Birmingham Writers’ Group

Monday 9th February 7pm-9pm

Brewsmiths Coffee & Tea, 214 Livery Street, Birmingham B3 1EU

Tired of sickly sweet Valentines? Then join us for a night of romantic fiction with a deliciously dark twist.

There may still be authors slots, please get in touch with Heide Goody who can pass you on to the organisers.

At this special Library of Birmingham event, authors M John Harrison, Mick Scully and Louise Palfreyman will celebrate the short story form, and the memory of one of its masters, with Salt Publishing editor Nicholas Royle.
This year’s Best British Short Stories anthology is dedicated to Birmingham writer Joel Lane, who died last November. Joel’s work will top the bill in a great evening of author readings, plus we’ll be answering your questions on writing and getting published.
There’s no charge for this event. Get tickets here, and feel free to invite your friends!
We’ll be asking for your favourite Joel Lane poems, stories and novel excerpts at @tweetybyrde and #bestbritishshortstories

30 October at 18:30–19:30

Featuring:

• Chris Carling talking about her moving and highly topical memoir: ‘But Then Something Happened: A Story of Everyday Dementia’
• Rosemary Westwell ‘John, Dementia and Me’: exploring life problems in fiction and also talking about ‘Unseen Poetry’
• Jackie Reynolds and Michael Callan ‘‘Connecting Communities with Creative Writing’
• Sarah Gornall ‘Co-authoring and what it can mean.’
• Dr David Gatley ‘1936 a Year in Post Boxes’
• Elaine Ewart ‘My work as Fenland Poet Laureate including poetry writing, and performing ‘
• Noreen Wainwright ‘A homespun year’ by Noreen Wainwright and Margaret Priestly Thrifty ways to make and grow, bake and sew
• Stephanie J. Hale ‘What it takes to sell a million books, what it takes to make a million from your book idea and what works and what doesn’t when it comes to selling books in this exciting new digital age.’
• Hayley Humphrey ’Nanowrimo: From writers’ block to 50,000 words, a novel written in a month.’
• Mary McGuire ‘Publish or self-publish? Which way do I go?’

ENTRY FREE           refreshments served

Book early to avoid disappointment

Contact: Malcolm Henson enquiries@hensoneditorial.com

Finding locally set fiction is always difficult, but Birmingham based publishers Pigeon Park Press have sought to remedy this with the Birmingham Readers’ Map. Novels, poetry and short stories all featuring a local flavour have been collected and compiled into a GoogleMaps-style map allowing book-lovers to browse and discover stories set just around the corner.

Now, authors featured on the Readers’ Map are coming together for a night of thrills, humour and entertainment at Brewsmiths Coffee & Tea shop at the Jewellery Quarter on 29^th September. Authors will be sharing excerpts of their latest books and even a few bespoke short stories in a night celebrating the diversity and creativity of Birmingham writers, before taking part in a Q&A panel where audience members will have the chance to quiz the authors on writing and publishing their own books, as well as the challenges and rewards of being an independent author.

Join us for the Birmingham Readers’ Map at Brewsmiths on 29^th September at 7:30pm in the Jewellery Quarter.

Tuesday 28 October, Beatbox in the Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 2ND, 2-5pm

Free (but please book)

A partnership event with Voices of War and Peace, an Arts & Humanities Research Council First World Engagement Centre, and Beatfreeks

Beatfreeks is an arts organisation supporting young, creative people to do what they love.

We’re a social enterprise, which means we use our resources and innovation to address social issues and benefit the broader community. We believe empowered, engaged and enabled young people are incredible catalysts for bringing about positive change, so our number one aim is providing platforms for growth and expression to young people.

Our core programme is run through five creative Academies – Poetry, Music, Dance, Media and Enterprise. In each Academy we run regular events, workshops and training opportunities. Almost all of our activity is youth-led, and we try our best to build progression routes and meaningful legacies into each of our opportunities. We exist to help young people develop and grow.

All of our workshops are free. To book a place please contact: voices@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Voices of War and Peace is an Arts & Humanities Research Council First World War Engagement Centre. Led by the University of Birmingham and based in the Library of Birmingham, the Centre supports community research projects, connecting academic and public histories of the First World War as part of the commemoration of the centenary.

