Poetry from Notts and beyond



Poetry from Nottinghamshire and beyond by James Lee Blunt

 

An accessible poetry collection of many forms inspired by Nottinghamshire and places further afield. Based on real everyday issues Lee James Blunt’s poetry and verse is partly inspired by the writer’s eventful mix of living in Notts and beyond.

From a former mining town, Blunt now lives in Carrington, Nottingham. He has served in the British Army in local regiment The Queens Royal Lancers (AKA the death or glory boys) where he was operational in Iraq, Bosnia and Poland, to name a few. He has also lived in Germany where he came to know the local culture and way of life, helping to influence his social commentary poetry.

Here’s an excerpt poem from the new collection:

 

The Soldiers Story 

He wore the green camouflage

he was a soldier at large

he left his hometown roots

to wear those combat boots

Germany, Poland and even Iraq

He’s Been to All The Places With a Pack On His Back

22 years under her majesty’s reign

seen his share of pleasure and pain

and now he is back in his home region

and an honourable member of the royal British legion,

old and bold with a great sense of pride

sat at the table with a pint by his side

tell his war stories where he was put to the test
 

head held high and medals pinned to his chest

he’s the old soldier
 

nobody told ya
 

always respect him

never forget him.

 

Facebook. www.facebook.com/bluntpoetry

Twitter. @bluntpoet78

Website. www.leebluntpoetry.webs.com

Amazon page. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lee-james-Blunt/e/B00IQ7LWJ2

Newark Book Festival

BOOKS IN THE CASTLE

A new, major two day book festival being held in the grounds of Newark Castle that's designed to appeal to all ages and many interests.

Around 35 authors and special guests are attending including children's writers, crime, history, military and more. 

Guests include: Eva Schloss - stepsister of Anne Frank, Battle of Britain fighter pilot Tony Pickering, bestselling crime authors Peter Robinson and Stephen Booth, Cosmopolitan Magazines Irma Kurtz and Julie Summers whose book 'Jambusters' was adapted into the hit drama series 'Home Fires'.

Entrance to the festival is free with charges for ticketed talks.  

Several public car parks are within only a few minutes walk and the venue is close to Newark Castle Train Station.

Website

 

He Wants by Alison Moore

Publishers want novels of a certain length. Knowing this, many agents ask for manuscripts of no less than 70,000 words, often preferring 80,000-90,000, more for sci-fi/fantasy/historical.

Writers shouldn’t really be thinking about word count, instead, they should be focused on producing the best story possible, and many books could benefit from a serious reduction in length. The Postman Always Rings Twice, one of my favourite books, is a novella of 38,000 or so words. James M Cain’s first draft was lengthy, over 110,000 words, before he cut the unnecessary. What’s left is enthralling. Sharp. Every word counts - and so do the missing ones. It’s easy to read, to race through to the end, but you find yourself slowing down, admiring the writing.

If books were invented today, they’d be shorter, surely? Our attention spans and limited leisure time wouldn’t entertain something we’d need to invest 12-16 hours of thought in. I’m not suggesting we re-invent the novel, only that there needs to be a good reason to make one 80,000 words when 40,000-50,000 could allow for a better result. When I read a novel by Ian McEwan I often think it runs out of steam too soon. It’s like he’s said what he wants to say and is killing time. Another fine writer that I would prefer novellas from is Howard Jacobson. I mention him because his recent books, and their protagonists, remind me of Alison Moore’s leading middle-aged men. The difference is that Moore’s men know when to leave the building.

Size matters

Her novellas encourage the reader to slow down, breathe the words in, and have fun with the meaning. In real terms, there’s not enough plot for a novel. The Jacobsonian themes of identity and self-realisation are all present in the pages of He Wants, a book of 192 pages.

One of Moore’s talents is picking small actions and facts that are interesting, in the way a comedian might know what’s funny. Under another writer’s pen the everyday details would be mere condiments but Moore makes meat out of them. Writing is nothing more than selecting the right words and leaving out the wrong ones. Both are conscious decisions, and Moore is a master decision maker.

In He Wants Lewis Sullivan is approaching retirement. He’d taught RE at the local secondary school he’d attended as a boy, and where his father had also worked. He lives, as always, close to where he grew up. His daughter makes daily visits, bringing soup that he doesn’t want. It’s a life of routine. It’s safe. He Wants is a story of how life’s structures and expectations can come to define us. How we can drift through a life we didn’t want, consoling ourselves with what might have beens or living vicariously.

