Commonword newsletters

 Details of The Moss Side Festival and more:

Events and Opportunities from Commonword   25th October 2022   Message from our Co-Artistic Director Dear Commonword Writer, When I first came to Manchester, I was lucky enough to live in Moss Side, and five minutes away, at the Greenheys Centre, Lemn Sissay was running Identity writing workshops for Global Majority writers, every week. Five minutes from my house. That was 1988. I would never have believed I’d get to work for the organisation I love so much, which got my career started. To honour our decades-long connection to Manchester’s iconic Moss Side neighbourhoods, we’re having a pilot festival on 5th November at Moss Side Powerhouse Library, from 12 noon – 5 pm. If you’d like to take part in the Festival, we’re running workshops on monologues and community singing in the lead-up to the day. You can discover the full festival programme in the newsletter below. I look forward to seeing many of you at this celebration of creativity and community - Cheryl Martin   For updates: website www.cultureword.org.uk twitter @cultureword facebook (facebook.com/culturewordcommonword)   Moss Side Festival     2 weeks until the big day!   Come along to Commonword’s Moss Side Festival on the 5th November. Celebrate the joy of community, watch performances from local artists and writers and learn about the creative industries. Commonword’s Identity Writers Group first met in Moss Side in the 1980s. We have a long history of supporting writers and creatives from the area. We hope this pilot festival will be the first of many!     Festival Programme   • 12.15pm Performance from Commonword’s Community Choir (plus songs throughout the day!) • 12.30pm & 4pm Poetry, Fiction & Stage readings from InDivisible Anthology Writers This is a sneak-peek at our next anthology, new worlds and perspectives created by neurodivergent writers • 1.15pm ‘How I'm Doing It - Working in TV' with afshan d’souza lodhi (Sky Studios, National Theatre Peter Shaffer Commission) • 3.15pm  Monologue Performances from local participants (directed by Yusra Warsama) Plus, a book stall from Crocus Books & the chance to sign-up to Commonword’s creative writing workshops & book club. Tickets are free, suggested donation £5.00 Come along for the entire day (12 noon – 5 pm), or drop-in as suits you. Location: Moss Side Powerhouse Library, 140 Raby Street, Moss Side, Manchester M14 4SL   Book tickets   News     'Flight' by Identity Writers   The lovely gathering of stories, poems, songs, essays and videos continues apace.  We have launched three marvellous videos so far by Jane Adelakun, Ali Al-Jamri and Daniella Edwards – see our YouTube channel – and we have much more to come – watch the skies!   Watch Flight playlist       Tina Tamsho-Thomas collection launch   Head over to Manchester Poetry Library on Thursday 3rd November for readings from Tina Tamsho-Thomas' new collection Someone Is Missing Me. Tina is one of the founders of Commonword's Identity Writers workshop and her work has been described as 'a two-way mirror to uncomfortable truths about society' (Ian McMillan).   Click to Book       Halloween Reading from Deborah Ennis   Since 2020, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival has been building up its Goedam [Scary Tales] Archive in partnership with Bucheon, a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, by discovering and collecting scary tales that are scattered around Asia. This year the call for scary tales for the third book of “goedam” was extended to UNESCO Cities of Literature including Manchester. We are delighted to share that Commonword writer Deborah Ennis’s story ‘What Can I Do For You’ has been chosen to feature in the 2022 World Goedam collection.   Click to Read     Updates     Picture Book Project 2022   Picture Book writers received detailed 1-to-1 feedback on their proposals from Hachette Group’s Emma Layfield and are now putting the final touches to their submissions. Form those submissions, six writers will be selected for a closer look at their work by Emma and Commonword’s Co-Artistic Director, Pete Kalu. From those six, three writers’ works will go into advanced development – exciting times!     Workshops     Moss Side Festival Workshops There's still a chance to attend one, or more, of our free creative workshops at The Amani Centre in Moss Side. Community Choir with Yvonne Shelton Join Principal Hacienda Vocalist Yvonne Shelton in creating a Community Choir for Moss Side! In these workshops celebrating Black History Month, Yvonne will guide participants in singing songs from the Caribbean, Africa and spirituals from the USA. Thursdays: 27th October and 3rd November, 6-8pm   Book your place   Writing and Performing Monologues with Yusra Warsama For everyone: new writers, experienced writers, actors and those who want to try acting. In this workshop series actor and theatre practitioner Yusra Warsama will support participants in writing their own monologue, with sessions covering how to perform, how to stand, and how to hook in your audience. Fridays: 28th October and 4th November, 1-3pm   Book your place       Identity Writers Group   Identity workshop used to be one all-comers session weekly, but now you can choose between three different versions. The Open Session strand is now up and running with Clare Ramsaran as host.  