THE INKY SHEFFIELD WRITERS NEWSLETTER Autumn - 2004 No. 31 ______________________________________________________ Inky News New Series of "Winter Workshops" Signposts are organising a new series of Winter Writing Workshops, which, hopefully, will become a regular feature of the Sheffield writing calendar. Following hot on the heels of the Off the Shelf festival the plan is to write our way through winter. The workshops will consist of three prose and three poetry workshops. One writer will run the prose series, while the three poetry workshops will each have their own writer who will lead the individual workshop along a particular theme. Short Story Workshops These will start in November with a series of short story workshops led by Linda Lee Welch. The workshops will be a combination of teaching, exercises, and feedback. We will explore the short story as a form, looking at plot and structure, character, setting, themes and issues. We will also discuss and practice the use of dialogue, description, and a variety of narrative devices. Participants will have the chance to present their work for thoughtful, supportive criticism by the group. Everyone should have at least one edited and complete short story by the end of the course! The short story series starts on Saturday November 13th and the following two workshops will be on December 4th and January 29th. All of these workshops will be held in the Signposts Training Room between 10.00 am - 4.00 pm. Cost will be £8.00 / £4.00 (cons) per workshop and places must be booked in advance. The three workshops are planned to build progressively on each other but participants may attend individual ones if they so wish. To book places 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 If you have any further questions please email or ring on (0114) 263 4787. Poetry Workshops The three poetry workshops will be held in the new year during March, April and May and will be led in turn by Matt Clegg, Debjani Chatterjee and Ann Hamblen, by which time spring will be here again - perfect! There will be more detailed information on these three poetry workshops in the next issue of the Inky and shortly, on the "wordabout" page. Free Feast in Sheffield on National Poetry Day There'll be a feast of poetry in the Winter Gardens on October 7th, from 12 noon until approximately 2 o'clock, to celebrate National Poetry Day. All are welcome to bring poems to read either on this year's theme - which is food - or on any subject. You are welcome to bring your lunch to eat (and share if you wish) during the readings. This year is the tenth anniversary of National Poetry Day so it would be good to celebrate in style, bring a cake if you wish, a poem to read or just come and enjoy the feast of word. For further information, or to let us know that you wish to read, please email or ring Geoff at the Signposts office on: (0114) 263 4787 WANTED! Poets and Audience for Gentle & Generous Poetry Slam! Poets are needed! - New or experienced - for a gentle but enjoyable Poetry Slam, with prizes for all, which will take place in Burngreave during the Off the Shelf Festival. Two teams of poets - 4 or more in each team - will read and perform in a fiercely gentle battle of the bards, in which it is not the points that matter, but taking part (oh yes, and the prizes). Anybody is welcome to come and watch our brave poets - with no longer than 2 minutes per poem - read their poems (over 2 or 3 rounds) and receive scores from carefully selected random judges in the audience. Gladiatorial entertainment at its poetic best! Date & Time: Saturday 23rd October 2.00 - 4.00 pm Venue: The Furnival, Burngreave If you are interested in taking part or finding out more, please ring Matt Black on: (0114) 255 4030 The World In Her Arms Celebrating the divine in female form, widely published poets Rose Flint, Debjani Chatterjee and Cora Greenhill will read from their own work as well as ancient and contemporary poetry from around the world. Artwork inspired by the subject will also be on display. Date & Time: Saturday 23 rd October 5 pm - 7 pm Venue: St Mary's Church Community Centre Bramall Lane, Sheffield 2 Admission: £3.00 / £2.00 (cons) on the door. The Sticky Bun Writers' Club The Sticky Bun Writers' Club, organised by Jenny King, provides a regular opportunity for you to share your writing and listen to other writers, including specialists in particular genres. The autumn programme for the Sticky Bun Writers' Club has now been organised. Here are the details. Oct. 5 Leah Fleetwood & Jenny King will provide an evening of writing games. Nov. 2 Pat West will read from her part-completed autobiography and talk about the problems that go with writing about one's life. Dec 7 The Annual Buffet, with a choice of (published) winter readings. Prose or poetry, familiar or unusual. * There's a small charge of £2.00 on this evening only. The Sticky Bun Writers' Club meets on the first Tuesday of the month in the excellent Fat Cat pub on Alma Street, next to the Kelham Island Museum, in the upstairs room. Meetings are open to all and are free. For further information contact Jenny King on: (0114) 236 6225 Cooking Up A Poem More fun with food! This is an opportunity to join a poetry feast with local poets who write in English and Bengali, taking the theme of this year's National Poetry Day, 'Food'. Take along your favourite 'food' poem to read as well as listen to others' poems on food. Poems may be in any language, but please provide a translation in English. 