Tell Me On a Sunday
01 week ago
We know you have a story in you. Unleash it. Conjure a memory, recent or ancient, good or bad.
Tell it to yourself, re-tell it, hone it, cut it, embellish it. Pitch it to us. Get on stage and tell it.
Ikon, in collaboration with the Birmingham Book Festival presents a new series of free literary events. Hosted in Café Ikon, Tell Me On A Sunday is storytelling from life. Participants tell stories based around a specially selected theme, all with truth (and a good performance!) at their heart. Each month, five storytellers will be chosen to perform a seven minute story live.
The events feature special guests and are curated by Cat Weatherill, one of Europe’s leading performance storytellers, who will also tell her own story. Originally championed by the Hay Festival, Cat has been creating and telling tales to adults and children for twelve years. She is also a best selling author, with books translated into nine languages.
The dates of these events are:
Sunday 19 February
Theme: Off the beaten track
Sunday 25 March
Theme: Hope and glory
Sunday 22 April
Theme: Feathers and bones
Sunday 27th May
Theme: Secrets & Lies
All events running from 4pm (Story Supper)– 6.30pm and are FREE
Events begin at 4pm with Story Supper, a chance to meet fellow audience members and story tellers over a special Café Ikon menu (contact Ikon for prices). Performances commence at 5pm, finishing at 6.30pm.
Please note these events are intended for adult audiences. Places are free but should be reserved by calling Ikon on 0121 248 0708.
How to pitch your story:
To pitch your story, send us a 100 word written (or 1 minute) audio pitch. This should be an exciting teaser/summary of the story, making it clear that the story has substance and style.
Please indicate which theme you are pitching for, and submit your pitch by the deadlines below. You will be notified 2 weeks before the event you wish to perform at whether your story has been chosen, giving you time to prepare. We strongly recommend you take a look at the guidelines storyteller Cat Weatherill has written to help you hone and tell your story. Anyone can do it!
Pitch Deadlines:
Hope & Glory – 9th March
Feathers & Bones – 2nd April
Secrets and Lies – 7th May
Send your pitch by email to: sara[at]birminghambookfestival.org. Please include a short statement about yourself – your name, where you live, and whether you’ve done any storytelling before. These details will not affect your entry.
Good Luck!
Join us to launch Clare Morrall’s new novel, The Roundabout Man
1 month ago
Tuesday 21st February 2012
7pm – 8.30pm/ Free event
Ikon Gallery
1 Oozells Square
Birmingham, B1 2HS
Sceptre and Writing West Midlands are delighted to invite you to celebrate the publication of the new novel from Clare Morrall, The Roundabout Man.
Who is The Roundabout Man? He doesn’t look like a tramp, yet he lives on a roundabout in a caravan and survives on the leftovers from a nearby motorway service station. He calls himself Quinn, the name of a boy in a world-famous series of children’s books, but he’s nearer retirement than childhood.
What he hopes no one will discover is that he’s the real Quinn, immortalised as a child by his mother in her entrancing tales about a little boy’s adventures with his triplet sisters. It is this inheritance he has successfully run away from- until now. When Quinn’s reclusive existence is invaded, he is forced to face his past, and the uncomfortable truths and secrets it contains about himself, his sisters and, most of all, his mother.
This event includes a reading and book signing.
How to book:
Places are free but should be reserved by calling Ikon on 0121 248 0708.
Bookings now being taken for the Stratford-upon-Avon Write On! Writing Squad
1 month ago
Our Write On! Writing Squad running in Stratford-upon-Avon is now available to be booked online through The Royal Shakespeare Company’s website. The Squad which is a writing group for young people aged 12 to 16 who are interested in creative writing will be meeting on Saturday’s from 10.30am – 12.30pm at the RSC’s The Clore Centre, Waterside on the following dates:
21st January, 25th February, 24th March, 28th April, 19th May and the 23rd June 2012.
The writer David Calcutt will be running the sessions which will look at different aspects of creative writing and will help develop writing skills, introduce new techniques and give members the opportunity to learn about being a writer in a relaxed and informal environment.
Tickets can be bought for individual sessions or you can book the full six in one go through the RSC’s website by clicking here or you can call the Ticket Hotline on 0844 800 1110.
For more information about the Stratford-upon-Avon Writing Squads, please contact Joanne Penn, Administrative Assistant, Writing West Midlands on 0121 246 2774 or email joanne[at]writingwestmidlands.org.
Don’t forget that we also have Writing Squads for children and young people running throughout the West Midlands, please click here for full details.
Writing Squads across the region in 2012!
2 months ago
Are you aged between 8 to 16 and interested in creative writing and finding out about being a writer or do you know someone who is? If so, you may be interested in our writing groups called Write On! Writing Squads which will be running at various locations across the region in 2012.
We have Write On! Writing Squads running in the following places: Birmingham, Hereford, Walsall, Stafford Rising Brook, Eccleshall, Stratford upon Avon, Kidderminster and Coventry.
