Tuesday 28 October 2014

Haunted - workshop and launch

If you enjoy reading ghost stories, or fancy trying your hand at writing a ghost story then you won’t want to miss the Haunted event at Nottingham Central Library on Wednesday 12th November.

Haunted
Writing Ghost Stories
12 November 2014, 6pm to 7pm Nottingham Central Library

A haunting evening at Nottingham Central Library! As the nights draw in, what better way to face the darkness than with some traditional ghost stories?
Ghost stories are an enduringly popular form of literature, from the classics of Dickens and MR James to modern tales from the likes of Susan Hill. But how do you go about creating the perfect supernatural tale? This workshop will explore how to build atmosphere and deliver a strong scare that will stay with your reader for a long time. Delivered by acclaimed writing tutor and horror author Alex Davis, this workshop has sold out many times in the past, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Book Launch - "Haunted"
12 November 2014, 7.30 to 8.30pm Nottingham Central Library

Boo Books is proud to present HAUNTED, a collection of spine chillers written by a host of local authors and international talent. Join Boo Books editor Alex Davis and a range of authors for readings, Q+A and book sales on the night.

Tickets for each event cost £2.50; a joint ticket costs £3.50.
To book, telephone 0115 915 2825 or email enquiryline@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

For more information, or any queries, contact Alex Davis at boobooks@hotmail.co.uk

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Book Festival & Fayre in 10th year



10th New Writers UK Book Festival & Fayre 
Saturday 25th October, 2014, 10.00am to 5.00pm     

For Readers. For Writers. Free to attend.

At Nottinghamshire County Council’s County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham  NG2 7QP 
  
The programme:

10.00am BBC Radio Presenter Mark Dennison opens the Festival

11.00am A J Dalton
Creative Writing Workshop and Talk: How to Approach Publishers. A J Dalton is a highly acclaimed dark fantasy author.

12.00noon Nicola Monaghan
A talk from the award-winning author and professional writing lecturer.

1.00pm Michael Cox
The children’s author will be giving a talk about his books in his own wonderfully entertaining style.

2.00pm Awards Presentation for the finalists of the New Writers UK Creative Writing Competition for Children and Young People 2014.

3.45 to 4.30pm Question and Answer session with our panel of guests
Plus Cherie Zamazing, author of 'Peter's Pebbles'. Cherie will be participating during the day helping younger children create their own pebble paintings.

Free admission, free parking, refreshments available, books for sale, face painting for younger children, advice and support for new writers.



Review, Festival of Words



Nottingham Festival of Words 2014

With around fifty different listings (the majority free to attend) there was something for everyone that’s ever used a word.
 
Taking over the city

Lyric Lounge

The Nottingham Festival of Words thinks outside the book. An example of this was found at the Contemporary Art Gallery where words came alive, and not a book in sight. This ‘storytelling special’ and celebration of the spoken word was hosted by the East Midlands’ Lyric Lounge, a group of performers, poets and storytellers. 

The packed programme presented a dilemma, should I begin with the performance poetry or attend a storytelling workshop? The bar was featuring shows from Mark Gwynne Jones and Little Machine. I’d seen Mark before and loved his sideways glance at the human condition. As tempted as I was hear more of his unique crossover between poetry and observational comedy I tossed a coin.

Tails - for the workshop. 

Sophie Snell was offering this taster session on the art of oral storytelling. A full-time professional storyteller, Sophie had recently become chair of Tales from Two Cities, combining groups from Nottingham and Derby. This new super-group was formed after the sad passing of Pete Davis, founder of Storytellers of Nottingham.

Five minutes in and I was sat there with just one other punter, listening to the laughter and applause rising from the room below. Then the other guy gave it the old is that my phone? trick and slipped out never to return. 

People did eventually filter through, providing Sophie with eight of us to teach. She began by telling a gory story based on an old tale called The Hand of Glory, a myth about the dried and pickled hand of a man who has been hanged. This hand can be used by thieves to unlock doors and render people motionless. With Sophie’s changes of pace, facial expressions and body language, it was evident that we were in the presence of a fine storyteller, combining many of the skills of an actor, comic and writer. 

There’s a rhythm to her stories, much like music. And, as with a chorus, there’s often a repetitive section of rhyme that encourages the audience to join in as they come to know the words. 

