Links

links to other sites

Please make suggestions for links to add to this page - ideally
with some connection to literature and to Norfolk.

www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk            New Writing Partnership, Norwich
www.poetryarchive.org                            Audio archive
www.thepoetrytrust.org                           Aldeburgh Poetry Festival
www.eastanglianwriters.org.uk                 East Anglian Writers
www.liveliterature.net                             National Database
www.norfolkartsevents.co.uk                   Artefax
www.gatehousepress.co.uk                      Tom Corbett & Co
Get a GoStats hit counter                        Our Hit Counter Provider
www.eggboxpublishing.com                     Eggbox Publishing
www.georgeszirtes.co.uk                         George Szirtes
www.joyofsix.co.uk                                 Martin Figura & Co.
www.norfolkesinet.org.uk/ArtsEducation    Artists in Schools
www.creativeartseast.co.uk                      Creative Arts East
www.spiked-magazine.co.uk                     Norwich's own literary magazine
www.moonrakerboats.com                       Sarah O'Hara's 2005 Publication
www.thestonepress.co.uk                         Publishers of "Gene Genie" by Patricia Mullin
http://www.imagetextimage.com              Wolverhampton-based poetry site
www.nr1magazine.co.uk                          Norwich-based nr1 magazine
www.chromajournal.co.uk                        Chroma Journal
www.fishpublishing.com                           Fish Publishing runs the Fish Short Story Prize, one of the
                                                           largest international short story competitions
www.yellowgatebooks.com                      New, Norfolk publisher for anyone interested in self-publication.
www.sawtrust.org                                   The Science, Art and Writing Trust.
www.whisperpoetry.com                          South African Writers
www.ink-sweat-and-tears.com                  New E. Anglian WEbzine
www.kudoswriting.wordpress.com            Kudos Magazine - was "Competitions Bulletin"

Suggestions to: richard@cafewriters.org.uk

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Good Morning and a belated happy new year to you from Byker Books,

Following the success of ‘Radgepacket – Tales from the Inner Cities’ we’ve decided to do it again! The imaginatively titled ‘Radgepacket 2’ should hit the streets around Feb/Mar and will feature the likes of Sheila Quigley, Danny King, Roz Southey and Darrell Irving amongst others. Have a look at the ‘Our Publications’ page for a bit of blurb and a preview of the cover – it’s belter man!

We’ve also published another two quality stories to the site for you. Have a look at ‘Radgepacket Online’ for these names :- Will Diamond and Craig Douglas.

And finally…here’s a joke to tell your mates.

Q. What’s the difference between a new husband and a new dog?

A. After a month the dog is still excited to see you!

Later.

Byker Books

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Dear Writers,

Please find below the details of a new writing competition that your members and budding authors might like to know about.

Highland Fling – Short Story Competition

For short stories based on the title, any theme/genre permitted

1500 – 3000 words

FREE ENTRY

Additional entries at £3.00 per story (Please email for details to pay)

Closing Date – 14^th February, 11:59 p.m.

First Prize: Weekend Highland Break (Thurs – Sun) in Scotland sleeps 5 (+2) (Sept – Nov’09 dtba) + Meal for Two in local hostlery worth £40 (Own transport req) + Three copies of anthology

Second Prize: Bouquet of Flowers + Two copies of anthology

Third Prize: The Writer’s Handbook Guide to Travel Writing + One copy of anthology

Winning entry and top twenty stories published in anthology which is available to included authors at a discount price.

All entries to be typed in Times New Roman, 12pt. Any work previously published not accepted. (This does not include publication on closed writing or internet forums).

Please email entries to cormorantscotland@btinternet.com and return receipt will be emailed.

Judges: There is a panel of three judges, each qualified and experienced in the field of writing inc a Magazine Editor (OBE), an International Banker and Head of Dept English Teacher (now retired). Feedback is encouraged and constructive comments will be given to all entrants.

"I started with nothing & still have plenty left".

The information in this E-Mail is CONFIDENTIAL.
If you are NOT the intended recipient, please destroy this message and notify the sender immediately.

