Readers and Writers

Are you passionate about reading? Do you scribble stories in your spare time? Are you even a published author? Leicester Libraries runs a special information service for anyone who wants the very latest information about literature in Leicester. Subscribers receive regular updates about news, events and opportunities in addition to the monthly Book News newsletter. To subscribe send a blank e-mail titled: SUBSCRIBE READERS AND WRITERS to:
damien.walter@leicester.gov.uk

Short Story Contest Winner

The winner of the 3rd Annual Leicester and Leicestershire short story contest was announced in late August. The prize went to David White for his story, ‘Missed’, hailed by the judges as a ’playful, funny, sharply written story with a heart’. Second prize went to Siobhan Logan for her story ‘The Chatterbox’, a modern ghost story for the internet age. Also highly commended were stories by Nicholas Aris, Alison Dunne and Christopher Brookland. Congratulations to all ten of the shortlisted writers who were selected from over 170 entries, a major achievement in itself.

Man Booker Prize 2007

The shortlist for this year’s Man Booker prize is announced on 6th September. The prize promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. Recent winners include Kiran Desai, DBC Pierre and Ian Mckewan. The award attracts major publicity, even including betting at national book makers (the current favourite at time of writing is Nichola Barker for her novel Darkmans. But with great publicity comes great controversy, with the award often accused of elitism and a narrow idea of what makes a good book. What do you think? Will you be reading the longlist with glee, or do ‘Booker Books’ turn you right off? Let us know your opinion of the Booker, or your pick for this years winner by leaving a comment below.

For the full Booker longlist see:

www.themanbookerprize.com

UPDATE:

The shortlist for the Man Booker Prize was announced today. The final six are:

• Darkmans by Nicola Barker (Fourth Estate)
• The Gathering by Anne Enright (Jonathan Cape)
• The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Hamish Hamilton)
• Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (John Murray)
• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape)
• Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Simon & Schuster)

My Fat Mad Teenage Diary

The debut novel from Leicester based writer Rae Earl is released this month. ‘My Mad Fat Teenage Diary’ charts the teenage adventures of a young Rae Earl herself, as the novel is based directly on the authors own teenage diaries. Rae Earl will be familiar to many in Leicester as co-host of a local radio breakfast show. Read an exclusive interview with Rae Earl.

Rae Earl escaped from Lincolnshire in 1991 and crawled across the border to Hull University. She joined one of Britain’s biggest commercial radio groups in 1994 and has presented a breakfast show in the East Midlands for the past 6 years. She is less fat and mad these days but still loves Morrissey and wagon wheels. She beat her addiction to prawn cocktail crisps without the help of rehab. She’s 35 years old and lives in Leicester with her husband Kevin, who co-presents the breakfast show.

Book News
How does it feel to see your first book in print? Is it what you expected when you started writing?

Rae Earl
It’s odd. I know it’s my book. It’s what I wrote, it’s my life, it has my name on the front but it still seems completely surreal. I keep touching it and sniffing it. I was smelling it in Borders to some very strange looks. But it smells so nice!. So it’s a wonderful experience but a strange one. It’s better than I expected though. I hadn’t thought about people actually reading it – one woman emailed me to say it had kept her company on the journey from Hinckley to Wolverhampton. That’s a lovely thought – that a little part of your life is on trains and sofas and bedside tables.

Book News
‘My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary’ is based on your real life. What was your favourite part to remember and write about?

Rae Earl
The book is more than based on my life – it IS my real life from the my diaries written back in 1989. There was so much in my diaries that I had forgotten about. My favourite event that I had blotted from my brain was releasing my mum’s budgies from her backyard aviary as I thought they were akin to prisoners of conscience. Apart from that favourite bits include great memories of old cheesy nightclubs that are now executive flats and days where the most pressing issue was seemingly an essay on the pros and cons of Cardinal Wolsey. Of course it was also traumatic reading back on a time when I clearly spent much of my life in the midst of deep self loathing but even that was tempered by long forgotten details – like the fact that many of us at school wanted to lose our virginity to Philip Scofield.

Book News
You live in Leicester now. Do you think you will write any books based in the city?

Rae Earl
I think there is a great book in the lobsters in the fish market breaking free of their elastic bands and taking over. I like the thought of massive wet pincers smashing through the clock tower. You can tell by the standard of that idea I have no plans at present to write any books based in Leicester.

The History of Toys

The History of Toys, a talk by Phillip French
Wednesday 12th September, 2pm – 3pm
Central Lending Library, 54 Belvoir Street, Leicester
Information: 0116 2995402
FREE
Central Lending Library starts a new Library Club for the over 55s with talks on a range of subjects from Victorian Underwear to The History of Drinking and Textiles from West Africa. The Library Club will meet once a month in the lower ground floor. Refreshments provided. September’s guest speaker is Phillip French, curator of Newarke Houses museum on the history of toys.

WORD with Andy Craven Griffiths

WORD
1st Wednesday in every month
BAMBU Bar, Weford Rd
Leicester’s premiere spoken word night continues, showcasing the city’s lyrical talented and bringing the best spoken word artsist from around the nation right to your doorstep. Take part in the open.mic or just come along and watch. Future guest acts include Andy Craven Griffiths (September), Aoife Manix (October) Malika Booker (November) and Kevin Feegan (December)
www.myspace.com/wordleicester

Literature East Midlands

A new website for writers has been launched by the Literature Network. Literature East Midlands gives comprehensive listings of the region’s distinctive festivals and live literature events, news and information, an A-Z of published writers resident in the region, useful directories and signposts, listings for writing groups and networks, plus details of opportunities to get involved with literature projects and professional development available near you. The site will grow and change reflecting how the region’s literature communities continue to develop, so visit regularly to find out what’s new!
http://www.literatureeastmidlands.co.uk/

Writing School Leicester Sep 07 – Mar 08

Writing School Leicester
Course Programme September 07 – March 08
Whether you are a secret scribbler, a relatively new writer, or borderline professional, Writing School Leicester offers a creative writing course for you. The school offers courses in writing novels and short stories, theatre and screen plays, poetry and non-fiction including journalism with experienced and skilled tutors. For more details download the brochure below.

writing-school-leicester-sept07-mar08-brochuredoc.pdf

Lapidus Conference 2007

Lapidus Conference 2007
7th to 9th
September 2007
New Hall, Leicester University, Leicester
www.lapidus.org.uk/conference
Lapidus (Creative Writing for Health & Well Being), are holding their annual conference this year in Leicester. This year’s conference is based on the theme of Footprints. Presentations and workshops will use creative writing to explore the marks we carry (our heritage, our ancestry, our experiences…) and the marks we leave behind (our legacies, our impact on other people, on society and on the environment). Featuring keynote speakers Roselle Angwin, Satish Kumar and Prof Sue Thomas. For more information see: www.lapidus.org.uk/conference

BBC Writer’s Room – Open Page

Here’s the chance to test out your work with an informal industry group. Submit your work to an Open Page evening and get your latest script up on its feet with the help of attending actors. To find out more see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/open_page.shtml