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Things That Aren’t Run By Us, But That We Think You Might Like
Newsletter – September 2011
5 months ago
by Writing West Midlands
in Birmingham Book Festival, Birmingham Writing Squads, Coventry Writing Squads, Events, For Aspiring Writers, For Emerging Writers, For Established Writers, For Literature Professionals And Organisations, Kidderminster Writing Squads, Links To Other Organisations and Events, Literature Festivals, New Writing, Our Organisation, Poetry, Poetry in Performance, Walsall Writing Squads, Write On! Writers in School, Write On! Writing Squads, Writer Training, Writers in Schools and Communities, Writing by Young People, Writing West Midlands
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Writing Groups for Young Writers in Herefordshire
5 months ago
by Writing West Midlands
in For Aspiring Writers, For Emerging Writers, Hereford Writing Squads, Links To Other Organisations and Events, New Writing, Our Organisation, Theatre Writing, Write On! Writing Squads, Writer Training, Writers in Schools and Communities, Writing by Young People, Writing for Film, Writing for Radio, Writing for Television, Writing in Performance, Writing West Midlands
Hereford Write On! Writing Squads
Writing Groups for Young Writers in Herefordshire
Hereford Library hosts two Writing West Midlands writing groups, for young people aged 8 to 12 and 12 to 16 who are interested in creative writing – poems, plays, stories or blogs! The Hereford Writing Squads are led by professional writer Brenda Read-Brown, with support from writer Deborah Alma, and help young people develop their skills and learn about being a writer. The groups meets monthly on Saturdays from 10.30am – 12noon (8 – 12) and 1.30pm to 3pm (12 – 16), with sessions on 10th September, 15th October, 19th November and 17th December in 2011 and continuing into 2012.
There is a session charge of £16 for 4 sessions or £5 per session if paid on the day. To reserve a place or for more information please contact Joanne Penn at Writing West Midlands on 0121 246 2770 or joanne@writingwestmidlands.org. Other Write On! Writing Squads are being run across the West Midlands – contact us for details.
The Hereford Write On! Writing Squads is a project of Writing West Midlands. http://www.writingwestmidlands.org/writeon/writing-squads/
In association with the Hereford Libraries. http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/1566.asp
The Great West Midlands Poetry Relay – we made it!
6 months ago
We have posted over on our sister site, www.birminghambookfestival.org about this in detail – have a look at this.
We had a brilliant day out and about in the West Midlands celebrating Open Weekend in anticipation of London 2012. We made it around our ten destinations safely and as quickly as we could, and our ten racing pigeons made it safely back to Birmingham with the final order of our relay poem.
Our colleagues at Monty Funk productions are busily editing the audio footage they took over the day, as well as creating some interactive content for you, so look out for that in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, there are some photos at www.birminghambookfestival.org and some on our Facebook page. Project Pigeon have also uploaded some footage and there will be more of that shortly.
Thanks again to Arts Council England for supporting this event, and to everyone involved (special thanks to our poets, venues, and Lauren, our project manager, for coralling us all!).
Ledbury Poetry Festival
7 months ago
Ledbury Poetry Festival 2011
http://www.poetry-festival.com/
1 – 10 July 2011
‘A rare and genuine joining of place, poetry and people’ Carol Ann Duffy – Poet Laureate and Festival Patron
‘Ten days each summer when the air is thick with declaration and rumination, whispers and shouts of joy’ Joan Bakewell
‘The best in the country’ Andrew Motion
Britain’s biggest poetry festival brings together an extraordinary collection of poets from across the world in an explosive celebration of contemporary poetry.
Poetry has seen a resurgence of energy over the last few years, a fusing of traditional craft with newer rhythms and street sounds which bring a real vitality to stage performance. Ledbury’s 2011 programme brings the very best in poetry from across the spectrum, and encompasses readings, special performances, workshops, walks, talks, films, poetry slams, an interactive poetic murder mystery evening, and open mic events.
The 2011 festival is launched by Poet Laureate and Ledbury Patron Carol Ann Duffy. Joining her on the opening night will be acclaimed musician, composer and actor John Sampson. Their collaborations have been termed the perfect example of the symbiosis of poetry and music, and will set the bar high for the rest of the festival.
Other highlights of the programme feature the most important voices in UK poetry, including Jo Shapcott, Penelope Shuttle, Michael Rosen, John Hegley and Jackie Kay.
The 2011 Poet-in-Residence at the Festival, Ian Duhig, who has in recent years been shortlisted for the TS Eliot, Whitbread and Forward Poetry Prizes will be performing and holding special workshops. Duhig is one of the best of the New Generation poets, with a rare ability to handle subject matter as diverse as Apollinaire to Yorkshire pudding, from string vests to sutras. He has a particular gift for ignoring barriers between subjects, and his poems are often powerfully gritty.