'Food' poems may also be cooked up, so take along a pen, paper and plenty of words to stir the pot with. Date & Time: Saturday 16th October 11.00 am - 1.00 pm Venue: The Space Centre, Above Park Library, Duke Street, Sheffield 2 Admission: Free but please ring Debjani Chatterjee to book a place on: (0114) 272 3906 This event is organised by community publisher Sahitya Press & Bengali Women's Support Group. Sheffield's 'Off The Shelf' Festival Shines Again The annual Off the Shelf festival is just around the corner with another shiny line up of stars and treats, be it talks, readings, workshops or storytelling, there should be something for every one with an interest in the writing world. If you haven't seen the brochure yet you can pick one up at your local library or telephone the Off the Shelf office for a copy on: (0114) 273 4716 Or email them at: offtheshelf@sheffield.gov.uk You can also visit the website at: www.offtheshelf.org.uk Here are a few jewels that have been selected by the Inky for that hidden quality of being super shiny on the inside! Writing Squad Young writers from across Yorkshire - some new recruits, some regular performers at the festival - present an evening of poetry, short prose and dramatic literature. Here's a chance to see and hear some of this region's freshest talent. The Writing Squad provides dedicated workshops, tutorials and wide ranging professional support for a selection of committed young writers as they shape meaningful literary careers in a range of creative genres. Date & Time: Saturday 16th Oct, 8 pm Venue: F.O.B., 18-20 Church Street, S1. Tickets: £2.00 on the door ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Verbiage: A Collage of Sound & Poetry Verbiage is a situation-specific performance, combining poetry, music, and an environmental soundscape. A poetry collage exploring the place of gardens in our lives, assembled by a collection of poets over the summer, is intertwined with ambient harp music, percussion, and vocal sounds by Ella Luk. Date & Time: Sunday 17th Oct, 2 - 4 pm Venue: The Winter Gardens, Surrey Street Tickets: Admission free, No need to book ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prozac Prose Open Mic Night An invitation from the 'Prozac Prose' writing group to an open mic poetry evening with the opportunity to explore issues around mental health in an informal and supportive environment. Date & Time: Tuesday 19th Oct, 6.30-9 pm Venue: Kick Ass Angel, 232-234 London Rd Tickets: Admission free, No need to book ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Walk in Cloudcuckooland Join David Sissons and Leah Fleetwood for a six mile walk in the home territory of author Simon Armitage. The walk will identify areas of interest which have informed and inspired some of Simon Armitage's poetry and prose. Date & Time: Saturday 23rd Oct, meet at Marsden Railway Station (near Huddersfield) at 10.30 am Costs: Train fare approximately £8.00 return Tickets: Admission free. No need to book Further info: Contact Off the Shelf on (0114) 273 4400 for up to date details of travel connections and fares Off the Cuff Open Mic Night with John Turner & Matt Black Bring comic poems (your own or other peoples) to read and join Matt Black and John Turner as your hosts for this off-the-wall comic evening. Hear old favourites and new ones in this open mic night spot. Date & Time: Friday 29th Oct, 8 pm Venue: F.O.B., 18 - 20 Church Street, S1. Tickets: £3.50/£2.50 (cons) on the door Further info: Please contact Matt on (0114) 255 4030 to book your open mic spot. Sheffield VIP Writers: A Mixed Bunch Enjoy an afternoon of poetry, prose, song and drama by Sheffield's VIP (Visually Impaired People's) writing group as they launch their CD 'A Mixed Bunch'. Compere for the afternoon is poet and local radio personality Ray Hearne, with special guest Jenny King reading her poem Braille winner of a national poetry award. Date & Time: Saturday 30th Oct, 2-4.30 pm Venue: Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, 5 Mappin Street, S1. Tickets: Admission free, donations to SRSB The Inky Interview Christine Poulson, writer and creator of the Cassandra James in Cambridge mysteries, lives on the edge of Derbyshire and