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LEAF BOOKS NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2009

In this newsletter:

Mostly Life Competition – results announced, and winners now online
New and Ongoing Competitions: Short Stories (*New*), Nano-fiction (*closes end of this month*) and Young Writers
Private Printing – latest publications
Discovering a Comet – authors on website

Mostly Life Competition – Results

We're daftly happy to announce the results of the Mostly Life competition.

Winner - 'Mrs Cheveley in the Conservatory at Tenby', an animated poem by Emily Hinshelwood.

Emily's poem has pretty much just this instance been published on the Showcase blog at www.mostlylife.com, so please troll over there and have a look at it. Also she’ll be receiving £200 in prize money, which is all terribly exciting. The following running-up pieces can also be found on the showcase:

'From Romford with Love' by Paul Smith
'Ask Mairghread' by Clare Girvan
'Hi David Gaffney!' by Nadia Kingsley
'The Care and Attention of Your Man' by Sally Quilford
'Forget-ful' by Jane Pearn
'And the Consequence was ....' by Jennifer Price

'Historic Conversations' by John Buckley *

* With the exception of this one. If you are John Buckley, please get in touch! We can’t seem to contact you and we can’t put your piece up on the blog without your say-so.

Congratulations to the successful entrants and thanks to all who entered. We hope you enjoy the results.

New and Ongoing Competitions

*NEW* – Short Story Competition

It seems an age since we last ran a short story competition – the most recent short story anthology in our absurdly expansive library is Naked Thighs and Cotton Frocks. Which is available for purchase from our website. But anyway. Here’s another.

Leaf Books invites you to submit short stories on any subject. Word limit: 1,000. All selected entries will be published in an anthology. Enter online or by post. Entry fee: £4 per story; 3 stories for £10. Winner receives £150 plus a free copy of the competition anthology, plus a full set of pocket-sized Leaf Books. Up to two runners up receives a free copy of the anthology and a full set of pocket-sized Leaf Books. Closing date: May 31^st 2009.

Note: We always used to send every author featured in the anthology a free copy of the book, but due to general funding crises we will only be sending free copies to the winner and runners up and then all the other selected authors will be able to buy the book at half price. We’re deeply sorry about that: rest assured, we would if we could.

*CLOSES END OF THIS MONTH* - Nano-Fiction Competition

We’ve had some fun and some great submissions to our micro-fiction competitions and so here’s the logical extreme – nano-fiction. Can you tell a story in only 100 words?

Leaf Books invites you to submit nano-fiction (max 100 words) on any subject. All selected entries will be published in an anthology. Enter online or by post. £2.50 per single submission; £10 for five submissions. Winner receives £100 plus five copies of the anthology plus complete collection of pocket-sized Leaf Books. Up to two runners up receives a free copy of the anthology and a full set of pocket-sized Leaf Books. Closing Date Jan 31 2009.

Young Writers’ Competition

We love Young Writers at Leaf Books. They impress us with their whole sitting down and writing clever words thing at an age when we were mostly falling out of trees. So we’ve decided to open our first ever Young Writers’ Competition for people under the age of eighteen.

We’d like you to send us poems (up to 25 lines long) and micro-fiction (short stories under 300 words) on any theme imaginable. We’ll then pick our favourites and publish them in an anthology. There are three age categories: 18 and under , under 14 and under 11. One winning entry in each category will receive £50 and a free copy of the anthology. One runner-up in each category will receive a free copy of the anthology. All other selected entries will be included in the anthology and authors will be able to purchase copies at half the usual retail price.

Enter online or by post. £3 per single submission; £10 for four submissions.

Closing Date: March 31^st 2009.

Private Printing – latest publications

Our two most recent books to be produced via our Private Printing service – Truly Blue by Petina Strohmer and The Moon the Waves and the Breeze by Mary Charman-Smith – are now featured on our website at www.leafbooks.co.uk. Click the titles to see the individual web-pages (Petina Strohmer’s page features an exciting promotional video for her title), and visit our Books page for details of all Root Books publications. You can also look under ‘Writers’ Services’ for full details of how to get your own book published with our help.

