THE INKY SHEFFIELD WRITERS NEWSLETTER Summer - 2004 No. 30 ______________________________________________________ Inky News BACK AGAIN! ACE Free Read Scheme (Manuscript Feedback) Signposts are now administering for the third year running a free read scheme for writers in Sheffield, in conjunction with NALD (National Association for Literature Development). The reads and feedback are provided by The Literary Consultancy (more details on the web, under that name), an organisation set up by Arts Council England for this purpose. The scheme is designed to give manuscript feedback from readers in the publishing industry, and those who submit manuscripts should expect a detailed response to their work. Applications should come from writers who are ready for such a response. People who sent work for both of the last two years were very impressed and positive about the scheme. The idea is to use the free reads mostly for novelists, and short story writers, but there will be room for two or three poets as well. A free read for a full novel may be available if it isn't too long, but a synopsis and some sample chapters is more likely as then there will be more money left for other people. Priority for free reads will go to people who would have trouble affording the service otherwise. If you want to apply for a free read, please send me an email:matt.black@pop3.poptel.org.uk or a letter to: 51 Pearson Place, Sheffield S8 9DE, by August 31st, and give a rough idea of how much work you want to submit. Please also say whether the work has been seen by anyone else, either through a workshop or any other reader. I can then let you know whether you will be able to have a free read, how TLC would like the work presented etc. Please email or ring (0114 2554030) if there are any other questions Novel Writing Workshop The second in this year's run of workshops and surgeries organised by Signposts is focusing on the subject of Novel Writing. If you are interested in Novel Writing then our workshop will help you shape and sharpen up your ideas and increase your chances of getting published. Christine Poulson, experienced writer and the creator of the Cassandra James in Cambridge mysteries, will run the workshop. For more details of Christine please visit her website at: www.christinepoulson.co.uk The workshop will aim to cover all aspects of Novel Writing including subjects such as where to begin, and how to develop an initial idea, through to marketing to agents or publishers. The workshop will be held in the Signposts Training Room on Saturday 25th September between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm. Tickets are £3.00 (£1.00 concs.) and must be bought from Signposts in advance. To book your place on the workshop please send a cheque or postal order, made payable to Signposts, together with your details to: Signposts 4th floor, Furnival House, 48 Furnival Gate, Sheffield, S1 4QP The "Word" is Out! Enclosed with the printed edition of The Inky is a copy of The Yorkshire Word, the new bimonthly literature newsletter for Yorkshire, with news, events, publications, competitions, profiles, opinions and more. For E-subscribers of The Inky please visit the web address below for more information. To subscribe or contribute write to: Audiences Yorkshire, 3 St Peter's Buildings, St. Peter's Square, Leeds, LS9 8AH Or send an email to: oliver@audiencesyorkshire.org.uk For more details of Audiences Yorkshire visit their website at: audiencesyorkshire.org.uk Poetry Mags 'Off The Shelf' …... and onto a computer near you - that's the idea behind a new initiative by the Poetry Library. It 's long been accepted that a good way to get known as a writer and gain experience is by writing for the small press, the disadvantage of this is that before writing a piece the writer must become familiar with the style of the particular magazine. Often, the only way to obtain the magazine is by subscribing to them and this, if you want to get to know the style of a few, can soon work out very expensive. The Poetry Library has come to the rescue by launching its New Poetry Magazine Archive. The Archive is a free access site to the full-text digital library of 20th and 21st century English poetry magazines from the Poetry Library collection. The magazines represented cover the wide spectrum of British poetry from the last forty odd years. Currently the site features: Ambit, Blithe Spirit, Borderlines, Brando's hat, Dream Catcher, Fabric, Fire, Magma, Oasis, Obsessed with Pipework, Orbis, Painted, Spoken, Poetry Nation, Shearsman, Smith's Knoll, The Coffee House, The Frogmore Papers, The Interpreter's House, The London Magazine, The North and Thumbscrew . . . and there are more to come. To access the site go to: www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/ Sheffield Libraries - Gateway to the World (Wide Web) With the ever increasing number of references to various web sites it seems a good time to remind Inky readers that free internet access is available in most of the libraries within the Sheffield area. If you want to use a computer at popular times it may be necessary to book in advance but during quiet periods it is possible to get instant access. Apart from the many web sites offering free advice to writers there are a multitude of E-publications that are looking