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The Independent on Sunday Travel Writing Contest 2007 |
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Tuesday, 13 March 2007 |
 Bradt Travel Guides
The Independent on Sunday
Travel-writing Competition 2007
For 2007 the competition visits the theme of ‘A chance encounter’ combined with an essential strong emphasis on travel. As the number and quality of entries has grown so prizes have become commensurately more tempting. This year’s winner will see their entry published in The Independent on Sunday and receive a further 1,200 word travel commission. The inspiration for their new copy will be found in the third aspect of their prize, an exotic 7-night holiday for two in Sri Lanka featuring luxury accommodation at Vil Uyana, Sigiriya, the Lighthouse Hotel & Spa, Galle, Tropical Villas, Beruwala and Ayurveda Pavillions, Negombo, courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines and Jetwing Hotels and Travel.
The competition is open to all writers, published or unpublished, and invites submissions not exceeding 800 words. For the first time the competition also includes a further prize category specifically for unpublished writers. In this new category First prize of a place on a creative-writing course in Granada, Spain, has been provided by Travellers’ Tales, the UK's leading training agency for travel writing and photography (www.travellerstales.org).
A previous winner Sara Evans reports: ‘Winning a competition like this helped fast-forward my career. I now regularly write for the broadsheets as well as international publications.’
Entries are to be judged by the editorial staff at Bradt Travel Guides and the travel editor of The Independent on Sunday. The final winners will be selected by Douglas Schatz, managing director of the UK’s leading travel bookshop, Stanfords, and the closing date for entries is Tuesday 17 April 2007. Shortlisted entrants will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony held at Stanfords in London on Tuesday 17 July. For further information see www.bradtguides.com |
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Cargo Fever - Come to the Launch! |
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Friday, 09 March 2007 |
 On March 29th 2007, Birmingham Words editor Will Buckingham will be launching his first novel, Cargo Fever. Published by award-winning press, Tindal Street, and drawing on experiences and travels in obscure corners of Indonesia, the novel tells the tale of Englishman Sam Rivers's attempts to smuggle a semi-human creature from the forests of Sumatra to the northern coast of Australia. Publishing News have already called the book an ‘exotic adventure novel, thronging with picaresque characters, raucous magic and unfamiliar customs.’
The launch event will be held in Waterstones on Birmingham High Street (note, that this is not the Waterstones in the middle of New Street, but is the one a bit further down towards the Bull Ring). All Birmingham Words visitors are welcome to come along and join the fun.
Doors will open at 6pm and wine will be served to loosen us all up. Then there will be readings and an interview starting some time around 6.45, and of course the chance to get your very own signed copy. From 8pm onwards we'll then be retiring to the Sunflower Lounge, one of Birmingham's hippest independent venues, to celebrate in style with DJ Owen Davies providing an array of quirky tunes. Feel free to join us for some or all of the evening's proceedings.
If you would like to come, it would help if you could let us know either by contacting Birmingham Words using the contact form (click "Contact" on the menu above) or by sending a quick e-mail to the publishers on info@tindalstreet.org.uk. Do also feel free to bring as many of your bibliophile friends as you can - just give us a rough idea of how many might be coming!
If you can't make it to the launch, you can still snap up a copy of the book by going to Amazon. The following link should take you right there:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cargo-Fever-Will-Buckingham/dp/0955138426/
You can pre-order a copy so that it should arrive soon after the launch. For those further afield, the book is also available on amazon.fr and amazon.de, and is coming soon from amazon.com.
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Wednesday, 07 March 2007 |
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 Poetry lovers take note! Here at Birmingham Words, we've just received a copy of Poet Lauren's wonderful collection, The White, an exquisite gem of a book, beautifully designed and stitched by hand, and if you know what's good for you, you'll get yourself a copy straight away. Remarkably, The White costs absolutely nothing. All you have to do to get a copy is go to Lauren's website at http://www.poetlauren.co.uk/, and you can order a book by e-mail.
Spare, finely-judged and with some wonderfully precise and often quirky imagery, The White is a fine collection at any price.