Discovering a Comet – all featured authors now on website

And finally, the authors of our most recent micro-fiction anthology, Discovering a Comet and More Micro-Fiction – available for purchase here, with a special discount for its authors at the bottom of the page – have all been added to our ever-expanding author database. See ‘Leaf Authors’ at www.leafbooks.co.uk, and let us know if we’ve somehow managed to miss you out or spell you in an unfortunate way. We don’t think we have.

Contacting Leaf Books

Email: contact@leafbooks.co.uk

Telephone: 029 20810726

Post: Leaf Books Limited, GTi Suite, Valleys Innovation Centre, Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taff CF45 4SN http://www.leafbooks.co.uk

A member of the GTi Business Network.

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Dear Cafe Writers

DO you dream of having your work in print? Have you had your submissions rejected by agents because of overwriting or poor presentation?

Publishers today expect a perfect manuscript. They are looking for ways to reject, not accept. If you have not tried to edit before, how do you begin?

This 2-day hands-on workshop uses exercises and your own work to help you start to see your work more objectively. The sessions will allow you to:

• develop an eye for the superfluous, the repetitive, the boring
• learn correct formatting, punctuation and presentation
• edit both your own and others' manuscripts
• re-edit an example of your own work between sessions

This course will consist of short talks, editorial exercises and homework that will give you the confidence to polish and fine tune your work. This course will run on two Sundays, a week apart, to give students a chance to edit their manuscripts. There will be 5 hours of tuition on each day of the course and the workshop will be conducted in a friendly, constructive atmosphere. It is open to anyone with a desire to develop the essential skill of editing.

TO BOOK
By post: Enrolment will be confirmed on receipt of your £50 deposit. Payment in full is due by 6 February. Download a postal booking form to complete and be returned with your cheque. Bank transfer: To book by bank transfer, ring 020 7263 0669 for account details. Online: To use your credit or debit card, you will need to pay the full amount. Course fee: £100.

Course 51
15 & 22 February 2009 @ the Lucas Arms, Kings X, London WC1

WORKSHOP VENUE
Lucas Arms
245A Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1Z 8QZ
Date: Sunday, 15 February & Sunday, 22 February 2009
Course length: 2 days
Time: 11.30AM - 6.00PM
Cost: £100. Drop-in: £60

Click/paste the link below for a booking form you can download:

http://www.anneaylor.co.uk/LearnToEditIntensive.htm<?/x-tad-smaller><?/fontfamily>

I hope you see you there!

With all best wishes
Anne

Anne Aylor Creative Writing Courses
46 Beversbrook Road
London N19 4QH
tel: 020 7263 0669
email: anne@anneaylor.co.uk
web: www.anneaylor.co.uk

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Dear Secretary,

Full details of our 2009 journalistic and creative writing courses on the beautiful Greek island of Paxos are now available. We would therefore be grateful if you would forward this email to your members and also post it on your website.

WRITING COURSES ON PAXOS IN MAY 2009

In May 2009, Paxos Life Activities will be running two writing courses on the beautiful Greek Island of Paxos. Paxos is a truly inspirational location in the Ionian Sea just nine miles south of Corfu and it is hard to imagine a better place to hone your writing skills. The courses are equally suitable for those with previous experience and for complete beginners; what is important is a desire to write.

‘Writing and Selling Features’ (5 – 9 May 2009) is aimed at anyone who wants to learn how to write about travel, hobbies, people, life experiences, personal or professional matters and find a market for their articles. The course will teach you all the tricks of the journalist’s trade, including how to find and develop stories, write and interview like a pro, and successfully pitch ideas; in fact, all the know-how you need to get your articles into print.

‘Unleash Your Writing Power’ (12 – 16 May 2009) is an inspirational and innovative workshop that will unblock the barriers to your creativity. It will provide an opportunity to build confidence, power and fluency in an atmosphere of fun and discovery and will help you inject energy, power and magic into everything you write. Whether you want to write fiction, family history, articles or best sellers – even business communications or a personal journal - come and discover skills you may never have realised you have. Learn the secret of really connecting with your readers at a deep and powerful level by first connecting with yourself.

