News from New Writing North: 27 January 2012
New Writing North news
Cuckoo Quarterly Issue 2 published today
Cuckoo Quarterly, the new literary magazine created, written and edited entirely by young people, has had a phenomenal success with its first edition, which launched in October.
The editorial team has also been delighted with the wide range of submissions they received for issue 2, from as far away as India, the USA and Nigeria, some of which are featured in the issue, which is published today online.
Cuckoo Quarterly features writing of all forms, from poetry and short stories to periodicals, op-eds, interviews and reviews. It also features a regular “rant” section, where young people can vent their frustration on a topic of their choice.
Issue 2 includes an interview with writer and broadcaster Jon Ronson, who spoke to 15-year-old journalist Dani Watson. In the interview, Ronson supports the online magazine, and urges other young writers to contribute: “When I was about seventeen I started writing for my college newspaper,” he says. “And even though anyone could write for it I think it’s really important to get your writing printed, because it’s something concrete that other people can read. My advice is to keep writing and publishing it on the internet so other people can read it.”
You can read Issue 2 of Cuckoo Quarterly at www.cuckooquarterly.com where you can also find details of how to submit your work for Issue 3. The deadline for submissions is 28 March.
Peter Straughan picks up Oscar nomination
Congratulations to New Writing North alumnus Peter Straughan who along with his late partner, Bridget O’Connor, has been nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay adaptation of John le Carre’s Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy.
Peter was one of the first writers whose career New Writing North helped along. He won the People’s Play competition (as could you – see below) many years ago and from that auspicious start went on to write for Live Theatre, to win the BBC Alfred Bradley award and to be commissioned by many other producers. Bridget was a Northern Arts Literary Fellow in the late Nineties in Newcastle and a great friend of New Writing North. Their co-writing career saw them working on many projects together for film production companies such as Working Title.
The 84th Academy Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 26 February and we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed as Peter battles it out with the likes of Alexander Payne for The Descendants, John Logan for Hugo and Aaron Sorkin for Moneyball.
Workshops for young writers in South Shields
Do you know a young person who loves to write and lives south of the river? You might like to bring them along to the day of mini-workshops we’ll be holding at South Shields Museum on 11 February. The day will comprise four 45-minute sessions, covering everything from vampire fiction to journalism. The sessions will run between 11am-4pm; young people aged between 11-18 can come along for the full day or drop in for a single workshop. All sessions are free to attend. For programme details and to book a place, email laura@newwritingnorth.com or phone 0191 233 3852.
Enter your work for the Northern Writers’ Award or People’s Play Award
Just a reminder that both these awards schemes are open to submissions at the moment. Click for full details:
Northern Writers’ Awards (deadline 20 April)
People’s Play Award (deadline 31 May)
Journal short stories reminder
As always, we’re welcoming submissions for our weekly short story slot with the Newcastle Journal. You can view some of the stories already published at www.newwritingnorth.com/allstories.html and submit any stories you might have to laura@newwritingnorth.com. Please note, this scheme is only open to writers in the North East.
Cuckoo Quarterly, the new literary magazine created, written and edited entirely by young people, has had a phenomenal success with its first edition, which launched in October.
The editorial team has also been delighted with the wide range of submissions they received for issue 2, from as far away as India, the USA and Nigeria, some of which are featured in the issue, which is published today online.
Cuckoo Quarterly features writing of all forms, from poetry and short stories to periodicals, op-eds, interviews and reviews. It also features a regular “rant” section, where young people can vent their frustration on a topic of their choice.
Issue 2 includes an interview with writer and broadcaster Jon Ronson, who spoke to 15-year-old journalist Dani Watson. In the interview, Ronson supports the online magazine, and urges other young writers to contribute: “When I was about seventeen I started writing for my college newspaper,” he says. “And even though anyone could write for it I think it’s really important to get your writing printed, because it’s something concrete that other people can read. My advice is to keep writing and publishing it on the internet so other people can read it.”