for contributors. For more information call your local library or telephone the Central Lending Library on (0114) 273 4711. Help yourself and support the libraries. "Off the Shelf" Festival Prepares to Shine Sheffield's annual celebration of all things literary is back this autumn with the usual exciting mix of well-known authors, readings, workshops and competitions. The festival attracts an impressive array of top writers to the city and guests confirmed so far include Clement Freud, Val McDermid, Barbara Trapido, Roy Hattersley, Dom Joly, Daniel Mason, TV's money man Alvin Hall, the Barefoot Doctor, Australia's foremost poet Les Murray and top children's authors Philip Ardagh and Francesca Simon. Full details of the complete programme can be found in the festival brochure available from 1st September with a fabulous cover design this year by Guardian cartoonist Steven Appleby. Opportunities also abound for anyone who would like a real taste of life behind the scenes in a busy festival office. The festival welcomes volunteers so if you have a few hours to spare from September onwards or during the 2 weeks of Off the Shelf please get in touch. Volunteers are not paid but do get free tickets for festival events. To volunteer or to request a festival brochure please telephone (0114) 273 4716, email: offtheshelf@sheffield.gov.uk or visit the website at: www.offtheshelf.org.uk Off the Shelf Festival of Writing and Reading 16-30 October 2004 Focus on Abilities Focusing on Abilities is a new writing project aimed at creating a forum between disabled people and non-disabled people from a diverse range of backgrounds. The project aims to enable people to release their emotions and bring a better understanding into being via creative writing exercises that will encourage people to use writing positively. This will include describing why disadvantage can be an asset, and using writing to communicate how they perceive barriers can be removed. Focusing on Abilities is in its infancy and research participants are needed to complete trial exercises via email or post. There's also a possibility that they will be invited to a test workshop/s in Sheffield in autumn 2004/Spring 2005. If you are interested in becoming involved or for further information please contact Focusing on Abilities at: FocusonAbility@aol.com or write to Signposts and mark your envelope "Focus." Confessions of a Writer in Residence April 15th '03. First day at Burton Street. Help! I've never done this before. How many of the 1,500 weekly users of this vibrant, grass-roots community project will want to write? Where do I start? In desperation, I phone the Arts Council to find they have no guidelines for Writers-in-Residence. I sit in the café attempting to look writerly and resident. I'm a magical stranger – nobody quite knows why I'm here, but we're all hoping I'll be inspired (and perhaps teach some spelling along the way!). Every day is different; the atmosphere chaotic, friendly and inclusive. I mutate from 'New Girl' into 'Familiar Face'. Writing germinates organically: I bump into the editors of North Point (North Sheffield's Community Magazine) who request an article; I'm swept into a Coronation Day project, reminiscing with the Agewell Dance Club. The planned work also changes shape. In the literacy group for people with learning difficulties 'My Favourite Place at Burton Street' becomes laminated poem-posters with digital photos. I've arrived during a tide of expansion; new staff materialise every week, more people to hot-desk with, more potential poets. My own writing sticks and stutters until I recognise Burton Street as a country, with diverse languages and customs. I transpose the jargon of a 'Rough Guide': regional cuisine, local attractions, hospitality of the host community. A torrent of confusion becomes a sea of mutual inspiration, and requests for writing increase as staff and users realise I won't bite and that words can be playful (and don't always involve heavy-duty grammar). Community projects are full of budding, shy or prolific writers and Burton Street is no exception. Pre-existing writing groups include Prozac Prose, a WEA class, a Reminiscence group, and Act It Out, a drama group that performs original work. On 24th October, the residency culminates in a performance by these groups plus new writers, and a video written and filmed by Route 2K group for teenagers with special needs (my first video project, a dramatic learning curve!). Thirty people contribute to a booklet of new work. It's over too soon with many poems left unwritten, but there's a surge of pride, particularly for those who've made it onto the stage and seen their work publicly admired and in print. 