The course leader will be Judi Goodwin, a journalist and trainer with wide experience in both print and broadcast media. Judi has been a regular feature writer for The Daily Telegraph, Radio Times, Manchester Evening News, Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful and Ideal Home. And for five years she was also a freelance broadcaster for BBC Radio on Woman’s Hour and You and Yours. Judi runs courses in London for professional writers and has trained journalists on some of Britain ’s leading magazines.

Each course costs just £495 per person if you book by 31 January 2009 . For bookings made after this date, the price will be £555. We will give you a further discount of £50 if you book both writing courses, or a writing course and our self-development course, ‘The Mastery of Creativity and Self-Expression’.

The price includes

five half-day group writing sessions plus the opportunity for additional one-to-one sessions;
accommodation in a shared twin/double room in a villa with private swimming pool just outside Loggos, one of the three main villages on Paxos;
shared use of a hire car (you must be at least 23 years of age and have held a full driving licence for at least a year); and
breakfast provisions for the week.

The price does not include travel to and from Greece , transfers between Corfu airport and Paxos (although these can be arranged at additional cost), or holiday insurance. A limited number of twin/double rooms are available for single occupancy upon payment of a supplement of £115 per person per week.

So come a join a group of like-minded people for one or two most enjoyable and informative weeks, and at the same time have a wonderful holiday in a fabulous location.

For further information about the writing courses and our many other holiday courses and activities, please visit our website at www.paxoslife.com or email chris@paxoslife.com.

If you do not wish to receive further emails from us, then please reply to this email with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the subject box.

We hope to see you on Paxos soon.

Chris Griffiths

Paxos Life Activities Ltd

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Dear Secretary,

WRITING COURSES ON PAXOS IN MAY 2009

The price includes

five half-day group writing sessions plus the opportunity for additional one-to-one sessions;
accommodation in a shared twin/double room in a villa with private swimming pool just outside Loggos, one of the three main villages on Paxos;
shared use of a hire car (you must be at least 23 years of age and have held a full driving licence for at least a year); and
breakfast provisions for the week.

So come a join a group of like-minded people for one or two most enjoyable and informative weeks, and at the same time have a wonderful holiday in a fabulous location.

For further information about the writing courses and our many other holiday courses and activities, please visit our website at www.paxoslife.com or email chris@paxoslife.com.

If you do not wish to receive further emails from us, then please reply to this email with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the subject box.

We hope to see you on Paxos soon.

Chris Griffiths

Paxos Life Activities Ltd

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sh Newsletter Jan 2009. Fish Poetry Prize and other News.

Contents:

Fish Poetry Prize

Fish One-Page Prize (Flash Fiction)

Update on Fish Short Story Prize

News of former Fish Prize winner Marc Phillips’ new novel.

Fish Critique and Editorial Service

The 2009 Fish Anthology will contain the winners from the three annual Fish competitions – The Short Story Prize, The One-Page Prize and The Poetry Prize, and on this occasion the best of the 2008 Micro-fiction Showcase. In future, the winners of the three annual literary prizes will be the only works published in the Fish Anthology.

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We are pleased to announce the 2009 Fish Poetry Prize. Here are the essential details, but for the full picture, and on-line entry, go to www.fishpublishing.com

Judge: Peter Fallon, poet and poetry publisher at Gallery Press.

Opens 10 Jan 2009

Closing date 30 March.

Results announced 30 April.

The best five poems will be published in the 2009 Fish Anthology.

First Prize €500. €100 each for the four runners-up.

Entry on-line is €12 www.fishpublishing.com. Entry by post is €15 to Fish Poetry Prize, Durrus, Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland.

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The 2009 Fish One-Page Prize runs concurrently with the Poetry Prize until 20 March, and all details are on the Fish web site.