You can read Issue 2 of Cuckoo Quarterly at www.cuckooquarterly.com where you can also find details of how to submit your work for Issue 3. The deadline for submissions is 28 March.
Peter Straughan picks up Oscar nomination
Congratulations to New Writing North alumnus Peter Straughan who along with his late partner, Bridget O’Connor, has been nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay adaptation of John le Carre’s Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy.
Peter was one of the first writers whose career New Writing North helped along. He won the People’s Play competition (as could you – see below) many years ago and from that auspicious start went on to write for Live Theatre, to win the BBC Alfred Bradley award and to be commissioned by many other producers. Bridget was a Northern Arts Literary Fellow in the late Nineties in Newcastle and a great friend of New Writing North. Their co-writing career saw them working on many projects together for film production companies such as Working Title.
The 84th Academy Awards will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 26 February and we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed as Peter battles it out with the likes of Alexander Payne for The Descendants, John Logan for Hugo and Aaron Sorkin for Moneyball.
Workshops for young writers in South Shields
Do you know a young person who loves to write and lives south of the river? You might like to bring them along to the day of mini-workshops we’ll be holding at South Shields Museum on 11 February. The day will comprise four 45-minute sessions, covering everything from vampire fiction to journalism. The sessions will run between 11am-4pm; young people aged between 11-18 can come along for the full day or drop in for a single workshop. All sessions are free to attend. For programme details and to book a place, email laura@newwritingnorth.com or phone 0191 233 3852.
Enter your work for the Northern Writers’ Award or People’s Play Award
Just a reminder that both these awards schemes are open to submissions at the moment. Click for full details:
Northern Writers’ Awards (deadline 20 April)
People’s Play Award (deadline 31 May)
Journal short stories reminder
As always, we’re welcoming submissions for our weekly short story slot with the Newcastle Journal. You can view some of the stories already published at www.newwritingnorth.com/allstories.html and submit any stories you might have to laura@newwritingnorth.com. Please note, this scheme is only open to writers in the North East.
People
Steve’s HighLites returns to Radio 4
Most people go to the hairdressers to feel better about themselves. Not if they’ve been to HighLites. The comedy in five appointments is written by North East writer Steve Chambers and Phil Nodding, and features Bev (Lorraine Ashbourne) who resorts to desperate measures to save the salon. HighLites is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from Monday 13-Friday 17 February, 10.45am-11am, with a repeat at 7.45pm. As a special treat, the original 45 minute version is rebroadcast on Friday 10 February, at 2.15pm.
Most people go to the hairdressers to feel better about themselves. Not if they’ve been to HighLites. The comedy in five appointments is written by North East writer Steve Chambers and Phil Nodding, and features Bev (Lorraine Ashbourne) who resorts to desperate measures to save the salon. HighLites is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from Monday 13-Friday 17 February, 10.45am-11am, with a repeat at 7.45pm. As a special treat, the original 45 minute version is rebroadcast on Friday 10 February, at 2.15pm.
In the North East
Nominations open for Journal Culture Awards
The annual Journal Culture Awards for events and artists in the North East is currently open for nominations. You can nominate any artist, writer, event, performance or exhibition which particularly impressed you in 2011. Entries are open until Friday 3 February. For more details and to nominate, see www.journallive.co.uk/culture-newcastle/culture-awards/.
Book groups at Barter Books, Alnwick
Live near Alnwick and looking for a book group? Now in its eighth year, the Barter Books Book Group is facilitated by Rosemary Hartill, a former BBC news correspondent and presenter of the BBC World Service books programme. The group covers mostly UK and international fiction, but also non-fiction, and occasionally poetry and drama. Two separate groups meet once a month in Barter Books from 7pm-9pm – one group meets on a Tuesday, another on a Monday. Cost: £25 autumn term (four books); £30 spring term (five books). For more information about the book group, contact John Walsh at john@barterbooks.co.uk.
