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Category Archives: Events and diary dates

June 2, 2019 · 2:58 pm

One for the diary coming soon. Info. from www.literaryfestivals.co.uk A resource of merit

BeaconLit – The Beacon Villages festival of books and writing

Celebrating a seventh year in 2019, BeaconLit is a one-day event that combines a high quality literary festival with an intimate village atmosphere. Entirely staffed and run by volunteers, the festival raises funds for the Beacon Villages Community Library that serves the villages surrounding the Ivinghoe Beacon landmark in the heart of thee beautiful Chilterns.

This year’s lineup includes author panels, live interviews and interactive sessions, featuring debut authors, crime writers, indie talents, TV and stage stars, broadcasters and much more!

beaconlit-2019

When? Saturday, July 13 2019

Where? Brookmead School High Street Ivinghoe Buckinghamshire LU79EX ,United Kingdom

Who? 2019 – ROBERT DAWES: TV (including Poldark) and stage actor and bestselling thriller writer; LEIGH RUSSELL: Bestselling crime novelist and chair of Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger judges; JANE WENHAM- JONES: author, journalist, presenter, interviewer, creative writing tutor, writing competition judge, and speaker; QUENTIN BATES: Author, translator and co-founder of Icelandic Noir Festival; PLUS Morgen Bailey, Alison Bruce, West Camel, Adina Campbell, Jane Davis, Noelle Holten, Lesley Lodge, Fiona Vigo Marshall, A B Morgan, Dave Sivers and Georgia Twynham

Website? www.beaconlit.co.uk

Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beaconlit/511914575539675

Twitter?@BeaconLit1

Festival Director? 2019- Dave Sivers

Established? 2013

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May 17, 2019 · 2:53 am

One for the diary coming soon. Info. from www.literaryfestivals.co.uk A resource of merit

The Buckingham Literary Festival

buckingham_literary_festival

A four day Festival of authors, poets, dramatists and commentators with over 20 events all in the charming market town of Buckingham. From politics to poetry, from history to current affairs, comedy to crime – there is something for everyone.

When? June 14th – 16th, 2019

Where? The Radcliffe Centre, Buckingham, MK18 1EG

Who? 2019 – Louis de Bernieres, Elif Shafak, Luke Jennings, Conn Iggulden, Terry Waite, Nick Hewer, Harry Baker, Kathy Slack, Christopher Lee, Victoria Hislop, Adrian Wooldridge, Matthew Stadlen, Jane Wenham-Jones, Annabelle Dowler, Sunny Ormonde, Maggie Gee, Fanny Blake,Amanda Malben, Violet Moller, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Julie Summers, Omar Meziane, Charles Cumming, Gerogina Godwin, Euan Cameron, Charles Ellilngworth, Leslie Cavendish, Annabel Leventon, Alison Baverstock, Gangsta Granny, Susannah Stapleton, Castle Theatre Company.

Download the 2019 Programme (PDF 2.70MB)

Website? Tickets and further information on Buckingham Literary Festival

Twitter? @bucklitfest 

Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/bucklitfest

Festival Director? Christopher Woodhead.

Established? 2016

 

 

 

 

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May 3, 2019 · 7:14 am

Ilkley Literature Festival

Get Writing: Our 2019 Competitions Are Open

We are pleased to announce that our hotly anticipated annual poetry
and short story writing competitions are now open for entries.

2019 Walter Swan Poetry Prize
Now in its fourth year, the Walter Swan Poetry Prize is open to all writers of poetry aged 18 and over. Previous prize winners have been praised for their unique voices, precise use of language, powers of observation and use of fresh imagery, and qualities such as lyricism and musicality.

The prize will be judged by the 2019 Festival Poet-in-Residence, who will be announced shortly. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed poems will win a share of prize money totalling £375 and be invited to read their poems on stage at an event at 2019 Ilkley Literature Festival this October.

