New Writing North Newsletters

Just received the latest newsletters and thought I would share this with my followers as there are some interesting events planned in September/October:

21 August 2013 The Listening Post

Chris Ryan: Masters of War White Swan Centre, Killingworth: Tuesday 3 September, 7pm Former SAS soldier and bestselling author Chris Ryan will be at Waterstones to discuss his latest adventure novel, Masters of War. Tickets: £6 from any North Tyneside library or from the branch. For more information, see www.waterstones.com. Library Lates: A Taste of Canada Gateshead Central Library: Thursday 5 September, 7.30pm A popular after-hours journey through the history and culture of Canada with Gateshead Library. Tickets: £3. To book go to www.gateshead.gov.uk/whatson or call 0191 433 8420. George Goodwin: Fatal Rivalry Tea & Tipple, Corbridge: Friday 6 September, 7pm Join author George Goodwin and Forum Books for an illustrated talk about his new book, Fatal Rivalry. Published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden, the book is a terrific account of the rivalry that led to war and the biggest, bloodiest Anglo-Scottish battle: Flodden, 9 September 1513. Tickets: £5 (includes welcome drink) from Forum Books, Corbridge, tel 01434 632931. Douglas Pocock: The Story of Durham Waterstones, Durham: Saturday 7 September, 1pm-3pm Douglas Pocock will be in store signing copies of The Story of Durham, a beautifully illustrated book exploring the popular history of the city. For further details call 0191 383 1488. Katrina Porteous and Peter Zinovieff: Edge Centre For Life (Planetarium), Newcastle: Sunday 8 September, 4pm Edge is a confluence of science and art, using sound data collected from the solar system to explore themes of chaos and cosmos. The performance will be recorded for later broadcast by BBC Radio 4. Tickets: £3. For more details go to www.life.org.uk/whats-on/edge or call 0191 243 8223. ARCADE Scratch Night ARC, Stockton: Wednesday 11 September, 7pm ARCADE Scratch Nights showcase the best in North East talent, with artists showing their work in progress for audience feedback. The Meerkat Theatre Company presents a ‘Christmas show for grown-ups’ with The Magic Hour and OddManOut have an extract from Allison Davies’ debut play Weather to Fly. Tickets: £3. For more information and to book, see www.arconline.co.uk. Hillary Smith: All the Leaves of the Tree Bishop Auckland Town Hall: Wednesday 11 September, 7.30pm Hillary Smith, a member of the Wear Valley Writers group, talks about her first novel, All the Leaves of the Tree, the story of one family’s journey from the Isle of Skye to a new life. Admission free. For more information, go to www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk. Fictional Detectives and the Real World Lit & Phil, Newcastle: Thursday 12 September, 7pm From Inspector Lestrade to Inspector Rebus, policemen and detectives are a common sight in crime novels. Are their rule-breaking ends-justify-the-means antics believable though? Retired Detective Chief Inspector John Halstead considers whether any of them might make it in the real world? North East People’s Assembly Day Northern Stage, Newcastle: 14 September, 10am-4.30pm & 6.30pm-9pm Music, comedy and poetry from performers Martin Figura, Kate Fox and Andy Croft. Includes a piece by dramatist Lee Hall, as well as poet WN Herbert’s satirical ballad The Blazing Grater: or the Olympic torch comes to Tyneside. Go to https://nepeoplesassembly.eventbrite.co.uk to book. Tickets: £6/£3. Meet Martin King Waterstones, Leeds: Saturday 14 September, 11am-1pm Children’s fiction author Martin King is back signing copies of his thrilling Jack Hunter series, including the latest release, Jack Hunter: Secret of the King. For more information, see www.waterstones.com. Crime and Cupcakes with Rebecca Jenkins Whickham Library, Gateshead: Thursday 19 September, 2pm Meet local historical crime writer Rebecca Jenkins to find out more about her work. There will also be cupcakes in honour of National Cupcake Week. Tickets: £3. For more details or to book go to www.gateshead.gov.uk/whatson or call 0191 433 8420. An afternoon of crime with Bea Davenport Hartlepool Central Library: Wednesday 25 September, 2pm Author Bea Davenport talks about her debut novel, In Too Deep. Admission free but booking recommended. To book, tel 01429 272905 or find more information at www.whatshappeninghartlepool.com.   Deadline for October’s Listening Post The next edition of The Listening Post covering October's literature events will go out in late September. If you have events that you would like to submit for inclusion, send your information by 20 September 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. 30 August 2013 News from New Writing North   Young people at heart of Durham Book Festival This year the Durham Book Festival is looking forward to reading, writing and thinking about poetry for National Poetry Day on 3 October. As part of the celebration, the festival is delighted to welcome back former Festival Laureate Simon Armitage, one of Britain’s best-loved poets, novelists and memoirists, on Wednesday 2 October at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School. Simon will be reading extracts from his work and talking about his latest publications. The festival will also be hosting a Schools Day on 2 October at Durham Johnston school, at which writers will be talking to young people. Debi Gliori, author and illustrator of No Matter What and What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?, will be there at 9.45am to launch her new picture book character: The Tobermory Cat. At 11am author and illustrator Nick Sharratt will be encouraging his audience to get creative, as well as treating them to some live drawing. And in the afternoon, Dan Smith will be reading from his new children’s novel set during World War II, My Friend the Enemy. There are many more events – over 60 this year, including a number of free events – so have a look at the full programme and book tickets at