works in Sheffield. Christine is currently working on her third novel and Dave Sissons caught up with her to delve further into the mystery and background of Cassandra and Christine. Whereabouts in North Yorkshire were you brought up? Part of my childhood was spent at Ampleforth, which was an idyllic place to be a small child. We lived next door to a farm. I remember finding the Gothic Revival architecture of Ampleforth College very impressive, like something in a fairy tale. My teenage years were spent on the coast at Redcar, which was a good place to be an adolescent: lots of solitary, moody walks on the beach, with crashing waves and the wind blowing so hard that you could almost lean on it. You now have an academic career and a creative writing career. Do the two conflict, or do they reinforce each other? To a certain extent they do reinforce each other; or at least the academic career reinforces the creative writing. My principal character is an academic and the novels are set against an academic background. But there is also a conflict, because there are only so many hours in the day, and because I can't keep a novel and a non-fiction book going at the same time. Novel writing has come out on top, but I keep a foothold in the academic world with a bit of teaching and examining and the odd research paper. I think it's a good thing to have some connection with the world outside my study. Do you have any problems writing murder novels for entertainment, thrills, titillation, etc., given that real life murders usually devastate circles of friends and families and often affect entire communities for years afterwards? It is just because murder is such an extreme and devastating act that writers are drawn to it. The kind of crime fiction that I most admire tends to be fairly realistic about its impact on families and friends and I try to write that kind of fiction myself. Do I detect an underlying assumption here that there is a distinction between crime fiction and other kinds of fiction? After all, no one questions that murder is an acceptable subject in Crime and Punishment, Bleak House, King Lear and Oedipus Rex. Is it OK for Dostoyevsky and Dickens, but not for Colin Dexter? Having said that, I do think there is a line to be drawn between entertainment and titillation and I feel a moral obligation to end up on the right side. Is Cassandra James, the central character in your two crime fiction novels, Dead Letters and Stage Fright, modelled closely on yourself? Yes. And no. Cassandra is an academic like me, and she has certain characteristics in common with me. Inevitably I have drawn on some of my own experiences. But she isn't ageing as fast as I am! And she certainly doesn't react as I would in every situation. As I have written more about her she has developed more of a life and a past of her own. Are you, in your two crime novels, consciously writing with a particular readership in mind? For instance both are lavishly peppered with quotations and references of a literary and artistic kind: Nietzsche, Byron, etc. all of which have significances that might be lost on a lot of readers. I don't really aim at a particular readership. I try to write the kind of book I enjoy reading and hope that other people enjoy it too. Whether the novel works as an intriguing and engrossing story is always what matters most. Having said that, it is true that crime novels with academic and literary settings are virtually a sub-genre of their own. The best-known exponent is probably Amanda Cross. There will be readers who like this kind of thing and those that don't. For those who do, the literary references are all part of the fun. Do you have any favourite writers? It's hard to answer this. There are so many. Favourite crime-writers include Henning Mankell, Simenon, Donna Leon, Lawrence Block and Tony Hillerman. I very much like writers who evoke a strong sense of place. I am very much enjoying the crime novels of Emma Lathen at the moment: they're so stylish and witty. I go back again and again to Jane Austen, Dickens, Trollope and Tolstoy. And one day I'm going to finish reading Proust! What are you working on at present? I'm working on a third Cassandra novel and I am also developing an idea for a non-series novel which I don't want to say too much about at the moment. There are a couple of short stories in progress too. And on the back burner there's a non-fiction book on stepfamilies in Victorian and Edwardian fiction. Interview by David Sissons. Thanks to Christine Poulson. ______________________________________________________________ Writing Group News LAPIDUS - Literary Arts in Personal Development Creative words for health and well-being. Lapidus is a national membership organisation that promotes the benefits of the literary arts for personal development. The literary arts include all forms of creative