For more information, please see the Write On! Writing Squad page you can get in touch with us to find out more through our contact page.
Calling all young budding poets!
4 months ago
Do you know any budding young poets who might like to take part in Saturday’s Poetry Slam (at the Library Theatre, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ)? This is part of the Birmingham Book Festival, which starts on National Poetry Day, Thursday 6th October.
The young writers will have chance to work with former Young Birmingham Poet Laureate Matt Windle, along with other young slam poets Kesha Campbell and Becki Head.
These three dynamic young poets will guide the others in creating new poems or working on existing ones on the National Poetry Day 2011 theme of ‘Games’ from 1-4pm, ready for a public performance from 4-5pm.
It is completely free to take part in and to attend, and there will be a prize for the eventual Slam winner. No poetry experience needed! Open to anyone aged 12-18.
Full Details of the event are here, on the Birmingham Book Festival’s website:
http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/slam-young-people-set-the-mic-alight-1529/
Youngsters can book a place at any time before the day by emailing joanne[at]birminghambookfestival.org or calling 0121 246 2774.
All are welcome to watch the event. You can get (free) tickets on the door, or book via the link below, or by calling Mac’s box office on 0121 446 3232.
http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/slam-young-people-set-the-mic-alight-1529/
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
|
|||||||||
Slam! Young People Set The Mic Alight
5 months ago
The Birmingham Book Festival is looking for young people aged 13+ who are interested in poetry and creative writing to get involved in a poetry slam which is taking place on Saturday 8th October 2011.
Throughout the afternoon the young budding slammers will be mentored by some of the young poets who are involved with RoguePlay’s regular Rhymes Night, including India Miller, Becki Head, Kesha Campbell and Jordan Westcarr. The afternoon will be culminated in a performance and poetry slam and the public will then vote for their favourite team.
The mentoring will take place from 1pm and the peformances will happen between 4pm – 5pm at the Library Theatre, Birmingham Central Library.
If you are interested in taking part in this event, please see the Birmingham Book Festival’s website for further details.
Writing Groups for Young Writers in Herefordshire
6 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
PowWow LitFest 2011
6 months ago
The PowWow LitFest 2011 is a day-long festival for readers and writers taking place in Moseley in Birmingham on Saturday 17th September 2011.
It is a single day packed full of interesting events and activities, and a perfect warm-up for the Birmingham Book Festival which follows three weeks later. Full details of PowWow are at http://www.thespidermonkey.co.uk/litfest/.
As part of PowWow writers are invited to enter the “So You Think You Can Write” competition, the deadline for which is 3rd September 2011. Shortlisted contestants will perform their pieces at LitFest 2011, with a chance to win eternal glory and a cash prize. If you would like to enter, these are the rules:
1. Contestants must write an original piece of fiction, on any subject, which they are able and willing to perform on stage within a five minute time limit.
2. Entries must be emailed to powwow@thespidermonkey.co.uk <mailto:powwow@thespidermonkey.co.uk> by midnight on 3rd September 2011. Entrants must hold a ticket for LitFest (tickets can be bought at http://litfest2011.eventbrite.com/) and must state their ticket number on their entry.
3. Shortlisted contestants will be invited to perform their piece at LitFest. The five minute limit will be strictly enforced. Their performance will be critiqued by a panel of judges and finalists will be selected by level of audience applause.
4. Finalists will have to write a second piece on a subject given to them on the night, and perform it. Performances will be judged as before, and the winner will receive £50 cash.
5. All shortlisted work will be published on the Pow-Wow website.
6. “So You Think You Can Write” is intended to be fun for audience and participants, and should not be taken too seriously. Entrants agree not to get upset if they are subjected to light-hearted criticism, and accept that the judgement of the organisers is final on all matters.
Good luck and good writing!
Kidderminster Write On! Writing Squad
6 months ago
by Writing West Midlands
in Events, For Aspiring Writers, For Emerging Writers, Poetry, Poetry in Performance, Theatre Writing, Writer Training, Writers in Schools and Communities, Writing by Young People, Writing for Broadcast, Writing for Film, Writing for Radio, Writing for Television, Writing in Performance, Writing West Midlands
Kidderminster Write On! Writing Squad
The Writing Squad for Young Writers in Kidderminster and Worcestershire
Kidderminster Library will be hosting a new group for young people aged 12 to 16 who are interested in creative writing – poems, plays, stories or songs! The Kidderminster Writing Squad will be led by professional writer Ian MacLeod and help young people develop their skills and learn about being a writer. The group will meet monthly on Saturdays from 2pm to 4pm, with sessions on 24th September, 15th October, 26th November and 10th December 2011 and on into 2012. There will be a session charge of £16 for these first 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.
The Kidderminster Write On! Writing Squad is a project of Writing West Midlands. www.writingwestmidlands.org
In association with Worcestershire County Council’s Libraries and Learning Service. www.worcestershire.gov.uk/libraries