The ‘plot’ concerns the appearance of an old friend that kindles Lewis’s thoughts of freedom. Can courage be the route to getting what he wants?

Look out for the many references to D H Lawrence and his writing.  

The Zoo by Jamie Mollart

Fear and self-loathing in Leicester. 

There’s a joke about an optimist who fell off the Empire State Building. Whilst falling he was asked “How’s it going?” He replied: “So far, so good.”

James Marlowe was falling. A successful advertising executive, he – and his unlikable colleagues - lived the life of a rock star, balancing drink and drugs. But all the cocaine sniffing and champagne supping was at the expense of his wife and son, and, later, his sanity.

He lands a prestigious account, that of a Dutch bank wanting a campaign to improve their public image. Then, when he begins to learn of their ruthless exploitation of an African nation, the self-doubts mount up. He’d be able to examine his life if he wasn’t entrenched in addictions and heading for a breakdown. The chapters flip between this self-destruction and his post-breakdown life in a psychiatric hospital. The alternating between foreboding and psychosis makes for a dark read.  

His wife, Sally, had questioned the profession, saw them as smart arses; these admen that appeal to the lowest common denominator. Left to bring up their son, and look after James, she knew her marriage was in trouble. The presence of James’s wife and the son that looks up to him adds a vital dimension to the tale. Not only do you care about their future, and hope they can have one, you have a balance to the work-hard, play-hard, lifestyle of drink and drugs reminiscent of pre-crash city workers. You have a life that could have been.

The chapters in the hospital are particularly good. Here’s a place of rules and routine, a path to try and get James back out there, but it won’t be done for him. He must fantasize and analyse in the hope that it’ll reveal understanding, allowing for sanity, perhaps redemption. The delusions and psychotic episodes are visual as we see into the mind of a man over the edge.

The author has obviously drawn upon his job (Mollart runs an award-winning advertising business - write what you know) but there’s much evidence of research. The chapters set in the hospital seem authentic and the activities in the fictitious African country ring shockingly true.

The writing is spare, making for a good pace and flow as James struggles with identity, addiction and sanity. The insight is interesting; the light touches of humour are welcome, and, bleak it may be but The Zoo will stay with you.

You might even feel haunted yourself by the eponymous Zoo, this bunch of figurines, their physical descriptions detailed whilst their real meaning is clouded in metaphor. Like James, the reader tries to work out their significance and how facing The Zoo might lead to salvation in the form of family and redemption.

'Grippingly Dark' Alison Moore

Jamie Mollart benefitted from Writing East Midlands’ mentoring scheme which he has high praise for:

I was assigned Tim Clare, who by a twist of fate also had his debut novel out this April, and we're both on the Amazon Rising Star list for this year. We exchanged a number of sections of the book I was working on and he provided critique on them. I found it really helpful, he picked up the fundamental issues that were holding my writing back and although the manuscript we worked through wasn't The Zoo I genuinely believe that without the mentoring scheme I wouldn't have had it published.

This is Mollart’s debut novel and clearly draws on his own career. I asked him if he shared James Marlowe’s thoughts on advertising, and if he felt any self-loathing or doubts about the job?

No, I don't agree with James. I'm an adman through and through. I couldn't give up working in advertising just as much as I couldn't give up writing. To me it's more that if you have a product it needs to be saleable anyway, and if it is then you have to assume that other people have made a similar product that a consumer would be equally as interested in. All that advertising does is enable you to get your product in front of the right people ahead of your competitors.

What if you were asked to represent a seriously dubious company?

Thankfully I've never been put in that situation. Speaking to my colleagues we have turned clients down in the past because we don't morally agree with them. James doesn't find out about their corruption until after he's working with them, at which point they would be under contract and it would be difficult to get out of. If I knew in advance what they were doing I'd like to think I'd turn the account down.

Jamie Mollart lives in Leicestershire but is a member of the Nottingham Writers’ Studio.

 

EMBA time

Best of luck to Notts writers Matt Sisson and Kim Slater. Both are on the shortlist for this year's East Midlands Book Award for their outstanding debut books. The winner will be announced on Tuesday at Bromley House Library.

The Gedling Book Festival

The Gedling Book Festival 2015 (supported by Gedling Borough Council, New Writers UK and Waterstones Nottingham) comes to Arnold’s Arnot Hill House in June (12-14). An event for readers and writers, featuring over twenty talks and workshops.