As the UK’s most important international poetry festival, Ledbury 2011 has a special focus on translation, questioning whether an artform that places exacting emphasis on words and rhythm can be successfully translated. Our Publishers-in-residence, Arc Publications, are champions of poetry in translation. Does US poet Robert Frost’s maxim ‘Poetry is what is lost in translation’ still hold true, or in today’s world where global communication is the norm, are there instances where the slippages, the mis-readings and fractures of translation can even enhance the work? What happens when one poet translates another poet’s work? And can a poem be transposed from one culture to another?
Highlights of this strand of the programme sees acclaimed poet Penelope Shuttle reading her own work along side the Syrian poet Maram al-Massri, who will read in Arabic with translations performed by Sara-Jane Arbury. The international programme includes poets from Hungary, India, Syria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.
And this year’s special Festival Commission comes from the ancient city of Lahore, a series of contemporary poems from Fetch Theatre, in a brand new production that brings Lahore and the Punjab to Ledbury.
For younger poetry lovers Ledbury the extremely hip and witty John Hegley will be performing in The Adventures of Monsieur Robinet. Telling the story of a Frenchman, with some unusual habits in 17 adventures and one short drama each presented in French and English, with participation a must.
Michael Rosen will also be appearing in a performance of rhyme, rhythm, and chat, meeting the three-year-old who was looking for someone who wanted to be a sandwich.
The Festival ends with a performance by The Joy of Six. An ensemble performance by poets including Ann Berkeley and Ted Hughes Award nominee, Martin Figura in a choreographed interplay of voices and styles that will leave you breathless. Termed an exciting and quick fire montage of contrasting poems and voices by Chairman of the Poetry Society, The Joy of Six is a fitting finale to the 2011 Festival.
Poetry in the West Midlands
1 year ago
Suddenly the West Midlands is full of poetry activity. I’m not sure why, although the common factor is individuals who want to make it happen. The Polesworth Poets Trail is a case in point. Malcome Dewhirst has lead this project to use money available to the town for improvement of the environment and has had installed a fabulous series of poems, etched into metal and wood, set in stone, and placed around the town. The poetry is inspired by the fact that John Donne and Michael Drayton and others gathered in Polesworth in the 16th century but more importantly has been responded to by contemporary writers from across the country.
The Much Wenlock Poetry Festival has had a successful first outing and has reminded us once again that people are interested in poetry if you present it imaginatively and in an interesting location. And soon we will have Ledbury Poetry Festival‘s programme and the Stratford Poetry Festival and Helen Dunmore, winner of the National Poetry Competition is part of the the Birmingham Book Festival’s first Festival in a Day on 29th May. To add to this, Jacqui Rowe has launched a great series of poetry workshops to run in Birmingham, Nine Arches Press are rolling out handsome books and events to match (and we mustn’t forget Flarestack) and even as I write I suspect some enterprising enthusiast will be costing up a poetry project. I mention costing up, because money is necessary, but as these various events and projects show, there are a range of ways of getting iand using it. More on this in a future post.
And now I’m going to read another couple of poems from Jo Bell‘s collection, Navigation; eccelent stuff and long overdue for a re-print…
Welcome
2 years ago
Welcome to Writing West Midlands.
Who?
We are a new organisation designed to encourage, promote and actively facilitate literature development activity in the West Midlands.
On this site you will find resources and links to Events, Opportunities for Writers, information about our Education programme, (Write On!), our annual Literature Festival (Birmingham Book Festival), Advice for Writers and more.
Who is this site for?
- Writers
If you are just starting out you may find our ‘Advice‘ section helpful. There are also competitions, workshops and more under our ‘Opportunities‘ section.
If you are an established writer you might want to connect with organisations that work with writers, find out about working in schools or other settings, and find out about networking events for writers. You can find more information in the ‘Opportunities‘ and ‘Events‘ sections, and you are welcome to join our mailing list or contact us directly to tell us about your work as a writer or find out how we can help you further.
- Teachers & Schools
If you are a teacher and you are looking for ways to bring creative writing alive for your students, we may be able to help.
We run an education programme putting writers into schools, and various other education-related activities. Write On! has three core strands: Writers In Schools, Original Writing Days and an Online Writing Project for Primary and Secondary school children. We invite you to have a look at our ‘Education‘ section to see examples of what we are doing.
We are also available to give advice and put you in contact with writers and others in your area if you are looking for something a little different to what the Write On! project offers.
- Those Working in Literature Development
If you are involved in events or activities in our area that you think we should know about, please email us.
If you are looking for career development, or jobs and opportunities, please have a look at our ‘Opportunities‘ section. Please also join our mailing list.
We are inviting you to join our online community, link to our blog, participate in our polls and other research, and begin to tell us what you need from your region.
- Many others
Whether you are a Librarian, student, editor, publisher, agent, journalist, member of a reading group or practically anything else, you may still find something of interest here.
Perhaps you have always fancied participating in a writing workshop? We will list workshops going on in the region year round. See our ‘Events‘ section. Perhaps you run a writing competition and would like to pass on information about it? Email it to us and we can add it to our ‘Opportunities‘ page. Perhaps you run events, or a readers group, and would like more information about some of the many things we offer? Perhaps you just love books?
Whatever your reason for being here, join our mailing list and never miss out. To do that go here