTS
To celebrate Keith Large’s success in taking ‘Laughs for Leicestershire’ to the Edinburgh fringe festival, the Literature Network has produced a special podcast of The Carrot Nappers. Follow the adventures of out of work bouncer Vinnie Hollis as he attempts to recover his prize carrot and journeys inside the Love Shed. And the Writing Industries podcasts continue with panels on Writing in the Digital Era and Community Journalism.

Continuing the theme of community journalism, James K Walker of Left Lion magazine shares his front line experience of how to make writing pay. Selina Locke of Factor Fiction press reviews the first Meditation and Writing retreat and Rob Gee remembers 20 years of spoken word history in Leicester.

Damien Walter
Literature Network Coordinator

http://literaturenetwork.org

(To unsubscribe from this newsletter please email ‘unsubscribe’ to editor@literaturenetwork.org)

Books & Things – April 2010

Books & Things
April 2010

http://literaturenetwork.org

Hello!

April has arrived, and with the sunshine comes an array of literary activity. With the excitement of the excellent Writing Industries Conference now behind us, we have put together a round-up of responses to the day and a selection of photos. Plans are currently being made for Writing Industries lectures, workshops and debates in the year to come, so if there are any topics you would like to see covered please let us know.

NEWS
Nottingham based Five Leaves press welcome experienced publisher Richard Hollis, who will be editing a new imprint including a memoir of Ted Hughes. Independent comics publisher Factor Fiction are going digital in 2010, and will be making their titles The Girly Comic and Violent! freely available online. In other comics news, Nottingham cartoonist Brick (alter ego of John Stuart Clarke) will publish his first graphic novel through Knockabout comics, who also publish Alan Moore among others.

EVENTS
Leicester continues as the hub of the East Midlands live literature scene with both WORD and Short Fuse bringing great writers of different kinds to audiences in the region. In May WORD presents poet Marvin Cheeseman as well as a host of local talent through its open mic. Short Fuse takes on the themes of Metropolis (April) and On the Road (May), showcasing great short fiction in both months. Spoken word also returns to Northampton with the return of Ripping Pages. And comics writers appear in force with Mike Carey and Bryan Talbot both featuring at events in Leicester, and a major academic conference into the work of Alan Moore: Magus at the University of Northampton in late May.

OPPORTUNITIES
Want to get writing? Classes and workshops too slow paced for you? Then you need the Kick School of Creative Writing! Write, drink tea, write, more tea, more writing. Repeat. If journalism is your thing, then the BBC are hosting summer placements for new reporters as part of the Blast reporter scheme. Proposals are being invited by the National Association for Writers in Education’s national conference, a good chance to make your opinion heard. And the NCLA Student Writing Competition invites foreign students at UK universities to write about their experiences.

BLOGGERS and PODCASTS
The first two of twelve podcasts from the Writing Industries Conference are now available, so if you were not able to get a ticket for the day you can now hear all about how to sell your script and see it produced and find out if there really are 1000 working poets in the UK. Helen Jaeger interviews Jan Snow, a happy librarian who talks about the changing role of libraries. And Ross Bradshaw has set himself the challenge of living for a whole year only on the product of independent publishers, but can a man live on indie press alone?

Until next month, have fun and if you see me at an event please come and say hello!

Damien Walter
Literature Network Coordinator

http://literaturenetwork.org

(To unsubscribe from this newsletter please email ‘unsubscribe’ to editor@literaturenetwork.org)

Books & Things – March 2010 – The End of the Print Age?

Books & Things
News, events and opportunities for readers and writers
March 2010 – The End of the Print Age?
http://literaturenetwork.org

Hello,

Welcome to the March edition of Books & Things, the monthly newsletter of the Literature Network bringing you news, events and opportunities for readers and writers. Regular readers may possibly be aware that the regions second Writing Industries Conference takes place on Saturday 6th March at Loughborough University. At the time of writing there are less than 20 tickets left for the event, and at the time of reading there may be even fewer. If you are planning on attending but have not yet bought a ticket then please book here.