We plan to have a guest spot for writers where they talk about their creative writing practice and projects – contact us if you want to be one of the guests! Our Critique Session where detailed feedback is available on work continues to go from strength to strength and its membership is attracting the attention of agents and publishers. A couple of writers in the group are close to significant deals but it’s all hush hush for now! The Novelists Group is now being expertly steered by Dr Muli Amaye and is brim-full of promise. We have sci-fi, realist, fictionalised biography, and relationship novels among the works being developed there. Much food for hungry literature readers!   Find out more       Queer Black Book Club Queer Black Book Club looks at new and classic books by queer Global Majority writers – and everything in-between. The chats are the highlight of my month – come along even if you haven’t had a chance to finish the book.  It’s that good. - Cheryl  Here are our upcoming books:  It Takes Blood and Guts by Skin from Skunk Anansi (27th October)   The title It Takes Blood And Guts has been chosen very deliberately: This isn’t a salacious tell-all confessional, it’s an origin story.  From her beginnings in late 1960s and 1970s Brixton to being the first black British woman to headline Glastonbury in 1999 as front woman in the ferocious Skunk Anansie, to the solo years and Skunk Anansie’s triumphant return, including their 2019 live album. This is the story of how a shy first generation British Jamaican girl became an alternative rock icon.  [Louder Than War ] The Body in Its Seasons by Manchester’s own Maz Hedghog (24 November) Madeleine Ekezie has done everything right: good job, a step on the housing ladder, successful friends. But she's lost, miserable and deeply lonely. When she discovers the story of The Body - a maybe mythical, definitely magical being who feeds the hungry and soothes the hurt - Maddy blows her life up to find it. https://burningeye.bigcartel.com/product/the-body-in-its-seasons-by-maz-hedgehog We’ll be taking our usual December break, and then coming back to one can’t-put-it-down book…   The Oleander Sword, by Tasha Suri (26 January) This is a story about forbidden love, about ancient nature magic and conquest set against a South Asian-inspired fantasy world, and about morally-gray lesbians burning down the patriarchy. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you are probably going to really enjoy The Oleander Sword, because Suri has really upped her game with this sequel. This is a sequel to The Jasmine Throme, which we read last year and had one of our all-time best sessions discussing.  I’ve started this and it is fab!   If you would like to attend, please email cheryl@cultureword.org.uk or join our Facebook group by clicking here. Learn more on the Book Club's webpage: www.cultureword.org.uk/services-and-workshops/queer-black-book-club-2/   More about Commonword's workshops     Jobs & Opportunities     Comma Press are hosting the National Creative Writing Industry Day on November 19th, in partnership with Manchester Writing School. This is a full day of events for aspiring writers to gain insight into the publishing industry and advice on how to excel in their practice. Sponsored tickets for underrepresented writers are available upon request. More information and book: https://commapress.co.uk/news/the-national-creative-writing-industry-day-returns   Unbound Firsts is an annual publishing opportunity for debut writers of colour. They are now open for their second year of submissions. Two writers will be offered a publishing deal with Unbound which includes a £1000 payment to support their writing and publication of their book under the Unbound Firsts imprint.  Find out more: https://unbound.com/unbound-firsts/ Deadline: 30th November 2022   The Lowry are hosting a creative matchmaking event for visual artists and writers to meet and begin collaborating tomorrow from 6.30-8pm. Writers and visual artists will be put in pairs for five minutes to chat and share material, before moving on to the next partner. At the end of the session there will be the chance to talk to others more informally. If you are interested in attending please e-mail artistdevelopment@thelowry.com   HOME and BFI have an opportunity for filmmakers aged 18-25. They are inviting groups of 3 to 5 members to apply for £2000 of funding to create a 5 to 10 minute film. Participants will be supported by industry professionals throughout the process.  