We are delighted with the way our second Literary Allsorts evening has gone.
As well as contributions from many of our own members, we were pleased to hear from well known local poets Paul Mills and Roger Kendall and representatives from Knaresborough, Harrogate and York writers’ groups. The audience of members and guests was most appreciative throughout and the bar of The Golden Lion did a roaring trade. (Yes, I know!)
Deep humiliation was in store for Maggie, our Chair. Having asked everyone else to ensure that their mobile phones were switched off, hers loudly announced the arrival of a text right in the middle of a reading. Fortunately, it was her own reading that was disrupted and gales of laughter ensued.
Thank you, Eileen and Julie, for supplying the photographs.
Our Hint of History competition was won this time round by Joe Peters, pictured above with adjudicator Ken Ridley. Joe wrote a very moving piece about refugees in Eastern Prussia and the lies they were told by Hitler.
A box of old slides and photographs from her childhood in Rhodesia were the inspiration for runner up Claire Cox.
Alma Williams took third place with an account of one of her female ancestors who followed the man she loved all the way from Seacroft to Siberia!
Following the success of last year’s event, this will take place at The Golden Lion in Allhallowgate on Tuesday, 3rd July. This date will replace our usual fortnightly meeting and has been chosen to fall during Independent Booksellers’ Week.
There will be no admission charge for this event, which will begin at 7pm with the first reading at 7.30pm. Refreshments from the bar will be available throughout the evening.
Everyone is welcome, whether to read a piece of their own work or just to enjoy listening over a drink, so please spread the word.
Just in case the images are not clear, the items are as follows: a perpetual calendar, a torch, a sleeping mask, an incense burner, a box of sewing pins and a packet of Senna tablets.
All six objects are to be included in a story, not exceeding 600 words, to be read out at the next meeting (22nd May). Good luck!
Morag has received a grant from the Arvon Foundation to attend a workshop on writing for teenagers.
It will take place in August and we shall look forward to hearing all about it on her return.
Elizabeth B., Jan, Morag and Maggie travelled across to York for Defence against the Dark Arts, Nick David’s interpretation of how to overcome the dreaded writer’s block.
The well attended workshop in the upstairs room of the Brigantes Bar and Brasserie in Micklegate focussed on four main strategies to combat the block:
1. Past performance. You’ve done it before, so you can do it again.
2. Desire. What are you prepared to give up in order to concentrate on your writing?
3. Self belief. William Golding, one of only two British Nobel Prize winners for literature since WW2 – Winston Churchill was the other one – thought his writing not good enough!
4. Focus. Distractions are all around us.
It was a very enjoyable and useful session and we hope to see some of York Writers at one of our events in Ripon before too long.
« Newer Entries | Older Entries »