writing - poetry, prose, fiction or drama - and its performance, and also activities such as oral storytelling, journal writing or creative reading. Personal development encompasses health, healing and personal growth. The specialist interests of Lapidus are: * Research * Education * Health and social care * Personal development If you are interested, either professionally or personally, in this way of working, the local Lapidus group, which will re-launch in January, holds meetings, events and workshops in the centre of Sheffield. If you are interested in joining the group or finding out more then please contact Steve Weir By email at: steve@transform-your-life.org Give your name, address and email and Steve will then send you further information. There is no fee for attending the local group but if you wish to become a full member of the Lapidus organisation the fee is: individual £25, part-time/low income £18, unwaged £10.00 includes national and local membership. This entitles you to participate in all local events; access the annual conference, website and special interest groups; receive a members' contact list, quarterly newsletter and the Lapidus magazine. Courses It's that time of year again, the new academic year has started and that means a whole new series of writing courses are just about to get under way. There are a range of courses, catering for both new and experienced writers, running at The Sheffield College, The W.E.A, and The Institute for Lifelong Learning (University of Sheffield). Course programmes are still available at the Central Library but if you are interested then you must move quickly as the courses are starting now. We've chosen a few from the W.E.A. (Workers' Educational Association) just to give you some idea of the range of courses out there. Writing Fiction Crookesmoor Community Centre - Lesley Layton, Monday 7.00-9.00 pm. This course is aimed at new writers as well as the more experienced writer. The course will experiment with a variety of tools and techniques for writing good fiction. Writing for Publication Scotia Works, Leadmill Road - Daniel Blythe, Tuesday 7.00-9.00 pm. A 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 discover how to target agents and editors and approach them in a professional manner. Scriptwriters' Workshop BBC Radio Sheffield- Lee Ford, Saturday 2.00 - 4.00. Explore the principles and techniques of writing for film, TV, radio and stage. For new and experienced writers. For further details of these and other courses contact the WEA on (0114) 2322714 / 2786262 _______________________________________________________________ Waterstone's Sunday Reading Group This group meets every month at 2 pm and is always looking for new members. Here are the next few dates: Oct 10th Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier Nov 14th Notes on a Scandal - Zoe Heller Jan 9th Starter for Ten - Davis Nicholls For more details phone (0114) 272 8971 _______________________________________________________________________ LISTINGS OF LIVE EVENTS October / November 2004 In October 5th October The Sticky Bun Writers Club Leah Fleetwood & Jenny King provide an evening of writing games. Fat Cat Pub, Alma Street, Sheffield Free. 8.15 pm start Tel: (0114) 236 6225 Thursday 7th October National Poetry Day Feast Poetry Feast to celebrate National Poetry Day. The Theme is food - bring a poem, a bun, and have some fun. The Winter Gardens, Surrey Street, Sheffield, 12 noon- 2.00 Free, Tel: (0114) 263 4787 to let us know that you wish to read. Sunday 10th October Waterstone's Sunday Reading Group Reading and discussing Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca Waterstones, Orchard Square, Sheffield. 2.00 pm. Free. Tel: (0114) 272 8971 Tuesday 12th 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 8.30 start Tel: (0114) 258 7270 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 Saturday 23rd October Burngreave Poetry Slam Gentle and generous poetry challenge. Poets required! The Furnival, Burngreave Free, 2.00 - 4.00 Tel (0114) 255 4030 In November Tuesday 2nd November The Sticky Bun Writers Club Pat West will read from and discuss her part-completed autobiography. Fat Cat Pub, Alma Street, Sheffield Free. 8.15 pm start Tel: (0114) 2366 225 Wednesday 10th November Poetry School - Poetry in Performance Performances from newly established poets from the Poetry School in London. Sheffield Hallam University Collegiate Crescent Campus, Montgomery House, Sheffield 6.00 pm Bookings Please Tel: (0114) 2252 256 Saturday 13th November Signposts Winter Workshop (no.1) The Short Story - Linda Lee Welch First in a new series of prose & poetry workshops. Signposts, 4th floor, Furnival House, 48 Furnival Gate Sheffield. Tel (0114) 263 4787 ___________________________________________________________________ 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