The language uses minimal description that’s highly visual. In just a few words the listener has enough to form a picture in their head. Many writers could learn from this. 


It seems that to be a master storyteller you must first master the story. The tale travels along in the same order every time but each telling can be different, adapted to fit the needs and makeup of the audience. Each scene or plot point appears as an image in the teller’s head. The describing of this image and transition to the next can allow for flexibility, making each version different from the last, in theory. 

Sophie trawls the internet, digging out folktales, often just the bones of a story, from which she can add the meat in her own style. It’s this that makes the old tales fresh and unique to each new storyteller.

We also learnt how important the venue is: ideally, one with no distractions that also allows the teller to read the listeners’ faces. The tips kept coming in this excellent session. Like, how to keep the stories simple, making them easy to follow and remember.  

Sophie admitted to having caught the storytelling bug and her passion for it shines. The immediate feedback oral storytelling demands must give the teller an adrenalin kick. The nerves, highs and lows akin to that of a stand-up comic. But finding the confidence to tell a tale? Sophie says it’s about doing it, practicing on your own, knowing the basic story then getting out in front of an audience. To prove her point, we told stories, to each other. Then repeated them, working on our timing. 


After Pete Davis did so much to raise the profile of storytelling in the city it’s good to know that, with Sophie, the art of spinning a yarn is in good hands. 

Tales from Two Cities hold regular storytelling evenings, alternating monthly between Derby and Nottingham. Many of these feature open-mic segments so give it a go. Sophie Snell also offers full day workshops to hone your skills. 

By the time we made it down to the bar area, LiTTLe MACHiNe - a South London acoustic trio that put classic poems to music - had just finished and the open-mic section was in swing. Poet Laureate for Lincolnshire Joel Stickley was MCing the bash and he was a good choice for the role. His Dave Gorman-esque style and generosity of limelight allowed the plucky poets and storytellers to showcase their diverse skills.  

From members of the Mouthy Poets to the rank amateurs, the poetry was accessible, and the standard was impressive, the audience equally so. A large crowd, sympathetic and encouraging, cheered each speaker to and from the stage whilst listening with the upmost respect during the performances. It made for a warm atmosphere, perfect for the spoken word. So much so that two members of the workshop found the bottle to join the open-mic. Proof, if needed, of the workshop’s success.


Headlining the evening was Shonaleigh Cumbers one of the country’s leading storytellers. She’s known from her Jewish folk-tales collected and passed down through generations. I’d attended her one woman show at the Playhouse a couple of years back and, unfortunately for me, many of the stories were making a repeat outing here. Still, she was on good form and generated much laughter and admiration from the crowd.  

The spoken word as entertainment is alive and well in Nottingham. 

With thanks to Martin from www.m-dash.com for the Lyric Loung images.

The Outburstables
I popped into town on Sunday and came home a changed man. Having collected a couple of Owen Jones tickets from the Five Leaves bookshop I ducked in the Nottingham Writers’ Studio’s open house to see something called The Outburstables. I’d no idea what to expect but headed down the ramp towards what sounded like a youth club. Uh-oh. Seeing a bunch of young people larking about and breaking into impromptu singing was not my scene and I was close to leaving when silence descended. 

A lady introducing herself as Nicci Robinson said that it was the soft launch of a memoir anthology titled Speaking Out. What followed was both devastating and inspirational. 

Words can entertain and thrill but they also have the power to hurt people and allow those that have been hurt to tell their stories.  

OutBurst is a group for young people aged 11-19 who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, or are questioning their sexuality. They took turns to tell their stories. Several of these memoirs were heart-breaking. Tales of sexual abuse, assault, bullying, loss, grief, self-harm, attempted suicide, depression, and hope. These were people that wanted to tell their stories to help others going through similar situations. These were stories that needed to be told. 

The venue, that had been full of laughter and song, was suddenly filling with tears. But not those of the young. They were displaying astounding courage. Putting their stories out there. Opening themselves up. It was a privilege to be there but a shock of reality. It’s so sad to hear young people demonstrate such suffering, and frightening that this can even be due to nothing more than their sexuality. People need to read this anthology. The disgraceful levels of homophobia and bullying might not shock you but the way schools, parents, and care homes are ‘coping’ with it certainly will. 

There are moments of humour, and the way the group has come together is uplifting, but this is haunting evidence of the power of words, and the courage shown in speaking them.  

