Stories Drummed to Polar Skies

Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester University Sat. 28th June at 7.30 pm
Leicester poet Siobhan Logan blends northern mythology, auroral science and songs from Norway’s Saami people to evoke the magic of an Arctic journey (sponsored by Leicester University’s Radio and Space Plasma Physics Group). In the middle of a Leicester summer, we will make you shiver under arctic skies. Hear the stories people of that region made up about the lights. Learn what the scientists can tell us about the aurora. And let us transport you to one of the last wildernesses .
www.siobhanlogan.co.uk

Macmillan New Writing Scheme

Each year, Macmillan Publishers aim to put two or three undiscovered authors into print. To find out more about this initiative, come and listen to (and meet) commissioning editor Will Atkins, who will be talking at Leicester Writers’ Club on Thursday July 3rd, 7-9pm, Small Hall, Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington St. £3/2 on the door.

Phrased and Confused

As part of our third Phrased & Confused outing, the hub is looking to commission four spoken word artists to create new material for our Phrased & Confused festival tent, which will be part of this year’s Summer Sundae Weekender in Leicester between 8-10th August. Phrased & Confused explores the creative common ground between lyrics and spoken word, so we’re very excited to be part of one of the UK’s best boutique music festivals.

www.thehubuk.com
www.phrasedandconfused.co.uk

The London Magazine and Tresspass magazine

The next issue of The London Magazine is Middle Eastern themed, and we need submissions of poetry, pitches of ideas for articles and reviews. Deadline: June 1, short stories word count: less than 2000 preferred, articles 800-1200 words. Thereafter we have an unthemed issue (August/September, deadline August 1), and an Anglo/Indian issue (October/November, deadline:
October 1)

Trespass magazine
More experimental work is needed for this magazine, and we urgently need more submissions of play extracts. These can be in devolopment, or produced; word count: 600. Monologues work particularly well, as you want to choose something which gives you a sense of character, context and a taste for wanting to know what comes next. We are also always looking for poetry, short fiction, creative ideas which explore the idea of crossing boundaries–we need people to be
brave and suggest things that no other magazine would want to do. Next issue theme: Utopia/Dystopia (August/ September issue), deadline for work July 1. Word count same as above.

www.thelondonmagazine.net / www.trespassmagazine.co.uk

Amnesty Playwrighting Contest

Amnesty International and iceandfire announce the Protect the Human Playwriting competition 2008. We want to find the best new plays that make real and relevant the impact of human rights issues on our everyday lives.

Finalists will receive readings of their play at the Soho Theatre in December 2008 with the winning playwright awarded a prize of £3000 + readings in London, Leeds, Birmingham and Plymouth on the 10th December 2008, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Please forward to your networks and for more information contact Sara Masters at protectthehuman@iceandfire.co.uk
www.iceandfire.co.uk
www.amnesty.org.uk

Chroma Journal Contest

Poem category for poems of up to 50 lines. For a further £15 writers will receive a critique of their poem/story. Judges: Robert Gluck, Betsy Warland, Sarah Waters and Stella Duffy. First prize £300.
Entry Fee: £5 for each poem or story
Chroma Writing Competition, PO Box 44655, London N16 0WQ
www.chromajournal.co.uk

Jet Blast and the Hand of Fate

John Ackroyd ( who has worked with anybody who is anybody in speed records, Richard Noble, Richard Branson and The Formula Gravity team) will be signing copies of his book ‘Jet Blast and the hand of fate’ at Waterstones bookshop in Market Harborough, Leicestershire between 11.00a.m. and 2.00p.m. on Thursday June 19th along with Top Fiction Writer Sue Moorcroft who shares a love of fast cars and is currently promoting her latest novel ‘Family Matters’ the highly acclaimed follow up to ‘Uphill All The Way’ Admission is FREE and all raffle proceeds go to LOROS.

Leicester Writers Club Anthology

Thursday 22nd May, 7pm
Adult Education College
To request a place e-mail: anthology@inspiringwords.co.uk

‘Making a Mark’ is a landmark publication showcasing writing from across Leicestershire and celebrating 50 years of the existence of Leicester Writer’s Club.

More than forty local writers have contributed to the project. They encompass a wide diversity of age, background and culture. At the launch you will be able to listen to extracts from the anthology and meet the people who make up Leicester Writers’ Club, a community of writers dedicated to supporting creativity in Leicestershire.

Meet Hanif Kureishi

Thursday 15th May, 7pm
Leicester Adult Education College
Wellington Street, LE1 6HL
Phoenix Arts Box Office: 0116 2554854
Tickets: £3

Hanif Kureishi is the author of novels including The Buddha of Suburbia (Winner of the Whitbread award), The Black Album and Intimacy and screenplays including My Beautiful Laundrette (Nominated for Best Screenplay Academy Award), My Son the Fanatic and Venus. His latest novel is Something to Tell You.

At this unique event Niki Bedi of the BBC Asian Network will interview Hanif Kureishi about his life and work. The event will also include a reading from his new work and questions from the audience. Copies of Something to Tell You will be available to be signed by the author.

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Presented by Leicester Libraries, Writing School Leicester, Mehfil-E-Shayeri, Leicester Adult Learning Service and the BBC Asian Network

Creative Writing Taster Session led by Bead Roberts

Monday 19th May, 1-2pm
Westcotes Library
FREE

Have you always wanted to write but didn’t know where to begin? Have you done some writing but are uncertain how to move on? If so, this writing taster is designed with you in mind. Short shared exercises will free your creativity and help you to recognise where your talents lie. If at the end of the taster, you wish to take your writing further, information and advice will be available on courses with Writing School Leicester.