  • Entries can be on any subject.
  • Poems should be no longer than 30 lines.
  • Entry fees: £5 per poem for entrants aged over 25, and £2.50 per poem for entrants aged under 25
  • 1st prize winner will receive £200, 2nd prize £100 and 3rd prize £75

Closing date for receipt of entries: Wednesday 31 July 2019, 11.30pm

Click here for full terms and conditions and to enter the 2019 Walter Swan Poetry Prize

Aged 18-25? Keep reading…

The poetry prize is run by Ilkley Literature Festival in partnership with The Walter Swan Trust. Established in memory of writer Walter Swan, the Trust promotes all forms of creative writing and has a particular interest in providing opportunities to young and new writers.

In this spirit, the 2019 Walter Swan Poetry Prize is providing extra incentives for poets aged 18-25 years to enter the competition. Firstly, we’re making it easier for younger writers to enter the competition by reducing the entry fees for those aged 25 and under to just £2.50 per poem.

Secondly, for no additional fee, entrants aged 18-25 will automatically be entered into consideration for a brand new subcategory prize for young adult writers, as well as for the main prize (it will be possible for an eligible entrant to win both!).

The top placed poems within the 18-25 years subcategory will be decided by festival’s 2019 Apprentice Poet-in-Residence, usually an emerging young poet themselves.

The winners of the subcategory will be invited to read their poems on stage at a 2019 Ilkley Literature Festival event, showcasing a new generation of rising poets, and will share £225 of total prize money (1st prize £100, 2nd prize £75, 3rd prize £50).

Click here for full terms and conditions and to enter the 2019 Walter Swan Poetry Prize

2019 ILF Short Story Competition
Last year’s short story competition prize winners featured an eerie masterclass in ghostly tension, a guttural family story of absence and the unsaid, and a tale simultaneously bizarre comedy and heart-wrenching psychodrama.

What surprises, narrative invention and beautiful crafted voices will the 2019 competition bring?

The winner will be selected by a panel of judges, with the final decision being made by a head judge (a professional fiction writer soon to be announced) and will be judged on literary merit, originality and readability.

The winning author, plus the shortlisted runners up, will be invited to read at the 2019 Ilkley Literature Festival in October. The winner will also take home a prize of £200.

  •   Entries can be on any subject
  •   Short stories should between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length
  •   Closing date for receipt of entries: Wednesday 31 July 2019, 11.30pm

Click here for full terms and conditions and to enter the 2019 Short Story Competition

Volunteer at ILF19

Would you like to join our team of volunteers that help make the Ilkley Literature Festival happen each year?

During the Festival, and in the run-up to October each year, the ILF team is helped by a small army of volunteers without whom the Festival wouldn’t be possible. Our volunteers help the festival run in many ways, including:

  • Setting out venues ready for events
  • Greeting ticket holders, answering queries and giving directions
  • Taking tickets on venue doors
  • Seating the audience when venue doors open
  • Working the microphones during Q&A sessions
  • Sitting in on events
  • Serving refreshments at special events or in one of our café bars

Applications to join the volunteer team are open now and until Friday 2 August 2019Click here for more information and to apply

Dates For Your Diary:

Ilkley Literature Festival 2019: 4 – 20 October
Programme announced: 14 August
Tickets on sale: 27 August

 
Photo on Visual Hunt
Copyright © 2019 Ilkley Literature Festival, All rights reserved.

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March 24, 2019 · 10:34 pm

Minehead Literary Festival

A recent visit  to my Exmoor home reminded me of an event  taking place shortly

minehead_literary_festivalThe festival features presentations by four leading writers with ties to the area who will explore the importance of place in their writing.

To celebrate the Minehead Literary Festival a short story competition, with classes for adults and children, is being organised in the run-up to the festival. And an art exhibition will run from April 2 to May 6 at the Regal Theatre and Toucan Wholefoods with work by established local artists which will also focus on the theme of the importance of place.