The anthology will be officially launched at Waterstone’s next month. I urge you to go along and buy a copy. 


Saturday 18 October 2014

Nick Toczek's one-man show

Dragon

Nick Toczek's Million Miles an Hour Show

Come and be entertained at Meadows Library on Wednesday 29 October at 2pm by best-selling author, poet, magician and puppeteer, Nick Toczek as he performs his amazing one-man show.
Be thrilled as he performs snappy poems, baffling magic tricks, fantastic tales and meet his wild and wilful puppets...all at breakneck speed!
This event has been organised by Friends of Meadows Library.
Check What's On for further details

Friday 17 October 2014

In Memory of Pete Davis

Storytelling 

Weds 22nd October (Derby) 8pm

Tales in Honour and Memory of Pete Davis
This evening will be a special tribute to Pete Davis, founder and mainstay of the Storytellers of Nottingham, who sadly passed away in August this year. Pete’s contribution to storytelling, and to the lives of those who knew him, is too great to let it go by unremarked. Tales of Two Cities wouldn't exist were it not for Pete, and so this month’s evening will be in honour and memory of him.
It’s being held in Derby (even though Nottingham might seem the more logical venue) as the Voicebox is fully accessible to ensure that everyone who wants to come is able to (and there will be plenty of cakes too)
Pete Sturgess is MC’ing and the evening will be filled with tales from the Storytellers of Nottingham in honour of Pete Davis.

At The Voicebox, Kensington Mews / Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ. (Follow the inner city ring road from the A52 / Nottingham side of the city, past the Westfield shopping centre / M&S and turn off the roundabout where there is a sign for the Abbey Street carpark – park up there – it’s free after 8pm – and Forman Street is a side road along from the carpark).

Fantasy authors at Waterstone's Sat 18th

In Conversation

AJ Dalton, Tom Lloyd

WATERSTONE'S NOTTINGHAM BRIDLE
Saturday, 18 October 2014, 7:00PM
Tickets £3, available from the shop

The rising champion of Metaphysical Fantasy, AJ Dalton, will be in the Sillitoe Room at Waterstones Nottingham to square-off on stage with Tom Lloyd, the best-selling writer of the Twilight Reign novels. A talk about their new novels will be accompanied by a Q&A and a discussion of the current flavours in the wider world of science fiction and fantasy.

Further details:0115 947 0069

Monday 13 October 2014

Visit our Festival of Words


NOTTINGHAM FESTIVAL OF WORDS - 13-19 October

The festival kicks off today and there's loads of events to tempt you out. 

View the full programme HERE
Meanwhile here are some of the highlights:

Writing from China
Mon 13th, 7.30pm – 9.00pm
At Nottingham Writers’ Studio
An illuminating conversation about literature inspired by China, its people and its extraordinary history. Chinese American writer Karen Ma and author Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang will be joined in conversation by Will Buckingham. Cost £4.LINK

Faultlines

Tue 14th, 7.30pm – 9.30pm
At Sillitoe Room, Waterstone’s
In a world increasingly divided into haves and have nots, or believers and apostates, what is the role of the writer? Cost £5 (£4 conc.) LINK

Death Sentences
Wed 15th, 2pm-4.30pm
At The Galleries of Justice
A creative-writing workshop with Stephen Booth, Steven Dunne and Anne Zouroudi. Cost £30 (£25 conc.)
And at 7pm
Join Booth, Dunne and Zouroudi at the magistrates’ bench in the atmospheric Civil Court as they give readings. Cost £10 (£7 conc.) LINK

Lyric Lounge
Thurs 16th, 6pm
At Nottingham Contemporary
The East Midlands' celebrated travelling spoken word festival comes to Nottingham Festival of Words! A jam-packed programme of artists, live-literature, storytelling, workshops and open-mic for all to enjoy. Cost £5. LINK

Fri 17th, Events take place at University of Nottingham, Lakeside Arts and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. See programme.
 
Sat 18th, Events take place at Nottingham Trent and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. See programme.


Sun 19th, Events take place in the Market Square, Council House and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. See programme.  (last day of the Festival of Words)


Left Lion's literature editor James K Walker picks his highlights HERE

Saturday 4 October 2014

Literary Events this month in Nottingham

Literary and Spoken Word Events in Nottingham, October 2014

This month is rammed with great events to get you out the house.
 