Please visit the website for more information: www.voicesofwarandpeace.org

Twitter @Voices_WW1

Weekend workshops delivered by published authors in a beautiful rural location.
Booking now for our autumn 2014 programme
Crime Writing with million selling author Neil White – 6th &7th September 2014
Historical fiction with mystery writer Chris Nickson – 20th & 21st September 2014
New Heroic Fantasy with Adrian Tchaikovsky – 4th & 5th October 2014
Modern Romance with author and journalist Katy Regan – 18th & 19th October
For prices, bookings and more details, please visit www.goldenrock.co.uk or call Joanna on 01539 821513

Have you got what it takes to create online content? Think you can take the digital world by storm? FUTURE TALENT is your chance to create your very own original online drama or comedy pilot – and you can find out all about it at this free workshop led by Henry R Swindell (Development Producer, BBC Writersroom).
The session will take place at mac birmingham on 18 June from 7-8.30pm.

Book a free place at www.ideastap.com/spa

On Saturday 7 June between 14:00 and 16:00 you are invited to join a writing workshop at the Library of Birmingham.
Birmingham Writers Group members Heide Goody and Iain Grant will be running a Collaborative Writing Workshop.

Heide and Iain have written novels together for around three years and they have worked out lots of ways to have a fun time being creative in a team.
Even if you don’t want to write with someone else, you’ll get a creative boost from this lively workshop.

There is a nominal charge of £3 for the library to cover its costs.
Details here:
http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/event/Events/writingworkshop-7june

This is one of three events that Birmingham Writers’ Group is running at the Library of Birmingham as part of its Images Season.
We’ll keep you posted about the others as soon as they are available to view on the library’s own website.

HISTORICAL FICTION WRITING WORKSHOP
WEDNESDAY 25th JUNE 2014
10.00 – 4.00
LITTLE WITLEY VILLAGE HALL
Bank Road, Little Witley, Worcs.
Tutors: Sue Johnson & Heather King
Cost: £40
(includes tea, coffee & cake)
Please bring a packed lunch (kitchen facilities available)
For further details and to book a place, contact:
Heather King on 01886 888518 or Sue Johnson on 01386 446477

The following list of events has been sent to us by Jacqui Rowe of Flarestack Poets:

WORKSHOPS AT THE BARBER INSTITUTE
I’m very pleased by how popular my workshops at the Barber Institute have become. Booking is essential (see below for details)

VOYAGES
SATURDAY 24 MAY
1.30 – 4PM
Be inspired by the seascapes in our galleries and explore personal maps and journeys and write about the sea in its many forms…

MARBLE BRONZE WOOD STEEL
SATURDAY 28 JUNE
1.30 – 4PM
Embark on a treasure hunt for the hidden and unexpected artworks around the University of Birmingham campus! Be inspired in your writing by this diverse and eclectic range of sculpture, both inside and out, including works in the Barber Institute and the Campus Collection of Fine and Decorative Art.
Please bring suitable footwear for walking, and protection against bad weather.
This workshop,

FACE TO FACE
SATURDAY 19 JULY
1.30 – 4PM
In response to our Lasting Impressions exhibitions, this workshop looks at how we describe people and create characters. Explore these ideas and have the opportunity to write a dialogue by pairing two disparate portraits.
This workshop, led by Barber Write in Residence Jacqui Rowe, is suitable for writers of prose or poetry, at all levels of experience.

£6; £4 concessions & students per workshop. Limited spaces available – booking essential. To book, contact 0121 414 2261 or education@barber.org.uk.

www.barber.org.uk

POETRY BITES 7.30 pm 27th MAY
Guest poets for Poetry Bites in May are Roy Marshall and James Sheard. Floor spots are also available for you to share your own work with a supportive and appreciative audience. Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7SA (entry through Fletcher’s, a few yards up the road). To book a floor spot contact jacquirowe@hotmail.co.uk or arrive before 7.15 pm on the night. £5 (£4 concs) inc readers. Poetry bites receives no public funding so a fee is charged to cover room hire and to contribute to guests’ expenses.

FLARESTACK POETS SUBMISSIONS WINDOW
Flarestack Poets press, publisher of the year 2013 at the Michael Marks Awards and twice publisher of the Michael Marks pamphlet of the year is open for submissions until 31st May. For details see www.flarestackpoets.co.uk