Orwell Youth Prize 2021 - Volunteer Sign Up

From Alex Talbott, Programme Manager for the The Orwell Foundation Youth Prize Competition:

Entries are now arriving in all forms in response to our 2021 theme ‘A New Direction: Starting Small’ (if you haven’t seen our launch film do check it out here).

Following the popularity and growth of the youth prize last year, we’re keen to keep up our ability to offer young people personalised feedback and a wide readership for their writing. We’d love to have you on board again as volunteers, sharing your valuable skills with our eager entrants.

1. Register your interest in volunteering in 2021

If you are interested in being involved in the feedback process this year, please respond to this email and let me know. The process will take place between the 29th April and the 24th May, using a similar system to last year, with flexibility around the number of entries assigned per person. If you didn’t volunteer to provide feedback last year and would like to know more about what feedback entails, find detail here . Alternatively, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly, or sign up to a training and info session below.

2. Sign up for a short online training session
While many of you will be familiar with the feedback process, we are running short online training sessions to run through the process in more detail, outline safeguarding procedures and answer any questions. The sessions will also be a chance to meet other volunteers before the process begins in earnest. We recommend signing up to one, even if you have already volunteered for the prize.

If you are not able to attend any of the training sessions below but would still like to volunteer, please let me know and we can set up an alternative.

Sign up sessions (via Eventbrite)

· Thursday 15th April – 13.00-14.00 - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/orwell-youth-prize-2021-first-volunteer-induction-tickets-148609225193

· Tuesday 20th April – 17.30-18.30 - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/orwell-youth-prize-2021-second-volunteer-induction-tickets-148610573225

· Friday 23rd April – 13.00-14.00 - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/orwell-youth-prize-2021-third-volunteer-induction-tickets-148610805921

Any questions or ideas around the prize don’t hesitate to get in touch:

Alex Talbott (she/her), Programme Manager, The Orwell Youth Programme.
The Orwell Foundation

Registered Charity Number 1161563

www.orwellfoundation.com
E: alextalbott@orwellyouthprize.co.uk
M: 07940 168100

ONE TOWN ONE BOOK PROJECT 2021 is LAUNCHED!

We were joined by the author Andrea (Andi) Michael on 22 March for a ‘writing for wellbeing’ workshop, Watford’s Elected Mayor, Peter Taylor also joined us, as this launched the 'One Town One Book' project.

If anyone would like a copy of ‘The Book of Us’, please do let Helen know, Helen still has a couple of copies (no charge!).

Book discussions will take place at 6.00pm on the 7th and 14th April, details can be found at https://www.watfordtogether.co.uk/watford-together-events

THE EXTRA MILES - NOW AVAILABLE!

Ten years after I published ROAD WORKS, a nostalgic travel memoir told through the prism of family car journeys over forty years, I’ve co-written a sequel, THE EXTRA MILES – on roads still to travel.

Not so many cars this time, and just ten years of travels, but lots of wry humour from my co-writer and travelling companion, Anne-Marie. For all of us, every journey is a personal experience and we relate ours together with over hundred coloured pictures.

We hope you’ll enjoy riding with us across England, Ireland, Scotland, France and New Zealand perhaps recalling some of your own visits and maybe discovering new places you want to explore.

THE EXTRA MILES by Brian Bold with Anne-Marie Groves is currently available as a paperback from www.lulu.com and hopefully soon from Amazon too.

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO WRITING FICTION

Long term supporter of Watford Writers is Linda Spurr who has written a super beginner's guide to writing fiction.

25 chapters cover everything from the reason to write, forming an idea and taking this right through all the important stages to editing and finishing.

Linda was a journalist for newspapers and the BBC for 20+ years, specialising in sport. Linda then became a freelance travel writer for magazines. Now she write novels and a writing blog.

Linda's novel Pathway To the Gods was shortlisted in the Wilbur Smith Adventure Prize four years ago. Read here for details.

A Beginner's Guide to Writing Fiction is a must for all those who write fiction.

Click Here to order A Beginners Guide to Writing Fiction

STORY WRITING FOR CHILDREN - FREE ONLINE COURSE

Mini Maestro Writing Course

12 LESSONS; 0.75 HRS VIDEO CONTENT; COURSE NOTES

Keep children entertained and engaged with twelve inspiring video lessons from David Walliams, free! The course is designed to help children aged 7-12 write their own amazing story, with lessons on things from coming up with a character and setting, to how to create a basic structure. It comes with a downloadable exercise book full of activities to get the ideas flowing. Stories can be submitted to a prize draw to be in with a chance of winning a writing lesson with David himself and a signed illustration, with ten from age group 7-9 and ten from age group 10-12 being randomly selected.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

MSt in Writing for Performance

Calling all playwriters in the group

You may be interested to know about this course being offered by Cambridge University's Institute of Continuing Education:

MSt in Writing for Performance

The Master of Studies (MSt) in Writing for Performance is designed for postgraduate students who wish to develop high-level theoretical skills, and a vibrant and innovative creative practice within writing for a range of performance mediums. Writing for Performance is defined as scripts for theatre, film/TV, radio drama, comedy, or text for performance art/poetry/installations, and for digital platforms. The programme aims to facilitate experimental creative writing practices, while developing students’ ability to think conceptually about performance theories, histories, traditions and forms.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY WATFORD WRITERS!