NEWS
The Writing Industries Conference 2010 will open with a keynote speech from Graham Joyce, one of the East Midlands best known writers. Graham will be asking if we are facing the end of the Print Age, and discussing the new opportunities digital technologies have opened up for writers. Nottingham based publisher Weathervane Press release their second title this month, Attention Deficit by Nigel Pickard. And debut author Maria Allen talks about her first novel from Tindal Street press, Before the Earthquake.

EVENTS
March brings a month of conferences and festivals. As well as the Writing Industries Conference, De Montfort University hosts States of Independence, the Oundle Literature Festival brings many big name authors to Northamptonshie, Nottinghamshire Storyfest hosts a cornucopia of excellent writers and Cultural Exchanges includes a strong programme of interesting talks and lectures. Martin Bell and Bonnie Greer are only two of the celebrity writers appearing at Nottingham Central Library in coming weeks. And the regions best spoken word night, WORD keeps on going from strength to strength.

OPPORTUNITIES
Apprenticeships in Fiction offers a one year mentoring programme with proven results in supporting emerging writers. The Muslim Writers Awards are now open for applications across multiple disciplines. Unthank Books are a new independent publisher looking for ‘the kind of books you used to read and enjoy, but struggle to find anymore’. Hosking House seeks a woman writer in residence. The Leicester Families project is open to submissions relating to family life in Leicester and for anyone seeking to escape the East Midlands, the University of Sterling want a Creative Writing Lecturer.

BLOGGERS
Are we facing the end of the Print Age? In advance of the Writing Industries Conference the Literature Network hosts a discussion around the many changes effecting publishing today. Is print done and dusted, or is there life in the old paperback yet? Have your say. Left Lion editor James K. Walker points out that by the way…your laptop is your wife. Ross Bradshaw looks back at the British love affair with Indian writers. And James Burt wonders if in this age of mass media and social networks, do you have time to read?

Another busy March in the literary East Midlands. If you are attending the Writing industries Conference I will see you there, otherwise I look forward to seeing you at another event quite soon!

Damien Walter
Literature Network Coordinator

http://literaturenetwork.org

(To unsubscribe from this newsletter please email ‘unsubscribe’ to editor@literaturenetwork.org)

Books & Things – Feb 2010 – Great Literature for Everyone

Books & Things
News, events and opportunities for readers and writers
February 2010 – Great Literature for Everyone

http://literaturenetwork.org

Dear subscriber,

Welcome to the second Books & Things newsletter of 2010, for writers and readers in the East Midlands and beyond. I’m very happy to say that this month we gained our 1000th subscriber, an event so exciting I actually made a small whoop of joy! If you have news, events, opportunities or blog articles you would like our subscribers to know about please email the details to: editor@literaturenetwork.org

NEWS
Arts Council England recently announced Great Arts for Everyone, a national consultation into funding for the arts. The National Association for Literature Development are asking writers and readers to take part in the process, an important opportunity for anyone with an interest in literature to have a say in how it is funded. You can also take part in this debate at the upcoming Writing Industries Conference which announced its full programme last week, including a discussion of how public funding supports the development of writers. And the fabulous Bright Sparks arts in mental health group has published a booklet of service user poetry this month, available for free download.

EVENTS
The deadline for applications for 1-2-1 meetings with agents and editors at the Writing Industries Conference is Monday 8th February (put back from the 5th). Applications are welcomed in fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry and spoken word. The regions regular live literature and spoken word events are back in full swing after the xmas holidays with WORD, Short Fuse, Rhymes and Wine and the Flying Donkeys presenting a range of great events over the coming weeks. And the sci-fi minded among you might get excited about the chance to think about Science Fiction and Politics at Nottingham Contemporary, and even more excited about the Alt.Fiction festival, which is not until June but tickets are available now (the event is tremendously popular so get them while you can).