Not The Hay Book Festival
Sun 5th, 10am – 4pm
At Bartons, Chilwell, NG9 4AJ
Author Talks, Book Stalls, part of the Sunday market. Free to attend talks from authors Stephen Booth, Marianne Whiting, Julie Malone and Nick Thom.


Jazz & Poetry
Wed 8th, 8pm-10.30pm
At The Guitar Bar, Sherwood
The popular series returns, with jazz from Four in the Bar interspersed with poetry from Mahendra Solanki and Sue Dymoke. Suggested donation £4 (£2 unwaged) towards poets' travel expenses.

A Girl With A Book
Thurs 9th, 7.30pm
At Nottingham Writers' Studio
Written and performed by Nick Wood, directed by Andrew Breakwell.
What happens when the writer finds his research uncovers attitudes at odds with his liberal convictions? Can a Guardian reader really be prejudiced? The play also asks why a girl who wanted to go to school should become a target. Tickets £6, £4 for NWS members.
 
Telling Tales Children's Festival
Sat 11th, all day
Lady Bay, West Bridgford
Nottingham Kids’ Festival of Imagination is a not-for profit community event providing exciting opportunities for children between 3 and 13 years to get involved with the fun, imagination and creativity involved in the world of story-making.


NOTTINGHAM FESTIVAL OF WORDS - 13-19 October

View the full programme HERE
Meanwhile here are some of the highlights:

 
Between Languages / Idir Teangacha
Mon 13th, 4.30pm – 6.00pm
At Cappuchaino Café
Sheelagh Gallagher and Deirdre O'Byrne will discuss the influence of Irish language on Irish literature written in English.
 
Writing from China
Mon 13th, 7.30pm – 9.00pm
At Nottingham Writers’ Studio
An illuminating conversation about literature inspired by China, its people and its extraordinary history. Chinese American writer Karen Ma and author Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang will be joined in conversation by Will Buckingham. Cost £4.

Faultlines

Tue 14th, 7.30pm – 9.30pm
At Sillitoe Room, Waterstone’s
In a world increasingly divided into haves and have nots, or believers and apostates, what is the role of the writer? Cost £5 (£4 conc.) LINK
 
Death Sentences
Wed 15th, 2pm-4.30pm
At The Galleries of Justice
A creative-writing workshop with Stephen Booth, Steven Dunne and Anne Zouroudi. Cost £30 (£25 conc.)
And at 7pm
Join Booth, Dunne and Zouroudi at the magistrates’ bench in the atmospheric Civil Court as they give readings. Cost £10 (£7 conc.) LINK
 
Lyric Lounge
Thurs 16th, 6pm
At Nottingham Contemporary
The East Midlands' celebrated travelling spoken word festival comes to Nottingham Festival of Words! A jam-packed programme of artists, live-literature, storytelling, workshops and open-mic for all to enjoy. Cost £5. LINK
 
Fri 17th, Events take place at University of Nottingham, Lakeside Arts and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. See programme.
Sat 18th, Events take place at Nottingham Trent and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. See programme.

Sun 19th, Events take place in the Market Square, Council House and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. See programme.  (last day of the Festival of Words)


It’s a Long Way to Tipperary
Mon 20th, 2pm
At Nottingham Central Library.  
Irish Soldiers in the British Army found themselves on “the wrong side” when the fight for independence broke out in 1916. Deirdre O’Byrne discusses how these divided loyalties have been represented in literature. Cost £2.50. Tickets are available from the Central Library Helpdesk.  Call 0115 915 2825

 
New Writers UK Book Festival & Fayre X
Sat 25th, 10am-4.30pm

At County Hall, West Bridgford

Free to attend author talks, workshops and more. Nicola Monaghan, A J Dalton, Michael Cox and BBC Radio Nottingham’s Mark Dennison. Includes:  Creative writing workshops, How to approach publishers, Panel.

LINK


Author Talk, Martin Davies
Wed 29th, 2pm.
At Nottingham Central Library
Martin Davies, author of “ Conjuror’s Bird” and “The Year After” will be speaking about his new novel, “Havana Sleeping” a story of espionage, love and murder based on a real life case from the 1850’s. Cost £2.50. For tickets call 0115 915 2825 or email enquiryline@nottinghamcity.gov.uk