More information: https://homemcr.org/opportunity/bfi-short-filmmaking-development-opportunity/ Deadline: Wednesday 2nd November 1pm   Manchester Poetry Library have launched a Creative Drop in Service. Book a half hour meeting with Learning Manager Roma Havers or Learning Officer Ruth Awolola to discuss ideas, projects, applications, and anything you’d like some poetry advice on. When: Fortnightly on Tuesday afternoons, starting 1st November Book: https://doodle.com/bp/romahavers/manchester-poetry-library-creative-drop-in-   Artists who self-describe as Black Men are invited to create original art that responds to the main themes of the film #BlackBoyJoyGone by Ashley Karrell, Isaac Ouro-Gnao and Adam Lowe. The fee is £1000 per commission. Find out more: https://homemcr.org/opportunity/commission-call-out-blackboyjoygone/ Deadline: Wednesday 30th November 2022   The LGBT Foundation are recruiting for a Social Media and Digital Marketing Officer. This is a full-time permanent position. They are looking for someone who is not only creative and organised, but lives and breathes social media. The person in post will help get messages out to marginalised communities.  Find out more: https://lgbt.foundation/jobs Deadline to apply: Monday 14th November 2022 Do you ❤ Commonword? tweet/facebook/IG us with your favourite/first memory of Commonword. Send us a picture of yourself holding a I ❤ Commonword sign  #iLoveCommonword  You can catch us on Social Media twitter @cultureword #iLoveCommonword facebook.com/culturewordcommonword   Follow our socials   Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website YouTube   Commonword | Cultureword | Crocus Books Commonword No. 3 Planetree House 21-31 Oldham Street Manchester M1 1JG All workshops and events are currently taking place online. 0161 832 3777  info@cultureword.org.uk

Commonword · No 3 Planetree House · 21-31 Oldham Street · Manchester, M1 1JG · United Kingdom

Events and Opportunities from Commonword   Dear Commonword Writer, In the run-up to Commonword’s Moss Side Festival on 5th November, we have 2 exciting workshop series starting this week and you're invited! Read more and book your free place below. Hope to see you there, Commonword Cultureword   For updates: website www.cultureword.org.uk twitter @cultureword facebook (facebook.com/culturewordcommonword)     Black History Month Choir with Yvonne Shelton   Join Principal Hacienda Vocalist Yvonne Shelton in creating a Community Choir for Moss Side! In this series of 4 workshops to celebrate Black History Month, Yvonne will guide participants in singing songs from the Caribbean, Africa and spirituals from the USA. Taking place Thursdays, 6-8pm at The Amani Centre, Shoreham Close, M16 7DG. You can drop-in to only one, or two, or all – whatever suits you.   Book free tickets       Monologues Series with Yusra Warsama    For everyone: new writers, experienced writers, actors and those who want to try acting. In these workshops actor and theatre practitioner Yusra Warsama will support participants in writing their own monologue, with subsequent sessions covering how to perform, how to stand, and how to hook in your audience. Taking place this Friday 14th at 6-8pm & then Fridays 1-3pm at The Amani Centre, Shoreham Close, M16 7DG. You can drop-in to only one, or two, or all – whatever suits you.   Book your free place   Do you ❤ Commonword? tweet/facebook/IG us with your favourite/first memory of Commonword. Send us a picture of yourself holding a I ❤ Commonword sign  #iLoveCommonword  You can catch us on Social Media twitter @cultureword #iLoveCommonword facebook.com/culturewordcommonword   Follow our socials   Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website YouTube   Commonword | Cultureword | Crocus Books Commonword No. 3 Planetree House 21-31 Oldham Street Manchester M1 1JG All workshops and events are currently taking place online. 0161 832 3777  info@cultureword.org.uk

Commonword · No 3 Planetree House · 21-31 Oldham Street · Manchester, M1 1JG · United Kingdom

Events and Opportunities from Commonword   22nd September 2022   Dear Commonword Writer, We’re on the cusp of Black History Month 2022. In a world where Global Majority people experience too much gravity Commonword is proud to have a number of projects, proposals and initiatives ready to take flight. Whilst October will be an important time for reflection, it is equally an opportunity to soar into a new future. Words are our superpower. We’re sure you will find plenty in this month’s newsletter to fuel your creative journey. Happy reading, Commonword/Cultureword   For updates: website www.cultureword.org.uk twitter @cultureword facebook (facebook.com/culturewordcommonword)   Black History Month     Identity Writers launch new collection Flight   Five Commonword-curated poets, two essayists and three fiction writers will all take literary flight for Black History Month. The group’s creative, thought-provoking work on the theme of flight will be shared throughout October in several formats: video, audio, photography and text. We will be posting them on social media as well as curating pieces into a digital magazine. Watch out for them!   