OPPORTUNITIES
If talking about funding for literature is not enough for you then why not take the chance to make the decisions yourself ? Arts Council England are advertising for a Relationship Manager, Literature for the East Midlands region. Competition is likely to be fierce but if you think you have what it takes to whip the regions poets and writers in to shape then get your application in before Monday 8th February. Theatre Writing Partnership are offering a range of opportunities for scriptwriters, including a new commission for audio drama. And further afield the Writers and Artists Yearbook Short Story Competition offers a 1st prize of £500. Deadline: 14th February.

BLOGGERS
Helen Jaeger shares her new years writing resolutions. How have you pledged to get writing in 2010, and have you stuck to your guns? Lydia Towsey completes her letter from Jamaica and asks what it is that gives every writer their unique voice. And scriptwriting, ghosts and the swedish language all feature in this months mini round-up of regional blog activity.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all at one or other great literary event in the month of February.

Damien Walter
Literature Network Coordinator

http://literaturenetwork.org

(To unsubscribe from this newsletter please email ‘unsubscribe’ to editor@literaturenetwork.org)

Books and Things – January 2010

Books and Things (The newsletter formerly known as EMIT)
News, events and opportunities for readers and writers in the East Midlands

http://literaturenetwork.org

January 2010

Dear subscriber,

Firstly, apologies for the late delivery of this month’s newsletter from the Literature Network. Your friendly, neighbourhood Literature Coordinator was struck down with flu early in the new year and is still recovering. We will be aiming to get the newsletter out at the beginning of each month from now onwards.

Regular readers and keen eyed observers will notice both a change of name and format in this month’s newsletter. The newsletter formerly known as EMIT has now been retitled Books and Things, to better communicate the eclectic range of information it contains. The Literature Network website will also be taking on a new look later in the new year.

NEWS
Two new poetry collections from regional writers have been published recently. Peter De Ville’s second collection Taking the Ph, and Pavilion from Deborah Tyler-Bennet. Deborah is also featured in our creative showcase this month. A new independent bookshop called simply The Bookshop has opened in Kibworth Beauchamp in January, great news especially following the demise of Borders in December. And Nottingham writer Paula Rawsthorne, who received mentoring through the Literature Network last year, has secured representation from agent Jo Unwin at Conville and Walsh for a young adult fiction novel. Well done Paula!

EVENTS
The Writing Industries Conference 2010 (6th March, Loughborough University) will announce it’s full programme later in January. This year the conference will take the changes sweeping through the writing industries as its theme, from ebooks and digital publishing to the growth of spoken word arts. The deadline to apply for an agent or editor 1-2-1 meeting is 5th February. You can find full details of how to apply and purchase tickets for the event at http://writingindustries.com

Mark Goodwin will be making a special reading from Shod, his version of the Gospel in later this month. WORD, the regions longest running spoken word event, features Mik Artistik in February as well as open mic. slots where poets can test their work with an audience. Flying Donkeys unveil their Spring season of storytelling events and if you live or work in Nottingham consider popping into one of the Literary Lunches being held at the central library.

BLOGGERS
Lydia Towsey, coordinator of WORD and Literature Network blogger writes us a letter from Jamaica musing on how far (of near) we need to go to find inspiration as writers. Ross Bradshaw shares his Top Ten books of the last year, including Deer Hunting with Jesus by Joe Bargean. Let us know your own top reads of the last year by leaving a comment. And over the next year the Literature Network will be publicising writing from writer bloggers around the East Midlands, which we start this month with our first linklog. Is revising like curry? Does caffeine aid the creative process? Read on to discover the answers to these questions and more.

If you have any news, events or other information you would like added to the Literature Network website or featured in the Books and Things newsletter, please email: editor@literaturenetwork.org

Many thanks and have a happy literary new year!

Damien Walter
Literature Network Coordinator

http://literaturenetwork.org