Beeston International Poetry Festival, which takes place between October 16th and 28th 2010 at various venues across Beeston, Nottingham.
Poets reading include Roy Fisher, Sarah Jackson, Vassilis Pavlides, Ernesto Priego, Andrew Sant, Michael Schmidt, Sheila Smith, Mahendra Solanki, Deborah Tyler-Bennett, and Gregory Woods.
The full schedule can be found at http://tiny.cc./beestonpoetry
Friday, 15 October 2010
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
NEW WRITERS UK FESTIVAL VI
15th October 2010 18:00 - 16th October 2010 17:00
Author talks, workshops, publishers, refreshments.
Speakers include the Nottinghamshire crime writers Stephen Booth, Chris Nickson and John Baird.
Plus:
Mike Sharland – Literary Agent and Writer on over 600 TV shows.
Pete Davis – Founder of The Storytellers of Nottingham.
Jeremy Lewis – Editor, Nottinghamshire Today magazine.
Des Coleman – Presenter, Actor, Singer, Comic, Weatherman.
Catherine Cooper – Winner of the 2010 Brit Writers Award.
Bronwen Harrison – Composer of the original film score for 1066 The Movie.
Helen Hollick – Historical/Adventure novelist
Programme available www.newwritersuk.co.uk
For further details email julie@newwritersuk.co.uk
Author talks, workshops, publishers, refreshments.
Speakers include the Nottinghamshire crime writers Stephen Booth, Chris Nickson and John Baird.
Plus:
Mike Sharland – Literary Agent and Writer on over 600 TV shows.
Pete Davis – Founder of The Storytellers of Nottingham.
Jeremy Lewis – Editor, Nottinghamshire Today magazine.
Des Coleman – Presenter, Actor, Singer, Comic, Weatherman.
Catherine Cooper – Winner of the 2010 Brit Writers Award.
Bronwen Harrison – Composer of the original film score for 1066 The Movie.
Helen Hollick – Historical/Adventure novelist
Programme available www.newwritersuk.co.uk
For further details email julie@newwritersuk.co.uk
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Lapse in blogging
When I signed on to blog this morning I was surprised and then felt guilty that I hadn't blogged since the 7th. Now that's not a long time for some people on their blogs but I try to blog at least 5 times a week.
So since I'm always interested when people tell me they can't or won't blog, what stopped me?
I can put my hand up and say on a couple of days I thought, I'll do it later then ran out of time while chasing deadlines for clients. One day, Saturday, I didn't switch on the computer at all; committed to friends in the morning then watching the Commonwealth Games in the afternoon..
Oh and because I try to make this wider than only my thoughts, I hadn't gathered any interesting information from anywhere to pass on.
I'm still trying to persuade someone to blog for me but for some reason she thinks it's technical and it's freaking her out. She's another writer, an intelligent person but she seems to have this block about it. I've long since got over that but still...
For me, there's no excuse so as my school reports told me for 7 years 'Eileen can do better'.
Speak again tomorrow.
So since I'm always interested when people tell me they can't or won't blog, what stopped me?
I can put my hand up and say on a couple of days I thought, I'll do it later then ran out of time while chasing deadlines for clients. One day, Saturday, I didn't switch on the computer at all; committed to friends in the morning then watching the Commonwealth Games in the afternoon..
Oh and because I try to make this wider than only my thoughts, I hadn't gathered any interesting information from anywhere to pass on.
I'm still trying to persuade someone to blog for me but for some reason she thinks it's technical and it's freaking her out. She's another writer, an intelligent person but she seems to have this block about it. I've long since got over that but still...
For me, there's no excuse so as my school reports told me for 7 years 'Eileen can do better'.
Speak again tomorrow.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Candlestick Press and National Poetry Day 2010
Off this evening to attend the Candelstick Press Poetry Day event at Waterstone's Nottingham. (6.30 to 8pm, Free entry)
Poetry on the theme of Home, real, imagined or emotional.
Poetry on the theme of Home, real, imagined or emotional.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Books, writers and designers
I had the pleasure of spending some time today with a very talented designer with a passion for books.