The entries for the Fish Short Story Prize are being read, and the shortlist will be sent to Colum McCann, who will choose the winner and nine runners-up for the Fish Anthology. The shortlist will be posted on the web site as soon as it is available, hopefully by the end of January.

Marc Phillips was the overall winner of the 2004 Fish Short Story Prize with ‘The Mountains of Mars’. His first novel ‘The Legend of Sander Grant’, will be released in Europe on February 14th and May in the United States. It was edited by Katie Gould, who is a Fish editor and runs the Fish Editorial Consultancy Service. ‘The Legend of Sander Grant’ is available on

http://www.telegrambooks.com/archives/the_legend_of_sander_grant/

Fish Publishing offers a comprehensive Critique and Editorial Consultancy Service. Our editors are experienced in providing writers with constructive critical analysis and developmental assistance. They have been working with Fish for many years, providing support to writers at all stages of their work. They can assist writers to realise their potential with one-to-one editing. The Critique Service offers appraisals on short s tories, one-page stories and poems, while the Editorial Consultancy Service provides authors with ongoing support with writing projects, giving feed-back and guidance for novelists, script writers and writers working on long term projects.

Clem Cairns

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Afternoon all,

Here’s a heads up for you ladies and gents – the eagerly awaited return of ‘Radgepacket – Tales from the Inner Cities’ is being launched at ‘Borders Bookshop’ in Team Valley, Gateshead on Monday March 2^nd at around 18.00 by renowned crime author Sheila Quigley and unknown editor…me!

If you can get there to say hello, maybe have a glass of cheap plonk, have your photo taken with Sheila (and me if you’re sad) and meet some of our contributors then you’re most welcome.

Here’s a bit of blurb from the respected and, frankly, f*cking ace, author Ray Banks :-

Top notch stuff. Seriously impressed and it's nice to see someone filling the void that Bullet left. Keep up the stellar work!

So put it in your diaries and come and see us – I promise not to dip your pockets…..

Cheers

Byker Books

ps - If you wish to be removed from our mailing list then let me know I'll do it straight away - cheers

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Hi Richard

I know of Cafe Writers through a friend of min who is a member and, because of her, you awarded a Highly Commended to my story 'So Special' in your 2006 Whort Story Competition. I am also a graduate of the University of Exeter's MA in Creative Writing and also a Relief Centre Director for the Arvon Foundation at Totleigh Barton (though not as often as I used to be!)

I am now living in France and have just launched a Writer's Retreat which opens at Easter. I wondered whether a) you would take a look at my website which went online on Tuesday: http://writealonefrance.com b) whether you would be able to put it on your Links page and c) whether I could send some leaflets to you that Cafe Writers could use.

I look forward to hearing from you and wish Cafe Writers all the best for 2009.

Kind regards

Pauline Smith

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World Book Group is back!

Wednesday 4 February

Time: 6pm – 8pm

Price: £4, £2.50 concessions per evening

Booking: essential; book for one or more evenings

Other World Book Group dates: 4 March, 1 April, 6 May

Enjoy reading and discussing world literature in the relaxed atmosphere of the Sainsbury Centre.

February – Carpentaria by Alexis Wright

Set in the precariously settled coastal town of Desperance in north-western Queensland , Carpentaria is the unforgettable portrait of the powerful Phantom family, leader of the Westend Pricklebush people, and its battles with old Joseph Midnight’s renegade Eastend mob on the one hand, and the white officials of Uptown and the neighbouring Gurfurrit mine on the other. By turns operatic and surreal, Wright’s stunning and richly imagined storytelling is a blend of myth and scripture, farce and politics. Her extraordinary characters stride like giants in this storm-swept world.

March – Soul by Andrey Platonov

April – What is the What by Dave Eggers

May – The Everest Hotel by Allan Sealy

Programmed by Katri Scala, New Writing Partnership.

Where possible the books will be available in the Gallery Shop. Please check availability before each meeting.

For information and bookings telephone 01603 593199 or email scva@uea.ac.uk

Check our website for further information about events at the Sainsbury Centre www.scva.ac.uk