When? Saturday April 27th

Where? Methodist Church Hall, 7 The Avenue, Minehaed, Somerset TA24 5AW

Website? http://www.mineheadliteraryfestival.org

Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/mineheadliteraryfestival/

Who? Tessa Hadley, who heads the line-up of speakers at the festival, has just published her seventh novel Late in the Day to rave reviews, hailing her as ‘one of Britain’s finest writers of contemporary fiction’ (Thea Lenarduzzi, Vogue) and ‘one of the greatest stylists alive’ (Ron Charles, Washington Post).

BBC radio producer, writer and bird watcher Tim Dee will share his knowledge of the area and particularly his insights into the natural world. Tim is an exceptionally original storyteller, mixing autobiography with nature writing to captivating effect.

Best-selling author Pamela Holmes has been fascinated by the area since she lived and worked on a farm on Exmoor in the 1970s. Her warm and heartfelt novel Wyld Dreamers was published last Autumn and is loosely based on those experiences.

For the younger audience popular local writer Victoria Eveleigh will be giving an illustrated presentation about her much-loved series of books Katy’s Exmoor Ponies and The Horseshoe Trilogy. Tea Time with Tortie offers a chance to meet the best contemporary writer of pony stories around.

Festival Director? A non-hierarchical collective! Victoria Thomas, Monica Hartwel,l Fi Windle, Janet Styles, Pat Younger

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November 15, 2018 · 10:10 am

For those who like to write the Gothic genre or would like a change, info courtesy of Short Stops

A Gothic Short Story Writing Competition
Hosted by Tavistock Library https://www.facebook.com/TavistockLibrary/ and supported by Tavistock Heritage Trust https://www.heritageintavistock.org/ as part of ‘Tavistock’s 1st Gothic and Neo-Gothic Celebration – Literature, Art, Architecture, Theatre, Film and Creative Fun.’

From Saturday the 12th of October and culminating in a market and author event on Saturday the 19th of October 2019.

This new celebration aims to encompass writing, film, drama and art activities.  There will be a Gothic market for writers and traders to showcase their work, and a range of related events.

Theme: A short story in the Gothic tradition incorporating folklore and myth.

Prizes: A cash prize will be offered to the overall winner 30% of all entry receipts will form the prize fund. There will also be a second prize of 30% of all the entry fees awarded to a ‘Gothic’ story based in Tavistock and incorporating its Gothic and Neo-Gothic Heritage. Additional runners-up prizes of books will also be awarded. The prize winners will be notified approximately two weeks prior to the prize giving. The remaining 40% of the entry fees will be used for administration costs and for festival and library events.

 

Presentation of the Prizes: The results will be announced, and the prizes presented at an event to be during the celebration.

Judging: The judging will be in two stages. The final short list of stories will be judged by a panel of librarians, authors and publishers. Shortlisted entries will be ranked by a final judging panel.

Tips: The judges will be looking for interesting and original stories that are factually correct where appropriate.

Publication: Depending on the number and quality of the entries received an e-anthology may be published.

A Gothic Short Story Writing Competition
For anyone over the age of 18

Rules and Conditions of Entry

  1. Entries must be in English, original and not previously published in any form or broadcast, and no longer than 1500 words (adult).
  2. Closing date: May 31st
  3. Results: Available to the public from the 12th of October 2019.
  4. Entries must be typewritten or word-processed on single-sided A4 paper, in 12-point typeface, double (or 1.5 times) spaced. Each page must carry the name of the story in the header or footer and pages must be numbered. Do not put your name on the story pages. Please attach a cover sheet with your name, address, telephone and if possible your e-mail contact details, title of your story, and word count. Entries may be emailed to wilkins@librariesunlimited.org.uk and a copy to myfanwyc@btinternet.com
  5. Entries may be delivered by hand or by post to Go Gothic – Flash Fiction Competition to Tavistock Library, The Quay, Plymouth Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8HF, England. Please include your payment by cheque (in sterling) made payable to The Friends of Tavistock Library or BACS Transfer: Account name: Friends of Tavistock Library, Account number: 32152922, Sort code: 602149. Payment may also be made in cash at Tavistock Library.
  6. Entry fees: Adults – £3 for first entry, £2 for second or subsequent entry. If you intend to submit multiple entries, please submit all entries together.
  7. No manuscripts will be retained so contestants must keep a copy of their work.
  8. Copyright remains with the author.
  9. If acknowledgement of receipt is required, please include a stamped and addressed postcard.
  10. The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
  11. In accordance with the 2018 European Union General Data Protection Regulation Act (EU GDPR) your information will not be kept on a data base or used for marketing purposes and we will only contact you to tell you if you have won the competition and when all the logos will be on display.
  12. Entry to the competition implies acceptance of the rules.