www.durhambookfestival.com. Cuckoo adds Alnwick to new season of workshops for young writers As the summer draws to a close, we’re starting to gear up for the new season of Cuckoo Young Writers groups, which return on Saturday 7 September from 11am-1pm at Newcastle Central Library and Queen’s Hall, Hexham. We are also starting a new group at Alnwick Playhouse, so if you are aged between 12-19, like writing, and fancy working with professional writers to develop your work as well as meeting other like-minded young people, this could be the place for you. To join up or for more information, email laura@newwritingnorth.com. Thanks to a generous grant from the D’Oyly Carte Trust, we will shortly be establishing a Cuckoo Young Writers programme in Sunderland – watch this space for more details. People Catherine Graham at Merseyside poetry fest If you’re over in the North West next month, don’t miss Newcastle poet Catherine Graham, who will be reading from her first full collection, Things I Will Put In My Mother’s Pocket, at The Merseyside International Poetry Festival on Saturday 21 September. More details at www.poetrykit.org. In the north Rebecca Muddiman and Helen Cadbury: Law and Disorder Easingwold Market Place: Saturday 7 September, 5pm-6.30pm The Cut-Price Bookstore, Helmsley: Saturday 28 September, 2pm-5pm Northern Crime Novel Competition 2012 winners Rebecca Muddiman and Helen Cadbury hit the road in September to read from their debut novels, Stolen and To Catch a Rabbit, both published by Moth. You’ll be able to test their own knowledge of their books in a quiz with a difference and sit back and enjoy a sneak preview of their second novels, being aired in public for the very first time. Try your hand at a competition to win a copy of their books and there’ll be a chance to buy your own signed copies of Rebecca’s Stolen and Helen’s To Catch a Rabbit. For more information, see www.mothpublishing.com. Opportunities Not So Noble Books seeks fiction authors Ebook publisher Not So Noble Books is looking for submissions from fiction authors. Founded by academic Erik Empson and artist Jasper Joffe, Not So Noble has published Lee Olds, Ann Abrams and Patricia Keyson and are currently accepting submissions in the romance, horror, crime and thriller genres. To find out how to submit, go to www.radicaleyes.it/notsonoblebooks/publish.htm. Submit a play to the HighTide Festival IdeasTap is giving two playwrights the chance to have their play produced at the HighTide Festival in Suffolk during May 2015 and to receive a research and development week with HighTide’s artistic director Steven Atkinson. The brief is for bold, full-length plays conceived for live performance. For more information, see www.ideastap.com. Deadline for submissions: Monday 30 September. Mslexia Novel Competition deadline approaches Women novelists who want to enter the Mslexia Novel Competition need to get scribbling. The competition is open to unpublished women novelists writing in any genre. The first prize is £5,000, with the three finalists given free professional feedback from The Literary Consultancy and the 12 authors shortlisted for the competition invited to a special networking event in London. For more information on how to enter visit www.mslexia.co.uk/novelcompetition, email novel@mslexia.co.uk or call 0191 204 8860. Deadline for entries: 23 September. Artists’ international development fund open for submissions The programme offers freelance and self-employed artists in England opportunities to build links with artists, organisations and/or creative producers in another country. To find out more about the fund and previous successful projects, see www.artscouncil.org.uk. Deadline for applications: Friday 4 October, 5pm. Jobs The Poetry School: Finance officer (part-time) The Poetry School is looking for an exceptional financial administrator to lead in the management and administration of financial systems. The successful candidate will be a highly organised individual, able to hit the ground running and used to juggling multiple and competing priorities. For more information, see www.poetryschool.com. Deadline for applications: Wednesday 4 September. English PEN: Head of programmes The successful applicant will take responsibility for the charity’s literary education and translation programmes, as well supporting the director of fundraising, strategic initiatives and business planning. English PEN is looking for a dynamic individual with a successful track record in arts education and experience in management. To apply, go to www.englishpen.org/about/staff-vacancies/. Deadline for applications: Friday 13 September, 5pm. Southbank Centre: Research officer The UK’s largest arts centre is looking for a research officer to support the head of development operations, develop and sustain an effective and successful research function, and prepare the information on which to base the effective identification, cultivation and solicitation of donors, sponsors and funders. To find out more about the position, see https://southbank.irecruittotal.com/cac/home.aspx and browse current vacancies. Deadline for applications: 8 September. Royal Borough of Greenwich: Head of culture and tourism The Royal Borough of Greenwich has a reputation as one of the UK’s top destinations for tourism, arts and culture. They are looking for a dedicated individual to lead on a programme of tourism and arts projects, including London’s largest tall ships event in 25 years. To apply, go to www.greenwichseniorrecruitment.com/. Deadline for applications: Sunday 8 September. Courses and workshops Behaviour management and youth arts BALTIC, Gateshead: 24 September, 10.30am-4.45pm This course is part of the Artsplan professional development programme and is aimed at improving skills, knowledge and experience in order to develop an understanding of behaviour management and takes a look at the issues and barriers that are faced when undertaking youth arts projects. Fee: £75. For more information, contact rachel@artswork.org.uk or call 02380 332491.