Hard to believe that this week Watford Writers will reach it’s 16th Birthday!

Thank you to Louise Welland who made this great cake shown in the photograph above. We managed to distribute a piece to the majority of the group (who live locally) before Monday night’s Valentine and Birthday evening, along with a candle and holder. So we all lit our candles, sang happy birthday and then ate the cake, or at least those that had resisted eating it during the day were able to! We followed with readings from our favourite poets or our own poems, short stories and even a love song, then two great quizzes. Some really moving and thought provoking writing . We went over time and finished up nearer to 10.00pm, but it was OK, nobody had to drive home after a couple of drinks! Thank you to everyone for my birthday wishes as well.

POETRY WORKSHOP - CONNECTING FROM HOME

Poet-in-Residence, Dan Simpson is holding a series of creative poetry workshops, connecting you to the cathedral, the world - and yourself...

Broadcasting from a hidden space in St Albans Cathedral, you'll see the building in a new light and reflect on your own meaningful spaces. Dan will take you from inspiring poetry through to accessible prompts, guiding you to generating your own writing - with the chance to share back. Dan creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere that will allow you to tap into your creativity and express yourself uniquely.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Short courses in creative writing and English literature

(Courses via remote delivery)

Cambridge University's Institute for Continuing Learning is now taking bookings for the following courses, which will be delivered via live Zoom teaching sessions across one or more days.

For more details about each course and in order to book your place, please click on the links below:

Complete List of Creative Writing Courses

Here's a selection on offer:

Creative Writing: Introduction to short story writing - Dr. Sarah Burton

Starts: 12 April 2021. Course Duration: 7 weeks.

Creative Writing: An Introduction to writing for children - Dr Pippa Goodhart

Starts: 19 April 2021. Course Duration: 7 weeks. There is an Orientation Week from 12 April to 18 April.

Creative Writing: An Introduction to writing poetry - Dr. Joanne Limburg

Starts: 12 April 2021. Course Duration: 7 weeks.

...

Creative Writing Retreat (2 retreats on offer) - Dr Sarah Burton and Professor Jem Poster.

1st Retreat:

Starts: 11th July. Retreat Duration: 6 days

2nd Retreat:

Starts: 14 August 2021. Retreat Duration: 6 days

For more details:

The Academic Centre Administration Team: Creative Writing, Literature, Film Studies
Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge
Madingley Hall, Madingley, Cambridge CB23 8AQ

E: creativewriting@ice.cam.ac.uk | W: www.ice.cam.ac.uk

We celebrate the publication of Susan's book

A THANKLESS CHILD

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEORGIANA JANE HENDERSON (1771 - 1850)

This book provides a flavour of a period of history known as the Enlightenment through the eyes of a young girl born in 1771. Georgiana Jane Henderson (nee Keate) was known to actors, actresses, artists, naval men, emigres and even a South Sea islander and visited England's spa towns. She had her portrait painted by Angelica Kauffman RA and John Russell RA.

Meet The Author

Susan Bennett MA is an Honorary Faculty Fellow at Brighton University; and Honorary Secretary of and Editor for The William Shipley Group for RSA History. Susan is also a dedicated member of Watford Writers .

Click Here to order the book

It's a double congratulations to Mike

Mike Lansdown has achieved "Runner-Up" position in this year's Hertfordshire Year of Culture Friends and Family creative writing competition. His poem, entitled Welcome to the Family was highly praised by the judges who commented: ‘Welcome to the Family was wonderfully ambitious with a truly panoramic reach. There were some memorable lines - 'Antecedent and ancestral, Antediluvian' which demonstrated a real love of language.’

TO READ MIKE'S POEM - PLEASE CLICK HERE

As a runner up, Mike's poem, along with that of the winner and the other shortlisted entry will become part of Herts Memories the Online Community Archive. The results of the competition will also be announced in the Year of Culture September newsletter for September which will include a copy of the three shortlisted entries.

Mike has also been recognised this month for his work with 'Penn Pushers' - a writing group focussing on autobiographies at Mill End Community Centre. Mike was presented with a Volunteer's Medal by the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.

Many congratulations Mike from all of us at Watford Writers.

THE FIRST LIE by A J Park - out on 25 June 2020

Watford Writers welcomed Karl Vadaszffy back in February, who kindly told us about his writing career and the stages that led to the successful publication of his book The First Lie,

(written using his pen name: A.J. Park) in 2019.

The paperback is to be published on 25 June 2020.

For a summary of Karl's evening with us, please scroll below to the News Item.

Signed copies of The First Lie, written by A.J. Park, are available to order from Chorleywood Bookshop @CWBookshop

Priced at £8.99 (collection can be in person or postal cost is £2.80). Telephone: (01923) 283566 Email: info@cwbookshop.co.uk

Published: 25th June 2020.