 

 

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October 26, 2018 · 4:05 pm

One for the diary.Information courtesy of www.literaryfestivals.co.uk

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October 2, 2018 · 10:13 am

An interesting proposition

WRITERS! WANT TO INSPIRE WITH YOUR CREATIVITY?

If you’re aged 18 or older and have a passion for writing, we are now accepting submissions for our 2018 writing competition.

READ Foundation has teamed up with prize-winning novelist and fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Qaisra Shahraz to launch this year’s contest.

The entry guidelines are simple: a poem, short story or first person essay on the theme of “My education helped me….”. This does not mean the writing has to start with this phrase, but this theme must be felt throughout the work. Submissions must be a maximum of 500 words and should be received before midnight on 10th October 2018.

We know how important education is in a young person’s life. Which is why we want entrants to help inspire the next generation of creatives by telling them all about the role education played in their own lives. We’re open to entries from all walks of life and abilities, so you don’t need to be a professional to enter: simply write from the heart.

The winning entry will be displayed in hundreds of READ Foundation schools to inspire today’s students. It will also be published on READ Foundation’s website. The winner and two runners up will also receive feedback on their work from Ms Shahraz.

 

Short story and poetry judge Qaisra Shahraz

 

I love reading and writing – writing can be an incredibly inspiring tool, taking the imagination to amazing places and experiences.

As an educationist and lover of learning, I really value READ Foundation’s incredible work in promoting and offering education to those who need it – such amazing work and achievement, led by an amazing team.

I am really glad this competition will encourage writers to inspire young minds with their words. Above all else, it is about the importance of education: how it literally transforms lives and gives children a passport to a better world.

I’m really looking forward to reading the entries and seeing how different entrants have approached the topic of education.

The tone must be inspiring. The children who will see the winning entry have fought very hard to get to school – some walking hours a day. Reading an inspiring story or poem will, I’m sure, offer them a lot of encouragement and a goal to achieve and do well in education themselves.

– Qaisra Shahraz, (Biography)

Terms & Conditions

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October 2, 2018 · 4:09 am

Flash Fiction February 2019 from Fictive Dream

The submissions window for Fictive Dream’s Flash Fiction February 2019 is now open. 

During Flash Fiction February we will feature a new piece of flash fiction throughout February 2019. That’s a new story, every day, starting on 1 February for the entire month. As always we’re interested in stories with a contemporary feel.

We’ve put a squeeze on our usual word count though, so only stories of between 200 – 750 words please.

Read our Flash Fiction February submission guidelines here.

Check out the Fictive Dream website here.

For those of you who prefer to write longer stories we remain open to standard submissions (500 – 2,500 words). 

We’re looking forward to receiving your best work!

Laura Black
Editor

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August 17, 2018 · 1:27 pm

Bad Moon Rising

Calling #Horror #Thriller and #Paranormal #IndieAuthors For #BadMoonRising

ON  BY TERI POLENIN BAD MOON RISING

Spots are still available!

For the month of October, Books & Such will again be featuring Bad Moon Rising!  If you’re an indie author of horror, thriller, or paranormal books and would like to be featured, send me your info.  Free publicity, book sales (hopefully!), new authors to follow, and more books to buy – what’s not to like?

Each post will feature one of your releases, a blurb, author bio, social media links, buy links, and a short interview.  If you’d like to include a giveaway or have alternative ideas for your post, I’m open to suggestions.

This is the fourth year of Bad Moon Rising and spots tend to fill up fast, so if you’d like to be included, email me at tpolen6@gmail.com.

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