Chapter One International Short Story Prize – 2nd place to Nicola Gill

Poised.jpgCongratulations to Nicola Gill who has been awarded second prize in the 2013 Chapter One International Short Story Prize for her story ‘A Walk in the Park’.

Nicola has attended quite a few London Writing Workshop events, most recently November 2012’s day on characterization and dialogue. She is also at work on a novel of which I have high hopes!

For more information about the Chapter One award and to read the judge’s report click here.

 


Brixton Bookjam on Monday 6th May, 7.30pm

Andrew MuellerI’m looking forward to the next Brixton Bookjam – described on its website as ‘congenial, intelligent, unpredictable evenings involving books and book-people’. It’ll be happening on Monday 6th May at 7.30pm in the Hootananny, 95 Effra Road, SW2 (Brixton – obviously)!

There’s a sparkling line-up including Bookjam organiser Zelda Rhiando, winner of the 10K Kidwell e-festival prize in 2012; Leila SegalGaylene Gould winner of the inaugural Commonword, Cultureword Prize in 2012; Paul Bassett DaviesChris Chalmers; Alom ShahaRobert Eaglestone; author of The Gospel According to Cane (2013) Courttia NewlandAdam Mars JonesJeremy Page and Jim Gleeson.

Harvard Review #43

HR_43_FINAL_card.inddI have a piece of creative non-fiction in the new edition of Harvard Review and have thus – temporarily – become their UK distributor. This issue is a wonderful collection of essays, stories, poems and images, including work by Anne Fadiman and the 2012 T.S. Eliot-prize winner Sharon Olds. Two pieces have already been picked up by other publications. Jaquelyn Pope’s poem ‘Housebound’ appeared on Poetry Daily on March 25, and Canadian author Judith McCormack’s story ‘Creation Stories’ will be published in the 2014 edition of Best Canadian Short Stories. The editors are very open to receiving more work from writers in the UK.

It’s £9.99 to purchase a copy, including p&p. Remember to include the address for posting.

 




Books by writers linked to London Writing Workshops

Cristin Terrill, who took part in the first LWW Novelists’ Club in 2010 has her first novel for young adults coming out in 2013. It will be published on Aug 1 in the UK (Bloomsbury)  and in the autumn in the US (Disney-Hyperion).  It’s described as “A brilliantly brain-warping thriller and a love story that leaps back and forth in time – All Our Yesterdays is an amazing first novel, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games.” Click here to pre-order it on Amazon.

Cristin’s email says:  “Yours was the first creative writing class/critique group I was ever a part of, and it was definitely a big confidence builder for me, so thank you!”

Also one of the six participant on the same course was Annemarie Neary. Her novel A Parachute in the Lime Tree came out in the UK and Ireland last year. ‘Tense, edgy, beautifully written. I wouldn’t be surprised if it got nominated for a handful of prizes’  (Books Monthly, UK). Click here to buy Annemarie’s book.

#Saltwater-50x75Other people connected to London Writing Workshops have books out this year. Lane Ashfeldt, who talked us through the mysteries of crowd-funding at the seminar ‘Going Digital’, has now brought out her collection of short stories  Saltwater.  ‘Raw and elegant’ (Bookmunch),  ‘A gorgeous collection by a bright talent,’ (writer and poet Nuala Ní Chonchúir). Click here to buy Lane’s book or for the Kindle version, click here.

rook_cover_emailAlso at ‘Going Digital’, Jane Rusbridge, talked about using social media to publicise her second novel Rook, voted Guardian Readers’ Book of the Year, and described by the TLS as: ‘A mesmerising story of family […] which brings to life the shifting Sussex sands and the rich seam of history lying just beneath them’.  Click here to order Rook.

Jaqueline Jacques who attended the event has a novel out from Honno this year: The Colours of Corruption.  ‘A Victorian murder mystery with a strong and interesting central character, a police artist. A nice one’  says the review in The Bookseller. Click here to buy Jacqueline’s book.

27 April: The Art of the Short Story

On Saturday 27 April at the Society Club, W1, Cathy Galvin,  founder of the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award and curator of the sparkling short-story salon The Word Factory,  is hosting a one-day short story workshop with award-winning writers Michèle RobertsAlison MacLeodAdam Marek and literary agent Carrie Kania.

The day aims to help people find their writing voice and to offer advice on getting published. The group is limited to 15. More details on the WORD FACTORY website. 

