Writing East Midlands

One of the coolest and downright fun opportunities we've seen in a while - the good folks at Nottingham Playhouse are looking for a playwright to create a script for their new production of Pinocchio - aimed at younger children.
What an invitation - deadline for applications June 3rd.
http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/…/ nottingham-playhous…/

For those of you working on your Aurora submissions this weekend, some inspiration...
"Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper."
Ray Bradbury
... http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/auro ra-prize-for-writ…/
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Apples and Snakes is one of England's leading spoken word poetry organisations, supporting poets all over the country - and they are looking a Producer to join their team in the East Midlands.
This is a wonderful opportunity to help shape the poetry landscape in the region. All the information is below:
http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/…/ apples-and-snakes-p…/

Great news folks - tickets for the Newark Book Festival are now on sale!
Dozens of events are taking place from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th July - featuring critically acclaimed authors such as Alison Moore, Diana Evans, Mahsuda Snaith & Gavin Extense.
All the info and booking, is here:... http://www.newarkbookfestival.org.uk
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The Aurora Prize for Writing 2019 is open for submissions of short-fiction and poetry until Wednesday 26th June.
1st prize - in both categories - £500, literary agent critique and year-long membership to The Society of Authors.
Judges - for short fiction: Booker Prize Nominee, Alison Moore and for poetry: Seamus Heaney Centre Prize Nominee, Malika Booker.
... You keep promising yourself that you're going to do something with your writing. Time to keep that promise!
http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/auro ra-prize-for-writ…/
Lincoln Book Festival The Society of Authors Arts Council England
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TIME’S RUNNING OUT ON @CreativeF_uture’s #CFWA19 FREE writing competition for #underrepresented #writers! Theme: HOME. Over £10k of prizes. Deadline 2 June 2019. Don’t miss out!
https://literary.creativefuture.org.uk/cr eative-future-wri…/ #amwriting #diversevoices

“A fine children’s book is as important and worthwhile as any kind of literature, and maybe more so."
How do you turn kids into bookworms? A fine question, a fine article - and who doesn't want to read Featherbrains?
https://www.theguardian.com/…/how-do-yo u-turn-kids-into-boo…

Notts poet Richard C Bower will be at Waterstones Nottingham on Thursday 23rd May. Richard has performed across the UK, appeared on London radio & performed alongside musical artists including The Specials, James & Eddie Reader.
Info here: http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/…/ an-evening-with-ric…/

It's really not long until Derby Book Festival begins!
From 31st May until 8th June a whole host of writers, poets, historians, politicians, illustrators, storytellers and musicians descend on the city (or emerge from within it) to deliver an array of events.
There's something for everyone - unless you generally hate books and writing, in which case... eat some cake instead.
... Head to the link below to find out what's on: http://www.derbybookfestival.co.uk/whats- on
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Did you know? Aurora Prize winners will receive their prize on stage at Lincoln Book Festival this September!
Poets will receive their prize from Malika Booker & short fiction winners by Alison Moore.
1st prize (in both categories): £500, agent critique and The Society of Authors membership and career development session.
... Submissions deadline Wed 26th June.
Writing West Midlands Spread the Word Literature Works Commonword @NationalCentreforWriting New Writing North New Writing South
http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/auro ra-prize-for-writ…/
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The WEM List - May 2019 - Niblets of news, events and opportunities from our fair region https://mailchi.mp/writingeastmidlands/th e-wem-list-may-2019

The average UK writer earns about 10k, but the average writer's household income is over 80k.
Books are so much more than pretty things on a shelf - they help to shape the people and the country we are.
If the books are all written by one group of people, it is only their voices that get to define that shape.
... That is wrong.
https://www.theguardian.com/…/writing-r isk-becoming-elitist…
The Society of Authors
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Poets of Nottingham, you couldn't ask for a finer invitation than this. Give that frothy coffee a wide birth this afternoon and use the three quid to go and write yourself a poem...

A stolen day tomorrow! Time to work on your Aurora Prize submissions?
You could be on stage at Lincoln Book Festival this September accepting your £500 prize, arranging your agent critique and setting up your The Society of Authors membership!
You can't win if you don't enter.... http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/auro ra-prize-for-writ…/
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The wonderful Mahsuda Snaith is at Beeston Library on May 9th, to talk about her newly-published second novel How to Find Home, which tells the story of a homeless woman who goes on a Wizard of Oz style adventure from Notts to Skegness
Tickets £5 - http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/…/ book-club-live-with…/

Tomorrow morning, at Derby Theatre, there is a delicious Script Writing Workshop for 14-25 year-olds, as part of Connections Festival 2019.
It's only £4.50 and it aims to equip you with skills for creating content, developing plot and dialogue, and identifying your voice as a writer.
Great value! Info here:... http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/…/ script-writing-work…/
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More on Common People from Kit De Waal...

This Friday evening, Five Leaves Bookshop are celebrating the launch of Common People: An Anthology of Working Class Writers, edited by Kit De Waal
Two of the featured writers - Anita Sethi and Jodie 'Russian' Red - will discuss how it came to be published and read from their pieces in the book.
Common People is a collection of essays,poems and memoir written in celebration, not apology: these are narratives rich in barbed humour, reflecting the depth and texture of working-...class life, the joy and sorrow, the solidarity and the differences.
http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/…/ common-people-an-an…/
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