Kate Ferrucci is the Creative Director of Quarto Design a recent addition to Nottingham business. Recent because Kate has moved here with her Italian husband who works at Nottingham University as a geologist.
Her experience in America and Italy has given her an international take on design and her deep interest in those working with their hands created a fascinating story. She's worked with limestone workers and musicians to create oral history projects, then turned into books.
We swapped ideas about design for authors, particularly that all important cover which should pull in prospective readers like a magnet.
Kate hasn't promised me any commission but take a look at her website and find out more about what she can offer. I was impressed and learned a heap of things just talking to her.
http://www.quartodesign.com/
Kate Ferrucci is the Creative Director of Quarto Design a recent addition to Nottingham business. Recent because Kate has moved here with her Italian husband who works at Nottingham University as a geologist.
Her experience in America and Italy has given her an international take on design and her deep interest in those working with their hands created a fascinating story. She's worked with limestone workers and musicians to create oral history projects, then turned into books.
We swapped ideas about design for authors, particularly that all important cover which should pull in prospective readers like a magnet.
Kate hasn't promised me any commission but take a look at her website and find out more about what she can offer. I was impressed and learned a heap of things just talking to her.
http://www.quartodesign.com/
Monday, 4 October 2010
Creativity and blocks
This morning I've been reading some more chapters of my client, Sarah Dale's manuscript. Since the chapters I'd been checking were about taking lunch breaks and exercise I thought I'd better take her advice. So I've just allowed myself a short walk by the local canal. After yesterday's rain, and boy did it throw it down, it was a pleasure to see all the sunny colours reflected in the water.
Sarah discusses the effect of burnout on creativity and she's quite right in what she says.
Can't remember if I told her but I taught stress management back in the 1990s, mostly to parents in schools and even then, they were meeting themselves coming back with all the demands on their time.
And that remember was pre the pressure of the internet and WiFi and so on and still they couldn't cope.
As Sarah again proposes, creativity isn't limited to those who are regarded as 'artistic'. I place it in quotes because so many of us have refused to believe we're creative because we don't produce pictures, or play an instrument or write Booker Prize winning novels.
Having worked through my own challenges in that area, I can vouch that creativity isn't only for the 'artistic'.
Anyone who can solve a problem can show creativity; anyone who can stimulate a child to learn is creative and anyone who can sew a seam straight is in my book creative.
I'm still working my way through Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way and finding it valuable in opening up my vision of what's possible if and when I remove any limits from what I think is possible.
Here's one exercise she recomends. Think of 5 careers you might enjoy. Then watch as you start to get prompts about them. Once you blow off the dust from your dreams, who's to tell what might happen.
Sarah discusses the effect of burnout on creativity and she's quite right in what she says.
Can't remember if I told her but I taught stress management back in the 1990s, mostly to parents in schools and even then, they were meeting themselves coming back with all the demands on their time.
And that remember was pre the pressure of the internet and WiFi and so on and still they couldn't cope.
As Sarah again proposes, creativity isn't limited to those who are regarded as 'artistic'. I place it in quotes because so many of us have refused to believe we're creative because we don't produce pictures, or play an instrument or write Booker Prize winning novels.
Having worked through my own challenges in that area, I can vouch that creativity isn't only for the 'artistic'.
Anyone who can solve a problem can show creativity; anyone who can stimulate a child to learn is creative and anyone who can sew a seam straight is in my book creative.
I'm still working my way through Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way and finding it valuable in opening up my vision of what's possible if and when I remove any limits from what I think is possible.
Here's one exercise she recomends. Think of 5 careers you might enjoy. Then watch as you start to get prompts about them. Once you blow off the dust from your dreams, who's to tell what might happen.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Writing, music and creativity
I came back from Scarborough Jazz Festival as I always do, astonished at the dexterity and creativity of the musicians.
Now I don't assume that they get there without hard work on their part. Most musicians don't spring fully formed as soon as they put a trumpet to their lips or sit behind a drum kit. But even taking into account that hard work, then comes the leap beyond.
Amazes me every time. And what fascinates me as much as listening to the music is watching the musicians.