North East writers selected for Jesting About scheme
Over 600 comedy scripts and sketches were submitted for Jesting About, the BBC North/NFM North East-focused initiative which gives performers, writers and filmmakers the opportunity to pitch to BBC comedy commissioners. From these entries, 31 individuals have been selected to take part. Candidates were selected by a panel of BBC commissioners and include Game of Thrones actor Ben Crompton, Teesside brothers James and Jack Boughen, and Lesley Gair, who recently left a career in retail to concentrate on writing and whose partner John Scott has also been selected. The successful applicants will attend workshops and receive support from BBC commissioners, executive producers and on-screen talent to develop their ideas into pilots over the next three months. For a full list of the writers selected and more information, see www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2012/01/jesting-about-2---the-results.shtml.
The annual Journal Culture Awards for events and artists in the North East is currently open for nominations. You can nominate any artist, writer, event, performance or exhibition which particularly impressed you in 2011. Entries are open until Friday 3 February. For more details and to nominate, see www.journallive.co.uk/culture-newcastle/culture-awards/.
Book groups at Barter Books, Alnwick
Live near Alnwick and looking for a book group? Now in its eighth year, the Barter Books Book Group is facilitated by Rosemary Hartill, a former BBC news correspondent and presenter of the BBC World Service books programme. The group covers mostly UK and international fiction, but also non-fiction, and occasionally poetry and drama. Two separate groups meet once a month in Barter Books from 7pm-9pm – one group meets on a Tuesday, another on a Monday. Cost: £25 autumn term (four books); £30 spring term (five books). For more information about the book group, contact John Walsh at john@barterbooks.co.uk.
North East writers selected for Jesting About scheme
Over 600 comedy scripts and sketches were submitted for Jesting About, the BBC North/NFM North East-focused initiative which gives performers, writers and filmmakers the opportunity to pitch to BBC comedy commissioners. From these entries, 31 individuals have been selected to take part. Candidates were selected by a panel of BBC commissioners and include Game of Thrones actor Ben Crompton, Teesside brothers James and Jack Boughen, and Lesley Gair, who recently left a career in retail to concentrate on writing and whose partner John Scott has also been selected. The successful applicants will attend workshops and receive support from BBC commissioners, executive producers and on-screen talent to develop their ideas into pilots over the next three months. For a full list of the writers selected and more information, see www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2012/01/jesting-about-2---the-results.shtml.
Opportunities
Bursary on offer for responses to new play, Snookered
Tamasha Theatre Company is offering the opportunity for an artist(s) to present a response to Snookered, a new play by Teesside writer Ishy Din, as part of their Small Lives, Global Ties season. The opportunity is open to actors, directors, writers, film-makers or groups of artists presenting a piece of writing, performance poetry, actors’ response etc. The work will be presented on the TDA Networking night at The Bush Theatre, London, in the auditorium on the Snookered set on Monday 5 March before the show (6pm-6.45pm). To apply, see www.tamasha.org.uk. Deadline: 30 January.
International Students’ Short Story Competition
Run by Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts (NCLA), the competition aims to attract outstanding work which explores the experience of international and EU students living and studying in the UK and to give students an opportunity to assess and translate their experience creatively. Entrants can write about any aspect of their experience of studying abroad. The first prize is £1,000 and the entries will be judged by author Tahmina Anam. For more information, see www.ncl.ac.uk/ncla/projects/competitions/isssc/. Deadline: 31 January.
Words by the Water/Mirehouse Poetry Competition 2012
The Mirehouse Poetry Prize is given to celebrate Mirehouse’s longstanding literary connections with writers including Wordsworth, Southey, Tennyson, Fitzgerald, Carlyle and Thackeray. The competition theme (to be interpreted freely) is: “There is no joy but calm” (Tennyson). The judge this year will be Helen Dunmore and first prize is £350. In addition the prize-winning poem and eight highly commended poems will be displayed on the Mirehouse Poetry Walk and appear on the website. The eight highly commended poets will also receive a box of new books with a value of £100. For more information, see www.newwritingcumbria.org.uk/words-by-the-water-competitions-open-for-entries/. Deadline: 10 February.