'Community Arts Residencies are a springboard for learning and empowerment' - on the application form I sounded like I knew what I was doing. With the help and enthusiasm of the Burton Street people, I've discovered the practice behind the theory. River Wolton was Writer-in-Residence at Burton Street Community Project, Hillsborough, April – October 2003, funded by Arts Council, England. Thanks to Adrienne Wallman, Arts Manager and everyone who contributed to the residency's success. For writing groups at Burton Street phone 0114 233 2908 ext. 221. Copies of 'Voices of Burton Street' available from: riveramazon@hotmail.com Magazine News Submissions Wanted Mslexia, the quarterly magazine for women who write, is looking for poetry and short stories for the New Writing section in its autumn and winter issues on the themes of SHOES and DOGS. SHOES: Stilettos and Doc Martens; ballet pumps and clod-hoppers; jellies, wellies and flatties. Dead men's shoes? Too big for your boots? Tell Mslexia all about it. Closing date 31 October DOGS: princely pedigrees, mangy mutts, hell hounds: do you love them or hate them? Is it a dog-eat-dog world? Let your creativity off the leash and give us a dog's life. Closing date 31 December. Please label your envelope 'shoes' or 'dogs' and enclose a sae and daytime telephone number. No email submissions please. SUBMISSIONS TO: Mslexia, PO Box 656, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1PZ Enquiries: Tel: 0191 261 6656 Email: postbag@mslexia.demon.co.uk Writing Group News Networx Writers Co-operative The next meeting of the Networx group will be on Saturday September 4th from 10.00 - 4.00 pm during which members will be Writing with the Poet - Ann Sansom. Ann will also be reading from her latest collection. The group meets every six weeks at The Point, South Parade in Doncaster and the cost is £3.00 per meeting. Lifts are available for those who find it difficult to get to Doncaster. For further information please contact Lorraine O'Reilly on 0114 2621214 or you can email her: lorraine@maddenl.fsnet.co.uk Writing for Publication This is a new WEA course for writers with some experience and a clear idea of how they want their writing to progress, but who are as yet unpublished. Participants will improve their writing skills and discover how to target agents and editors and approach them in a professional manner. The course is best suited to those wishing to publish novels, short stories, short articles or non-fiction books. The course will be held at the Scotia Works on Leadmill Road, Sheffield S1. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday 21st September at 7.00 pm until 9.00 pm. For more details please phone 0114 2322714 LISTINGS OF LIVE EVENTS Aug/Sep/Oct 2004 In August Saturday 7th August Yorkshire Sculpture Park Renga Poetry Day Take part in this day long performance and development of a communally written poem based on haiku www.ysp.co.uk More details Tel: 01924 832512 Saturday 7th August The Poetry Business Writing Days Morning games and exercises to inspire. Afternoon workshop to delve further. No need to book. £16 waged, £8 unwaged. The Studio, Byram Arcade, Westgate, Huddersfield, HD1 1ND 10.15 – 4.15 Tel: 01484 434 840 In September Saturday 4th September Networx Writers Cooperative Writing with Ann Sansom - Poet. The Point, South Parade, Doncaster £3.00 10.00 - 4.00 pm Tel 0114 2621214 Tuesday 7th September The Sticky Bun Writers Club Read-round A chance to read some of your own writing. Fat Cat Pub, Alma Street, Sheffield Free. 8.15 pm start Tel: 0114 2366 225 Tuesday 7th September Antics Upstairs @ The Red Deer Informal evening of spoken words - story telling, poetry, fairy tales and beautiful lies. The Red Deer, 18 Pitt Street, Sheffield. 8.00 for 8.30 start Tel: 0114 258 7270 Saturday 11th September The Poetry Business Writing Days Morning games and exercises to inspire. Afternoon workshop to delve further. No need to book. £16 waged, £8 unwaged. The Studio, Byram Arcade, Westgate, Huddersfield, HD1 1ND 10.15 – 4.15 Tel: 01484 434 840 Saturday 11th September Riverside Festival Performances by writing groups from around the region. Nelly Dean's Public House, Rotherham Centre 10.00 am - 6.00 pm More details Roy Blackman Tel: 01709 377097 Saturday 25th September Novel Writing Workshop Second of this year's workshops organised by Signposts, with Christine Poulson running the session. Signposts, 4th floor, Furnival House, Furnival Gate, Sheffield 10.30 am - 12.30 pm Tickets £3.00 (£1.00 cons) Book in advance. Tel: 0114 263 4787 In October Tuesday 5th October Antics Upstairs @ The Red Deer Informal evening of spoken words - story telling, poetry, fairy tales and beautiful lies. The Red Deer, 18 Pitt Street, Sheffield. 8.00 for 9.00 start Tel: 0114 258 7270 Thursday 7th October National Poetry Day This years theme is Food! A day of readings and performance is planned in celebration. The Winter Gardens, Surrey Street, Sheffield. Saturday 16th October Off the Shelf Literature Festival Start of Sheffield's annual literature festival which runs through to the 30th October. Festival brochure and further details: www.offtheshelf.org.uk Offtheshelf@sheffield.gov.uk Tel: 0114 273 4716 ___________________________________________________________________ SHEFFIELD WRITERS RESOURCE CENTRE For information and advice Wednesdays 5pm - 7.30pm The Main Lending Library Surrey St, Sheffield, S1 For more info - 0114 2734711 (Sheffield Central Library) To be included on The Inky's Listings - Phone 0114 2634787 Email: signposts@lineone.net The Inky acknowledges support from: _________________________________________________________ The Inky is put together by Matt Black & Geoff Briggs The Inky is a Signposts Project. Please send contributions for the next issue to: The Inky SIGNPOSTS 4th Floor Furnival House, 48 Furnival Gate, Sheffield, S1 4QP, UK Phone Geoff on 0114 2634787 or email Signposts@lineone.net