Archive for 2007

Announcing a new anthology, working title "the new anthology". The previous anthology published by Willesden Writers' Group won first prize in the national Arts Council England/Raymond Williams award. Here's what you need to know, a proclamation by order of the most high Secretary:

1. Closing date is 5pm Wednesday October 31^st. If we don't receive your entry by then, it ain't going in the book, no matter how good it is.

2. Entries will be accepted from both present and past members of the group.

3. Entries can be in the form of a short story, a chapter of a book, poetry or any other form of creative writing.

4. You can submit up to 3 poems (up to 50 lines each) and/or 2 pieces of prose up to 4,000 words.

5. Entries must be typed on A4 paper, double spaced and handed in at the Writers Group on a Thursday. If you are not able to get to the writers group, then please email your submission to mullaneanne@aol.com.

6. Please feel free to come along between now and Oct 31^st in order to get feedback from the group on the piece you are working on for submission.

7. If your work is accepted for inclusion, we will then require it in a form that can be downloaded onto a computer i.e. sent online or via a floppy disk.

8. If you wish your manuscript and/or floppy disk returned to you, you must either pick it up from the workshop after the judging, or enclose an SAE with your submission.

9. By sending in a submission you are agreeing to your work being edited and also to it being published in the new anthology, however, you retain copyright.

10. Successful submissions will be notified in the New Year, the judges' decision is final.

11. Don't forget to put your name, address and contact details on your entry!

May the best be included and may you get painful whitlows if you send in rubbish.

Guests and 5-minute story slam, suggested theme "Respect". Come to listen and enjoy in our 1002^nd Arabian Night tent, or enter the slam.

You can come just to listen and enjoy or if you wish to enter the slam, please write a 5-minute story and come to Roundwood Park in London NW10 on Sunday, July 8^th after 5pm, and put your name in the hat. Yes a real hat. And a real bell will ensure that you don't go over 5 minutes, if your name is pulled from the hat. And a real literary belle, multi-award winning author Vanessa Gebbie, will pick the winner (guided by the shouts and hollers of your mates). Please copy or forward this announcement to as many people you know as might be interested.

But First

Starting at 5 p.m. we're going to whip the crowd up into a stupor before the slam starts with readings from local writers and special guests. There will be contributors from Willesden Writers Workshop. There will be some poetry from poets in the "Last Night's Dream Corrected" anthology. The "Willesden Herald: New Short Stories" crew with multiple award-winning writers Vanessa Gebbie, Jonathan Attrill and Bilal Ghafoor will lead up to some time about 6:30 p.m. perhaps.

About 6:30 p.m. the contents of the hat will be inspected and this is where your name should be - in the hat - if you want to win the Respect Festival 5-minute short story slam. Names will be pulled from the hat and called in turn to read. The five-minute time will be strictly enforced with the aid of a great clanging bell (a small tinkling one really).

The Slam

We'll take as many 5-minute stories as we can before 7:20-ish (bearing in mind we have to close at 7:30 p.m.) and then Vanessa Gebbie will choose the winner. The judge might be somewhat influenced by rowdy clapping and cheering by the crowd. (There better be a crowd, then.) If there are several all deserving of winning, the one most appropriate for the Respect festival day may be favoured. So, we're not telling you to write on the theme "Respect", but if you do, it won't do you any harm at all (hint, hint).

Brent Respect 2007
The Storytelling Tent, Roundwood Park, NW10
Sunday July 8th, 5 to 7:30 pm

Click here for Brent Respect Festival Programme 2007 including illustrated map of Roundwood Park and the Festival tents, stages, bars etc. (If you come early you can enjoy the whole Sunday starting from 2 p.m.)

This event is also listed as part of the London Literature Festival fringe "London Lit Plus" - so you get to say "I read at the London Literature Festival fringe. C'mon! Wot?

In the News

London's book festival acquires a fringe
"First ever" London literature festival announced
London Literature Festival 2007
London Lit Plus Festival listing for this event

Links

Brent Respect 2007
Willesden Green Writers
RISE: London United Against Racism
London Lit Plus Festival
New Short Stories

Two poems by Daljit Nagra (mp3)

We were honoured to have the celebrated poet Daljit Nagra as special guest in the Metrowords festival Willesden Writers Group event. He read with great gusto and good humour, alternating loud and humourous poems with quieter, touchingly sad ones. The publishers will only allow us to podcast two of the poems, and I have chosen "In a White Town" and "Darling & Me!", very reluctantly having to leave out the other equally brilliant ones, which you can read in Look We Have Coming to Dover! (Faber, 2007).

• Subscribe to this podcast series in iTunes (free)
• this feed to your own podcast software

1. Welcome and intros (Stephen Moran)
2. Jeff Achampong reading from a novel-in-progress, working title "Haemoglobin S".
3. Lynsey Rose reads two poems and an excerpt from newly completed novel.
4. Claudette Gordon reads four new poems.
5. Elle Ludkin reads love poems and a journal about a loved one's battle with cancer.
6. Stephen Moran reads five poems: "To the People of New Earth", "Willesden Sunset, January", "Lines Between Day and Night", "The Dolls' Hospital" and "Inisheer".
7. Dale Arndell reads a short story.
8. (At last!) Daljit Nagra, reading from "Look We Have Coming to Dover!"

WILLESDEN GREEN WRITERS' WORKSHOP
WITH SPECIAL GUEST DALJIT NAGRA
Willesden Green Library, Thursday, 24th May 8 - 10 pm

Local poet Daljit, has achieved the almost un-precedented feat of having his first volume of poetry published by Faber & Faber, Britain’s leading publisher of poetry. His collection is called, ‘Look we have coming to Dover!’ and many of the poems revel in the linguistic quirks of the British Asian scene.

Members of the Willesden Green Writers’ Workshop, whose anthology, ‘The Monkey’s Typewriter’, won the Arts Council’s coveted Raymond Williams prize in 2005, will be joined by Daljit for an exciting evening of poetry and prose.

BOOKS ON SALE, REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED AND IT’S FREE!

Poster

Metrowords & New Short Stories

Due to a misplaced sixth zero, printers delivered ten times too many copies of the Arts Council award-winning anthology "The Monkey's Typewriter". After a failure of sense of humour on the part of the delivery man, several people have been immured in their homes behind walls of boxes. Please help rescue them by taking one of the books, gratis. (Request details)

This week's workshop will most likely be downstairs in the room near the security desk / Brent museum area. It's because upstairs is hosting an evening with Stella Duffy, which will be too noisy for us. Not sure how noisy she...er, let's not go there. Then again, ours might be too noisy. Unless we're doing that silent reading thing again.

From the propaganda secretary

For years people have sneered at me for living in Willesden. Imagine how I happy I was then, when yesterday the storm wreaked havoc, death and destruction... almost all my work colleagues had trouble getting home... and they were green-eyed with jealousy when they realised that my beloved Jubilee line was still working.

On the other hand, I did get mugged on my way home from the tube.

Please return to "Willesden Green Writers: News" for the latest news about workshops and events.