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Jennifer McCartney Interview |
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Monday, 05 March 2007 |
 We've just published an interview here at Birmingham Words, with new Canadian novelist Jennifer McCartney whose novel Afloat was published by Penguin on Feburary 22nd. McCartney's book, set on a small island in Northern Michigan, has already had glowing reviews in such august publications as the Scotsman.
In our interview we ask her about bicycles, whitefish, romance, how to manage parallel narratives, and the delights of Glasgow.
To read the interview, click here.
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Thursday, 01 March 2007 |
 Those tired of traditional media may be interested in a new experiment in collaborative news-writing from Staffordshire. Sweeble (www.sweeble.com) is based in Tutbury, Staffordshire, and they are looking for writers and commentators to contribute material.
The website allows anyone to publish their own stories and writing about things that are happening in their own life, workplace or community, without an editor deciding whether it should be published. The site focuses on first person writing and covers everything from family issues, to personal tales of struggle and celebration, to events listings and news commentary. But its core is about real people talking to each other about what’s important to them - and telling their story exactly the way they want to tell it.
The website was launched and is run by Sue Greenwood - a former news editor and journalist – and is free. Sweeble is still very new (they only launched Jan 5) but is doubling traffic each day and, even though it’s a UK-based website, they already have members from across the globe – China, Philippines, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, India, as well as the US, Canada and Australia, offering a great way to get your writing seen by a global audience.
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Tuesday, 27 February 2007 |
 Written reports and roving reporting, Radio Knex3 (a project dedicated to enthusiastic activity in the 3 estates Kings Norton, Birmingham) is now up and running. As well as downloadable audio interviews, the site now current publishes articles. Currently - the story local resident, John Hedgeland, who spent 8 years researching the history of Primrose Hill Farm (the oldest building in Birmingham). Built in the 1500’s, last used in the 1970’s and disowned by a bankrupt landlord, the site now looks like it may be turned into sheltered accommodation. Read more at www.knex3.org
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Monday, 19 February 2007 |
Open Poetry Ltd have recently announced the launch on 10 January 2007 of its inaugural International Sonnet Competition, closing on 31 October 2007. The judging panel comprises Susan Bassnett, Jacqueline Osherow (USA poet) and Don Paterson. First prize is £1400. Full details and on-line entry form can be found at www.sonnetcompetition.com
Leaflets (including a postal entry form) can also be ordered from the website.
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Friday, 16 February 2007 |
Birmingham Libraries in partnership with Innovate Solutions (UK) are pleased to prsent Birmingham's first Muslim Writers Awards Evening on 28 March.
If you would like to take part in the awards, all you need to do is submit your work for one of the following categories:
- Poetry
- Novels
- Short story
- Non fiction
- Biography
- Young Writers (under 16's)
The closing date for submissions is 28 Feb. The judges include: Emma Hargrave (Tindal St Press), Moazzem Begg, Qaisra Shahraz, Shamshad Khan & others.
Writers can submit work to more than one category. To find out more go to http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/muslimwriters
The Awards Evening will celebrate and reflect the creative work by muslims in Birmingham today and I do hope you will be able to take part. The evening will be covered by Islam Channel and they will also sponsor one of the awards.
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I Dream of Accra With the Long Blong 'Fro |
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Tuesday, 06 February 2007 |
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 If you though you understood Africa in relation to your own life in the West, even just a little, think again…
Africa attacks all the senses – an unparalleled cacophony of sounds, smells, colours and feelings from a continent with a rich, magnificent history and deep rooted culture. I Dream of Accra… captures this frenzied spirit in an epic multimedia poem featuring African and European musicians, poets, storytellers, DJs rappers and visual artists, including novelist Patrick Neate, Tunde Jegede and his string quartet, MC poet B.R.I.E.S. and Kelly Budge from Your Mum.
Thu 15 Mar, 7.30pm @ The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston,
Birmingham, B6 4UU
Admission: £5
(*Special offer – 2 for the price of 1 until 12/03/07, and for group bookings buy 5 and get 1 free*)
For further information please contact The Drum 0121 333 2444
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