Submissions sought for Vintage Script magazine
Vintage Script magazine is seeking writers from the North East to submit articles and short stories on historical themes for its spring edition. If you have a story or article for the magazine, see www.vintagescript.co.uk for details of how to submit your work. Deadline: 13 March.
Tamasha Theatre Company is offering the opportunity for an artist(s) to present a response to Snookered, a new play by Teesside writer Ishy Din, as part of their Small Lives, Global Ties season. The opportunity is open to actors, directors, writers, film-makers or groups of artists presenting a piece of writing, performance poetry, actors’ response etc. The work will be presented on the TDA Networking night at The Bush Theatre, London, in the auditorium on the Snookered set on Monday 5 March before the show (6pm-6.45pm). To apply, see www.tamasha.org.uk. Deadline: 30 January.
International Students’ Short Story Competition
Run by Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts (NCLA), the competition aims to attract outstanding work which explores the experience of international and EU students living and studying in the UK and to give students an opportunity to assess and translate their experience creatively. Entrants can write about any aspect of their experience of studying abroad. The first prize is £1,000 and the entries will be judged by author Tahmina Anam. For more information, see www.ncl.ac.uk/ncla/projects/competitions/isssc/. Deadline: 31 January.
Words by the Water/Mirehouse Poetry Competition 2012
The Mirehouse Poetry Prize is given to celebrate Mirehouse’s longstanding literary connections with writers including Wordsworth, Southey, Tennyson, Fitzgerald, Carlyle and Thackeray. The competition theme (to be interpreted freely) is: “There is no joy but calm” (Tennyson). The judge this year will be Helen Dunmore and first prize is £350. In addition the prize-winning poem and eight highly commended poems will be displayed on the Mirehouse Poetry Walk and appear on the website. The eight highly commended poets will also receive a box of new books with a value of £100. For more information, see www.newwritingcumbria.org.uk/words-by-the-water-competitions-open-for-entries/. Deadline: 10 February.
Submissions sought for Vintage Script magazine
Vintage Script magazine is seeking writers from the North East to submit articles and short stories on historical themes for its spring edition. If you have a story or article for the magazine, see www.vintagescript.co.uk for details of how to submit your work. Deadline: 13 March.
Jobs
Creative writing fellowships at UEA
Time is running out if you are planning to apply for the Charles Pick Fellowship or the Charles Pick Fellowship for South Asian writers at UEA. Fellows are resident at the University of East Anglia for six months and receive an award of £10,000. For application documents visit www.uea.ac.uk/lit/fellowships, call 01603 592286 or email charlespickfellowship@uea.ac.uk. Deadline: 31 January.
Cove Park residencies
Applications are welcomed for Cove Park’s crafts, literature and visual arts residency programmes in 2012. These opportunities are open to emerging and established national and international artists. Application guidelines for all artforms are now available at http://covepark.org/apply-or-book. Deadline: 3 February.
Producer needed at Open Clasp
As one of the Arts Council’s new National Portfolio Organisations, women’s theatre company Open Clasp is seeking an experienced producer to consolidate and build upon its achievements. The company is looking for a female producer as an important part of the role is working closely with participants, who are predominantly vulnerable women, and building relationships with these groups. The successful candidate will have experience of working within a theatre and/or community arts organisation, along with marketing and PR experience. This post also requires a proven track record of fundraising and income generation. The producer will work 21 hours a week and the wages will be £27,052-£28,636 pro rata. Click here to download an application pack. Deadline: 9 February.
Time is running out if you are planning to apply for the Charles Pick Fellowship or the Charles Pick Fellowship for South Asian writers at UEA. Fellows are resident at the University of East Anglia for six months and receive an award of £10,000. For application documents visit www.uea.ac.uk/lit/fellowships, call 01603 592286 or email charlespickfellowship@uea.ac.uk. Deadline: 31 January.
