Litfest

April 20, 2010

Orange Prize Shortlist announced

Filed under: Jonathan Bean, news — Tags: , , , , — Jonathan Bean @ 11:35 am

There was delight in the Litfest office this morning when we got the news that recent Litfest guest Monique Roffey had made it through to the shortlist for the 2010 Orange Prize!

Monique’s book “The White Woman on the Green Bicycle” (Simon & Schuster £12.99) has made it to the final judging stage alongside Hilary Mantel, Barbara Kingsolver, Rosie Alison, Attica Locke and Lorrie Moore. Nice also to see that 4 of the 6 books are from Independents (2 from Faber and 1 from both Alma and Serpent’s Tail).

Whilst visiting Litfest in March, Monique told us how she received numerous rejections from various publishers for her book, before it was finally accepted by Simon & Schuster. Monique lived in Lancaster for a spell whilst studying for her Creative Writing MA at Lancaster University. Her first novel Sun Dog was published in 2002.

Copies of  “White Woman on the Green Bicycle” are available from the Litfest Poetry Bookcase.Monique Roffey©J.Proctor

“This shortlist achieves the near impossible of combining literary merit with sheer readability,” said chair of judges Daisy Goodwin.

The winner of the £30,000 prize is announced on 9th June.

The shortlist:

The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison (Alma Books)

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (Faber)

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke (Serpent’s Tail)

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Fourth Estate)

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore (Faber)

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey (S&S)

April 7, 2010

Templar Poetry Pamphlet competition 2010

If you’ve been into the Poetry Bookcase recently, you’ll have seen a selection of the rather lovely poetry books published by Templar Press.

Templar Poetry is now in its fifth year and is currently inviting submissions for the 2010 Templar Poetry Pamphlet & Collection Prizes. As you may know the prizes offer an opportunity for four winners to have their submissions published in Templar’s widely praised pamphlet format, and to to submit a full collection for later publication. Templar are committed to publishing excellent new poetry and are delighted that three of their first collection poets have been shortlisted in major book prizes, and several of their pamphlet poets have gone on to receive recognition in many awards and prizes.

Templar appoint a new judge each year and all work is read anonymously and judged purely on merit. Submissions may be sent online or by post and the latest date for submission is 8th May 2010. This year the Judge is Pat Winslow, herself one of the previous winners of the Pamphlet Prize.

Shortlisted poets have the opportunity to have poems published in Templar’s annual anthology, from which they also occasionally commision full collections. Many of the poets published in Templar’s anthologies have also gone on to have their work published by other poetry presses and recognised in other major poetry prizes.

The four winning writers, along with anthology poets, are offered an opportunity to read at the Derwent Poetry Festival in Derbyshire, where Templar celebrate the publication of their new titles each autumn.

Recently the role of the pamphlet (or chapbook) in contemporary poetry in developing and opening opportunities in the writing careers of new poets has been more widely recognised with the establishment, in 2009, of a major new prize, the Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets, supported by the British Library and the Michael Marks Trust. This prize is a significant recognition of the role of the poetry pamphlet throughout the British Isles in offering modern poetry to new readers and audiences.

Further information is available on the Templar Poetry website.

January 12, 2010

Spotlight Workshop

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — Jonathan Bean @ 5:49 pm

Friday February 19th

Spotlight Performance Workshop

2.30 – 4.30pm at The Storey Creative Industries Centre,
Meeting House Lane, Lancaster LA1 1TH

Faciitator: Sarah Hymas

Fee: £5

Develop confidence and skills to give engaging performances of your work.

This workshop will look at the importance of warming up, voice work and the power of movement and stillness.
It’ll be two hours of interaction, a little bit of physical exertion, interspersed with play, shouting and listening.

Please bring a piece of work, preferably memorised, comfortable clothes and an open mind to the afternoon.

Sarah Hymas has been writing for performance and performing her poetry and fiction for seven years,
in collaboration with other writers, musicians and solo. She is also a puppeteer, and aspires to entertain all
her audiences, whatever their age.

More info about her can be found at

http://sarahhymas.blogspot.com/

To Book EMAIL: spotlightclub@btinternet.com

November 27, 2009

Elizabeth Burns – The Shortest Days

Elizabeth Burns Earlier this year it was announced that the Lancaster poet and writing teacher Elizabeth Burns won the first Michael Marks Award for Poetry Pamphlets for her collection, The Shortest Days.

The £5,000 prize was set up to highlight how effective pamphlets – defined in this case as a booklet of up to 36 pages – can be in introducing new poetry to readers. The Shortest days may only be 12 pages long, but was praised by the judges for it’s use of  “a limited, light palette, which creates special, lyrical effects, particularly with her use of snow, and the colour white… this is gradually layered across the book, and all the judges felt that the play of light over the whole book was really very moving. It combines skill and direct engagement with the reader.”

shortest “The Shortest Days” is published by Galdragon Press. The initial print run has already sold out, and the pamphlet is currently listed as being out of print, but luckily the Poetry Bookcase has copies still available. Act quick to get your copy.


November 25, 2009

The Flax Bookshelf

Filed under: Jonathan Bean, Poetry Bookcase, news — Tags: , , , — Jonathan Bean @ 4:46 pm

All our lovely flax publications in one place… click on any of the publications to browse it in full.

November 13, 2009

Now open – the Litfest Poetry Bookcase

Filed under: Jonathan Bean, Poetry Bookcase — Tags: , — Jonathan Bean @ 2:44 pm

bookcase-img

Taking its name from the very lovely Grade II listed bookcase which stands in the Litfest office, the Litfest Poetry bookcase is now open to the public.

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes for some time now to get to this point, and we’re very excited about it, so do please come by, browse lots of poetry books you’d normally never find on the high street bookshelves, buy a volume (or two – one to keep, one to give!) and let us know what you think.

We feel it’s a rare treat to have somewhere to browse and buy small press poetry books, and the stock will continue to grow, so do come back regularly and check what’s new.

We’ll be sending out news from the Poetry Bookcase occasionally, so if you’re not already signed up to the Litfest mailing list you can do so from our homepage.

9781900072878 v0_master grubb300 LookingGood-72 Flax007 West Coast, North Hill Luke Kennard The Migraine Hotel 20 2_2_4333b06c-146b-406b-885b-54bcf12b845b schmidt-cpoems

Bookcase Opening Times: Tuesday – Friday 11.30 am – 5.00 pm.

We can also order books in so if there’s something you’d really like, do please ask or email shopkeeper@litfest.org

September 14, 2009

Spotlight Fri 18th September

Filed under: Events, Jonathan Bean — Tags: , , — Andy Darby @ 10:00 am

Spotlight
www.spotlightlancaster.co.uk

Friday September 18th
at The Storey Auditorium,
Meeting House Lane. Lancaster.

Doors will be open from 8.15pm
Admission £4 / £2 (conc.)

Mr Wyrd & Mark Charlesworth – Poetry & music

Gemma Arnold – Poetry

Julie Simmons – Poetry

Little Hero – Music

Mikey Kenney – Music

Compere: John Freeman

email: spotlightclub@btinternet.com

Lancaster Spotlight is funded by Arts Council England and supported by Lancashire County Council and
Lancaster City Council.
Spotlight works in association with litfest.

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