Don't you love watching a group in full flow, passionate about what they're doing and bouncing off each other?
Doesn't matter what type of group either.
Over the weekend here were a couple of drummers whose sheer pleasure at providing the foundation for others produced the widest grins on their faces. Wonderful to watch.
Of course being a writer I then try and apply what I see in them to what I do.
Writing's a solitary occupation usually so there isn't that shared joy. But I know the satisfaction when the words flow in a way which is beyond the practical and normal.
One group I found very interesting, though a lot of the audience seemed indifferent, created improvisations as a response to Turner's sketchbooks. Slides of the sketches were shown as the music was played and some explanation was given on how the music was created.
What clouted me on the head as far as writing goes was the one piece that had been restricted in musical terms to two tonalities. The saxophonist explained that the sketch was only two tones and he decided to match it. And found far from restricting his inspiration, it had produced more freedom than he'd expected.
That I can relate to. As a practical writer for businesses I often find myself restricted to a short web page or a word limit for an artist statement say. That forces you to pay attention to every word.
Strips away all the unnecessary fluff and focuses on the key points to communicate.
I know a lot of writers who find that difficult but for me it's stimulating and challenges me to produce better work than I think I could. This quote from Igor Stravinsky also challenges me every time I read it.
“The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self. And the arbitrariness of the constraint serves only to obtain precision of execution.”
I've had fun over the years in applying arbitrary restraints in exercising my writing muscles.
For instance, write three pieces based on the same topic.
Or choose an arbitrary number of words like 173 and write a story that has a beginning, a middle and an ending. Not necessarily in that order though.
It just turns writing into fun.... A game that a child would play. And we need that innocent eye sometimes in what we do.
On a more serious note, anything that frees up how we write has to have a positive impact on our development.
How do you free up your writing?
Oh and if you l ike jazz and you've never considered going, it's always amazing value, cracking music and a wonderful atmosphere. 2011 is 23-25 September
Now I don't assume that they get there without hard work on their part. Most musicians don't spring fully formed as soon as they put a trumpet to their lips or sit behind a drum kit. But even taking into account that hard work, then comes the leap beyond.
Amazes me every time. And what fascinates me as much as listening to the music is watching the musicians.
Don't you love watching a group in full flow, passionate about what they're doing and bouncing off each other?
Doesn't matter what type of group either.
Over the weekend here were a couple of drummers whose sheer pleasure at providing the foundation for others produced the widest grins on their faces. Wonderful to watch.
Of course being a writer I then try and apply what I see in them to what I do.
Writing's a solitary occupation usually so there isn't that shared joy. But I know the satisfaction when the words flow in a way which is beyond the practical and normal.
One group I found very interesting, though a lot of the audience seemed indifferent, created improvisations as a response to Turner's sketchbooks. Slides of the sketches were shown as the music was played and some explanation was given on how the music was created.
What clouted me on the head as far as writing goes was the one piece that had been restricted in musical terms to two tonalities. The saxophonist explained that the sketch was only two tones and he decided to match it. And found far from restricting his inspiration, it had produced more freedom than he'd expected.
That I can relate to. As a practical writer for businesses I often find myself restricted to a short web page or a word limit for an artist statement say. That forces you to pay attention to every word.
Strips away all the unnecessary fluff and focuses on the key points to communicate.
I know a lot of writers who find that difficult but for me it's stimulating and challenges me to produce better work than I think I could. This quote from Igor Stravinsky also challenges me every time I read it.
“The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self. And the arbitrariness of the constraint serves only to obtain precision of execution.”
I've had fun over the years in applying arbitrary restraints in exercising my writing muscles.
For instance, write three pieces based on the same topic.
Or choose an arbitrary number of words like 173 and write a story that has a beginning, a middle and an ending. Not necessarily in that order though.
It just turns writing into fun.... A game that a child would play. And we need that innocent eye sometimes in what we do.
On a more serious note, anything that frees up how we write has to have a positive impact on our development.
How do you free up your writing?
Oh and if you l ike jazz and you've never considered going, it's always amazing value, cracking music and a wonderful atmosphere. 2011 is 23-25 September
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