Where: Arnot Hill House, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 6LU

Cost: Free to attend. No booking required.

 

Friday 12^th June

10am Mayor of Gedling Borough Council.

10.30am Historical novelist David Ebsworth talks about the women on the Napoleonic battlefields.

11.30am Alison Moore discusses the transition from her Booker nominated debut to her second novel He Wants.

 

12.30pm. From Authonomy to Scrivener, John Baird looks at some of the best websites and software for writers. Read Dawn of the Unread guest post.

2.00pm Join the crime writer Stephen Booth for his talk entitled ‘Bring in the bodies!’

3.00pm Discover how Eve Makis has written historical fiction through human stories. Read NottsLit review of The Spice Box Letters.

Saturday 13^th June

Children’s Day

10.10am, 10.30am and 3.00pm Storytelling for children with Julie Malone, Rob Hann and Steve Taylor.

Writing workshops with Steve Bowkett running at various times throughout the day.

11.10am Tales from the TARDIS with David J Howe, contributor to over thirty titles about Dr Who.

12.20pm Best literary character, children’s costume award.

12.30pm Adventures of a visiting author, with children’s author Steve Bowkett.

1.30pm A spooky creative writing workshop for children with Sam Stone.

 

2.30pm Launch of the New Writers UK creative writing competition.

4.00pm Katy Perry tribute.

Sunday 14^th June

Non-Fiction Day

10.30am The truth is out there somewhere, says Dr Nick Thom in his talk on writing about ancient history.

11.15am Ex-con Frankie Owens talks about life in prison and how he came to write a book about it.

12.15pm Frank Earp looks at the A to Z of Curious Nottinghamshire.

12.45pm Joe Earp examined Nottingham from old photographs.

2.00pm Rock ‘n’ roll star Vince Eager talks about his life, career and book.

 

3.00pm Professor Alison Milbank discusses J R R Tolkien.

 

More at www.newwritersuk.co.uk

Lowdham Book Festival, this June

The Lowdham Book Festival is in its 16^th year.

Taking place during Independent Bookshop Week, this year’s festival (June 19-28) is typically rammed with events, taking place in the village and beyond. In chronological order here are some of the literary highlights:

Beatrix Potter on her Wedding Day, with Julia Damassa

Fri 19^th June, 12.15-1pm, Southwell Minster

Meet Beatrix Potter aged 47 on her wedding day in 1913, as she returns to her beloved Hill Top to say goodbye. Written and performed by local author and storyteller, Julia Damassa, "After Miss Potter" is a poignant bridging of fact and fiction, capturing the essence of one of our finest literary icons. FREE event

You Say Potato... with David and Ben Crystal

Sunday 21st June, 2–4pm, Village Hall

David and Ben Crystal guide us through the eccentricities of our native dialects. Witty, authoritative and full of fascinating facts, their book You Say Potato is a celebration of the myriad ways in which English is spoken, and how our accents speak louder than words. David will also talk about his new book The Disappearing Dictionary, which collects quirky English words before they disappear for ever. Tickets: £7 Full, £6 concessions, £5 Festival Friends

An Afternoon with Eve Makis

Wednesday 24th June, 2–4pm, Southwell Road Community Building

Eve will talk about her latest book The Spice Box Letters. Read the NottsLit review.

Tickets: £7 Full, £6 Concessions, £5 Festival Friends, Includes tea and pastries

All Day Book Fair

Saturday 27th June, 10am–5pm, Main Street, Lowdham

Free. No tickets required.

The bookfair is spread over the Village Hall, a marquee behind the hall and assorted gazebos. It features publishers, charities, book trade organisations, booksellers with new and second-hand books and cards. There are displays of old-fashioned letterpress printing equipment. Free author talks and talks about books will go on throughout the day. There will be books for children and adults, bargain books and books signed by all the authors appearing during the festival.

The final Saturday at the Lowdham Book Festival is always a date for the diary. Shakespeare’s England, Newstead Abbey, forensic science, poetry and children’s books will be discussed, and lots more, including the public launch of Nottingham's Big City Read & Write at 2pm; Have you read THESE SEVEN Nottingham writers? Join Brick (cartoonist), Shreya Sen Handley, John Harvey, Alison Moore, Paula Rawsthorne and Megan Taylor (with a mystery guest presenting Alan Sillitoe) will be at the Methodist Chapel.

Read the full programme of events HERE