Follow Commonword's socials       Moss Side Festival   Save the date! Commonword Cultureword's  Moss Side Festival is taking place on the 5th November 2022. Workshops include: Writing and Acting with Yusra Warsama [Castle Rock, Royal Exchange, Donmar Warehouse] Community Singing with Yvonne Shelton [Halle Classical, Band on the Wall, international backing singer] How I Did It – Getting Commissioned for Telly, with afshan d’souza-lodhi [Sky, Georgetown University Fellow, National Theatre Peter Shaffer Commission, shortlisted Jhalak Prize '21] Watch out for a Moss Side Festival news-special coming your way, with time and venue details, more about our artists running the workshops, and opportunities to sign-up.   News     Writers Mosaic launch 'Gasping for Breath'   Writers Mosaic recently launched Gasping for Breath, a guest edition which explores the absences and possibilities in British crime fiction. Congratulations to three Commonword writers – Dipali Das, Shahireh Sharif and Karline Smith – who have had their crime stories published in the edition. Joining them on the platform are the writers, Jacqueline Roy, Saima Mir, Nii Parkes and Yvvette Edwards who had their essays (and interview in the case of Yvvette Edwards) platformed there too.   Click to Read       Congratulations to John Siddique   We are delighted for John Siddique who was recently awarded a ‘Janey Loves’ Platinum Award for his self-help book ‘Signposts of the Spiritual Journey’. John has described ‘Signposts’ as the companion book to his latest poetry collection ‘SO’, published by Commonword. Many of the poems in ‘SO’ encourage reflection on our place in the world, in relation to nature & one another, giving rise to questions which ‘Signposts of a Spiritual Journey’ can help readers to practically resolve.   Get your copy of 'SO'     #WritersCommunity     This month's #WritersLife interview   Commonword recently spoke with writer Micah Yongo about his journey to becoming a fantasy novelist – which began with an e-mail exchange with a friend! We discussed how living in Manchester has influenced his creative process & received some spectacular advice for new writers.   Watch on Youtube       Over Here Zine Fest   Thank you to everyone who came down to Over Here Zine Fest last month. A fabulous day of networking and workshops, showcasing a vast array of creative talent from across the UK. Special thanks to our Climate Change Poetry workshop participants who engaged openly and honestly about the cognitive dissonance and emotional toll associated with global warming. Visit our Instagram page to see examples of concrete poems created on the day. Pictured: Workshop participant Fiona Bond's concrete poem 'Dissociation'       Free Read Scheme    Are you at an advanced stage in your writing? Workshopping, rewriting, and editing are all key stages in developing writing in any form. If you are a low-income writer who has undertaken these steps we encourage you to submit to the Free Read Scheme run by The Literary Consultancy in partnership with Commonword. This scheme provides professional critical feedback to writers in the form of a manuscript assessment.   More info & eligibility guidelines     Can you spare 2-3 minutes?   Every year Commonword collects feedback from our audience which allows us to evaluate the work we do and share our outcomes with all-important funders. If you have attended an event by Commonword in the past 3 months we kindly ask that you complete this short, anonymous survey. There’s a £50 prize draw too! Click to complete survey Thank you!     Updates     Picture Book Project 2022   Having enjoyed the presentation by Hachette’s Emma Layfield, we are now in the midst of organising one-on-one pitch session for budding diverse Picture Book writers. The pitch which sees writers share a digital space with Hachette Children's Group will take place in early October and will allow individuals from this year’s cohort to have a friendly exploratory conversation with Emma. It's an incredibly rare opportunity to talk directly with one of the key movers and shakers of the British Picture Book publishing scene.    Workshops     Identity Writers Group **Update**   Based on feedback, we are fine-tuning our workshop structure. Each month we will have:   1. An open session where you can come and celebrate your work. This session will be open to all. 2. Critique sessions. These are for those who are committed to improving their work and to bringing revised pieces to the workshop after receiving initial feedback. There will be a signup method for joining critique sessions. 3. A specialist novelist group. To join, please send a sample of your prose to cheryl@cultureword.org.uk . All these workshops will be free to Global Majority/Black/Brown writers.       Queer Black Book Club We’ve got some great books coming up.  Feel free to join us, even if you haven’t read the book yet – the discussions are  always fun and deep and wide-ranging.  We get under the skin of these books. Here’s what’s coming up:   *TONIGHT* Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (22nd September)   This is a really, really good book, by the Godmother of Afrofuturism, Octavia Butler, so have a look and come even if you haven’t finished or even looked at it yet – it’ll be worth it!   [In 2020], Octavia Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower made it onto the New York Times’ bestseller lists 27 years after its original publication. The book … follows Lauren Oya Olamina, a Black teenager who lives in an environmentally decayed and socially chaotic California in the 2020s—at the time, still a distant, futuristic decade. In Parable of the Sower … Olamina leaves the gated compound where she grew up, goes on the road, starts … her own community, and becomes a leader of people, spreading a set of ideas she calls “Earthseed.” [slate.com ] It Takes Blood and Guts by Skin from Skunk Anansi (27th October)   The title It Takes Blood And Guts has been chosen very deliberately: This isn’t a salacious tell-all confessional, it’s an origin story.  From her beginnings in late 1960s and 1970s Brixton to being the first black British woman to headline Glastonbury in 1999 as front woman in the ferocious Skunk Anansie, to the solo years and Skunk Anansie’s triumphant return, including their 2019 live album. This is the story of how a shy first generation British Jamaican girl became an alternative rock icon.  [Louder Than War ]   If you would like to attend, please email cheryl@cultureword.org.uk or join our Facebook group by clicking here. Learn more on the Book Club's webpage: www.cultureword.org.uk/services-and-workshops/queer-black-book-club-2/   More about Commonword's workshops     Jobs & Opportunities     Poets in Manchester are invited to apply for Slam-O-Vision, a global poetry slam between spoken word artists from UNESCO Cities of Literature all over the world. Find out more on the Manchester City of Literature website here: https://www.manchestercityofliterature.com/news/manchester-calling-our-poets-for-this-years-slam-o-vision/ Deadline: Midnight, Sunday 16th October 2022.   The LGBT Foundation's Talking Therapies programme is recruiting new volunteer counsellors to provide free counselling to LGBTQ+ clients. Volunteer counsellors might be students looking to complete their 100 placement hours or qualified counsellors looking to give some of their time. Register your interest with Soroush Fereydoni, Talking Therapies Coordinator, soroush.fereydoni@lgbt.foundation   The LGBT Foundation Manchester are also recruiting a QTIPoC Community Engagement Co-ordinator to develop and deliver the Queer, Trans and Intersex People of Colour programme over 6-months. More info: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lgbtfoundation/jobs/ Deadline: 26th September 2022   Up Collective is a new programme helping individuals from a refugee background to explore their business ideas. They are inviting applications for the Manchester programme which offers 12 weeks of business development workshops and a mentor. They are also looking for mentors and entrepreneurs to be involved. Find out more by e-mailing s.idama@Caritassalford.org.uk Apply: https://tern.typeform.com/to/Ewa6VTTP Deadline: 23rd September 2022   Changeling Annual is seeking neurodivergent creatives to submit their work for a publication aimed at children aged 8-12. The aim is to highlight more neurodivergent talent in the world of children's publishing. They accept fiction, poetry, comics, illustration and activities. Further information: https://changelingannual.com/ Submissions deadline: 1st November 2022   Be part of upcoming exhibition City of Colour by Danielle Rhoda at HOME. This is a celebration of diversity in Manchester. The artist will document real people and create illustrated snapshots of their moments in the city, this time focusing especially on the Black community for Black History Month.Share your stories and photos for a chance to be featured in the artwork. Find out more: https://homemcr.org/opportunity/call-out-be-part-of-upcoming-exhibition-city-of-colour-by-danielle-rhoda/ Deadline: 1st October 2022   Artists who self-describe as Black Men are invited to create original art that responds to the main themes of the film #BlackBoyJoyGone by Ashley Karrell, Isaac Ouro-Gnao and Adam Lowe. The fee is £1000 per commission. Find out more: https://homemcr.org/opportunity/commission-call-out-blackboyjoygone/ Deadline: Monday 31st October    StAnza Poetry Festival is recruiting for a freelance Communications Officer with experience in traditional and digital communications and an interest in the arts. The role is remote for 10-months in the first instance. Find out more: https://stanzapoetry.org/recruiting-for-a-new-communications-officer/ Deadline: 5pm, 26th September 2022 Do you ❤ Commonword? tweet/facebook/IG us with your favourite/first memory of Commonword. Send us a picture of yourself holding a I ❤ Commonword sign  #iLoveCommonword  You can catch us on Social Media twitter @cultureword #iLoveCommonword facebook.com/culturewordcommonword   Follow our socials   Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website YouTube   Commonword | Cultureword | Crocus Books Commonword No. 3 Planetree House 21-31 Oldham Street Manchester M1 1JG All workshops and events are currently taking place online. 0161 832 3777  info@cultureword.org.uk

Commonword · No 3 Planetree House · 21-31 Oldham Street · Manchester, M1 1JG · United Kingdom