Cove Park residencies
Applications are welcomed for Cove Park’s crafts, literature and visual arts residency programmes in 2012. These opportunities are open to emerging and established national and international artists. Application guidelines for all artforms are now available at http://covepark.org/apply-or-book. Deadline: 3 February.
Producer needed at Open Clasp
As one of the Arts Council’s new National Portfolio Organisations, women’s theatre company Open Clasp is seeking an experienced producer to consolidate and build upon its achievements. The company is looking for a female producer as an important part of the role is working closely with participants, who are predominantly vulnerable women, and building relationships with these groups. The successful candidate will have experience of working within a theatre and/or community arts organisation, along with marketing and PR experience. This post also requires a proven track record of fundraising and income generation. The producer will work 21 hours a week and the wages will be £27,052-£28,636 pro rata. Click here to download an application pack. Deadline: 9 February.
The Listening Post
Morden Tower benefit
The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne: Friday 27 January, 8pm
With poets Jackie Litherland, Ellen Phethean, Lars Iyer, Tom Pickard, Radikal Queen and Valerie Laws. Plus music from a whole host of people including :zoviet*france: with Rhodri Davies. All proceeds go to Morden Tower. Tickets £7 on the door or pre-book at www.wegottickets.com/event/153156. For more information, see www.mordentower.org/What.html.
The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne: Friday 27 January, 8pm
With poets Jackie Litherland, Ellen Phethean, Lars Iyer, Tom Pickard, Radikal Queen and Valerie Laws. Plus music from a whole host of people including :zoviet*france: with Rhodri Davies. All proceeds go to Morden Tower. Tickets £7 on the door or pre-book at www.wegottickets.com/event/153156. For more information, see www.mordentower.org/What.html.
Workshops and writing groups
Sagra Delle Words: a festival of words
3-10 June 2012, Lazio, Italy
A week-long creative writing course in the beautiful and idyllic Lazio region of Italy. Sagra Delle Words takes place in OZU, a residential cultural centre close to Monteleone Sabino. Through daily workshops and one to one consultations, the course aims to give you the skills and confidence needed to take your writing further. Suitable for beginners as well as experienced writers. For more information, see www.sagradellewords.wordpress.com or email sagradellewords@gmail.com.
3-10 June 2012, Lazio, Italy
A week-long creative writing course in the beautiful and idyllic Lazio region of Italy. Sagra Delle Words takes place in OZU, a residential cultural centre close to Monteleone Sabino. Through daily workshops and one to one consultations, the course aims to give you the skills and confidence needed to take your writing further. Suitable for beginners as well as experienced writers. For more information, see www.sagradellewords.wordpress.com or email sagradellewords@gmail.com.
Miscellany
Sunderland Book Project on tour
The Sunderland Book Project is a collection of artists’ books made by artists, designers, photographers and those new to books from around the world. The project is ongoing and international and will be displayed in the Tom Trusky cabinets at the Centre for Fine Print Research, University of West of England from 1 February-1 March. If you are interested in taking part in the next exhibition of the Sunderland Book Project, go to http://theresaeaston.wordpress.com/the-sunderland-book-project to download and complete an application form.
The Sunderland Book Project is a collection of artists’ books made by artists, designers, photographers and those new to books from around the world. The project is ongoing and international and will be displayed in the Tom Trusky cabinets at the Centre for Fine Print Research, University of West of England from 1 February-1 March. If you are interested in taking part in the next exhibition of the Sunderland Book Project, go to http://theresaeaston.wordpress.com/the-sunderland-book-project to download and complete an application form.
Deadline for the next newsletter
If you have news that you would like to submit for inclusion in the newsletter please contact olivia@newwritingnorth.com. The deadline for receipt of information for the next newsletter is 6 February. The edition of The Listening Post covering March’s literature events will go out in late February. If you have events that you would like to submit for inclusion, you will need to send information by 20 February to olivia@newwritingnorth.com.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is correct at the time of going to press, things do change, frequently at the last minute and very often without our knowledge.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is correct at the time of going to press, things do change, frequently at the last minute and very often without our knowledge.