Flamingo Feather Poetry Competition

A new poetry competition has been established to raise funds for flamingofeather, a London-based multimedia arts organisation specialising in Physical Theatre, Dance and Literature.

flamingofeather has strong connections with Brazil, and has created and performed works based on the short stories of Brazilian writer João Guimarães Rosa. The Competition aims to raise money to develop strands of its work: Abundance, a professional dance company and Sage Dance Company, a community ballet company for people aged 55 and over. Both are directed by Simon Rice, a former member and first soloist with the Royal Ballet.

The Judges  of the Poetry Competition are  Mimi Khalvati  and Peter Daniels. Poems of any length up to 120 lines. First Prize £1,000. Closing date : 15 March 2013

More information at the flamingofeather website.

 

Alexei Sayle at Soho Theatre: 21 Jan – 9 Feb

AlexeiSayle

Alexei Sayle, who has taught several writing workshops for London Writing Workshops over the past few years, has gone back to his old love: stand-up comedy – or as Time Out put it: ‘A true legend goes back to his roots.’

Alexei has been on tour in the rest of the UK, now London has a chance to see his first full-length, solo, stand-up show in 16 years with a series of dates at Soho Theatre’s new comedy venue (’20s Berlin meets 50s New York, meets 21st century Soho’).

A rare opportunity to see a comedy legend at work. ‘His comic control remains something rare and wonderful’ says The Times. ‘Still gobby and self-deprecating’ says the Evening Standard.
More information on the SOHO THEATRE WEBSITE.

 

Join me at the Brixton Bookjam, Feb 4th 2013

 


The Brixton Book Jam is an eclectic gathering for people who are passionate about books and the written word. It’s a mix of readings, chatting and socializing. From people who love to read through to A-list authors, ghost writers, erudite editors, self-effacing self-publishers and aspiring scribes, everyone is welcome.

The next Book Jam will be on 4th February at the Hootananny, 95 Effra Road, Brixton. Doors open at 7pm and entry is completely free!

Readings confirmed so far include:

Geoff Dyer – The Colour of Memory
Martin Millar  – Lonely Werewolf Girl
Daniel Simpson – Rough Guide to the Dark Side
Claire Collison – Treading Water / Refinery
Andrew Mueller – I Wouldn’t 
Start From Here: the 21st Century and Where it all Went Wrong
Alex Wheatle  – Brixton Rock / The Dirty South
Christopher Russel – Mockstars
Doug E. Graves – Homerton Sweet Homerton

plus new fiction from: Dave McGowan, Kate Harrad, Roz Kaveney and Sharmila Chauhan and Vicky Grut (me)!

 

David Tebbutt Scholarship for MA in publishing created for 2013

UCL students celebrate graduationThe publishers Faber & Faber and University College London (UCL) have launched a new scholarship in memory of Faber’s former finance director, David Tebbutt, who was killed in a gang attack while on holiday in Kenya in 2011. The annual prize will sponsor one person each year, beginning in 2013, to undertake UCL’s MA in publishing. It will be funded by the David Tebbutt Trust, which is jointly administered by the publishers and the Tebbutt family. As well as funding the full fees for the course, the scholarship will also include a work placement with Faber.

Details on how to apply for the scholarship in 2013 are available from this UCL website

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Shortlist for BBC International Short Story Award announced

BBC International Short Story Award - It’s a good year for Deborah Levy. Not only is her novel Swimming Home on the shortlist for the Man Booker prize, but her  story “Black Vodka” has been shortlisted for the £15,000 BBC International Short Story Prize. Also on the list for the 2012 prize are “The iHole” by Julian Gough, who won the BBC National Short Story Award in 2007, and “Even Pretty Eyes Commit Crimes” by M J Hyland, who was shortlisted last year.

To mark the Olympic year, the award has extended its remit to writers from across the globe, and the shortlist does have an international flavour: “The Goose Father” by Krys Lee (South Korea / United States); “East of the West” by Miroslav Penkov  (born in Bulgaria, now living  in the United States); “In the Basement” by Adam Ross (United States); “Before He Left the Family” by Carrie Tiffany (Australia), and “A Lovely and Terrible” by Chris Wormersley (Australia).  The rest of the shortlist is: “Escape Routes” by Lucy Caldwell; and “Sanctuary” by Henrietta Rose-Innes.

The winning author, to be announced on October 2 live on Front Row, will receive £15,000, the runner-up £2,500 and the eight other shortlisted authors £250 each.

The stories will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 3.30pm from Monday 17th onwards. Each story will become available on the day of broadcast as a free download available for two weeks. Then it will be available as a commercial audiobook via AudioGo. The BBC International Short Story Award 2012 Anthology, published by Comma Press, is available at all good bookshops and the Comma Press store from Monday, as well as in Kindle format.

 

 

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