What a pleasure it was to see a crowded Little Ripon Bookshop at the launch of Tina Shingler’s new book ‘Hair Apparent’. Back in the days when RWG met at the YMCA, we often heard about Tina’s struggles with her hair as well as her experiences growing up in Ripon, working in Italy, the USA and finally as a press officer in the UK. The new book reflects all these things and much much more. Available on Amazon, it’s a cracking read.
Maggie needed no convincing and couldn’t wait to buy a copy.
Tina’s plans for the future include the possibility of republishing her children’s book ‘Princess Katrina and the Hair Charmer’, which enjoyed considerable success a few years ago.
Adjudicator Ewan Craig was pleased to hand Charlotte Wilson the Janet Barclay Cup for humorous writing. I think it was the first time that any of us had heard a story told from the viewpoint of a bar of soap and ‘The Downfall of Roger Gallet’ intrigued us to the end.
Ewan had obviously put a great deal of thought into his general comments and his assessment of the individual entries. As these included poetry, short stories and a playlet, it had been difficult for him to choose between them. Charles came second with ‘The Dating Agency’, set in Barnsley and told from the point of view of a men’s underwear salesman disconcerted to find himself matched with a lady plumber. Susan came third, but we will have to wait until the next meeting to hear her entry and those of the other members who took part in the competition.
Andy Croft from Smokestack Books gave us some fascinating insights into the dos and don’ts of getting our work ‘out there’. As it was an open meeting, we were pleased to welcome guests, including several members of Write-On! Ripon to join us. The two groups are looking forward to co-hosting the open mic curtain raiser for this year’s Ripon Poetry Festival, which is due to take place from Thursday 19th to Sunday 22nd September.
We were happy to welcome back Suzanne Stirke to adjudicate our short story competition. It was obvious as she gave her comments on each entry that Suzanne had given a great deal of thought to them and her constructive criticism was welcomed by their authors as well as being very interesting for everyone else present at the meeting.
The winner was Maggie Cobbett with a story called ‘It’s Better to Play Safe’ about a tourist couple exploring the macabre side of New Orleans. Lotte Wilson took second place with Sheila Whitfield third. There was time after the mid-meeting break for all three winners to read their stories, after which we thanked Suzanne for her hard work on our behalf.
We shall look forward to hearing the remaining entries at our open manuscripts meeting in a fortnight’s time.
Led by Maggie, the challenge was to focus on one of the objects pictured. What did it look and feel like? What was its primary purpose? What else might it be used for – thinking outside the box very much required there. Susan was particularly inventive with the old darning mushroom and Peter with the kitchen roll inner!
Next came the challenge to write a limerick or haiku about the chosen object. Several people wrote both and Sheila even added a third poetic form, a cinquain. A break for refreshments was very welcome after all that.
The final task was to draft a short story in which the same object played a major role. No time for polishing, but maybe we shall be hearing some of these at the next session of members’ MSS.
Thanks have been expressed to the So! Bar for allowing us to hold meetings in one of their upper rooms over the last few months. Unfortunately noise levels from the floor below and accessibility issues have proved too difficult to surmount. Therefore, starting with the meeting on Wednesday 29th May, we shall be back at our previous venue, the Jervaulx Room in the St Wilfrid’s Community Centre.
These items were displayed at last night’s meeting and well in time for ‘their’ session on 12th June. Thinking caps on, please!
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