Liam Norcott’s journey home by bicycle
Creative Writing Courses
Bike Ride Home
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011Book Review Site
Monday, February 21st, 2011
Just found a book review site that you might like. It’s called The Bookbag and it’s run by two women who on average read a book each every two days! Crikey…
Arts cuts really do matter, actually: AL Kennedy on writing
Friday, February 4th, 2011Writing Tips
Friday, February 4th, 2011
The links below lead to ten writing tips by well-known writers. They make interesting reading and there’s some sage advice. Scribble away…
Script analysis of The King’s Speech
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011The Script Factory website is currently displaying an informative article analysing the success of the film the King’s Speech. The Script Factory runs professional courses in script-writing, script-editing and script-reading. Unfortunately for us, they are based in London.
The Arvon Foundation – creative writing courses
Monday, July 19th, 2010The Arvon Foundation provides wonderful opportunities for writers of any and every genre. The courses are residential and take place in lovely old houses in beautiful parts of Britain. There are four centres each offering their own range of creative writing courses:
Moniack Mhor in Beuly, Inverness-shire
Lumb Bank in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire
The Hurst in Craven Arms, Shropshire
Totleigh Barton in Beaworthy, Devon
In the summer of 2006, I attended a screen-writing course at Totleigh Barton and it was one of the best courses I have ever been on. The tutors were Allegra Huston (Anjelica’s sister) and David Pirie, who wrote the screenplay for Lars Von Trier’s Breaking the Waves. There were about 16 of us in total, from all over the country, plus a woman from America. We spent the mornings in workshops with the tutors and the afternoons concentrating on our writing. During the week we also had one-to-one sessions with both tutors. In the evenings we helped to prepare and cook the evening meal and there was a rota for washing up. I slept in a converted pig pen and one morning managed to lock myself out of my room after taking a shower and had to sit down to breakfast in my pyjamas!
A Kind of Intimacy
Monday, February 22nd, 2010Ooh I have just noticed that Jenn Ashworth is coming to town. Faberoonie! I bought her debut novel A Kind of Intimacy a few months ago on the strength of a favourable write up in the Guardian. Well, I wasn’t disappointed, in fact I found it hard to put the book down. Annie, the protagonist, is an awkward, deluded individual who lives a life of lies and unrequited love. Poor Annie, suffering from De Clerambault’s Syndrome, she spends her days mooning over her neighbour and fantasizing about their future life together…
If you’ve read Ian McEwan’s Enduring Love, or John Fowles’ The Collector, then I’m sure you’ll love this book.
Anyway, Jenn Ashworth is giving a talk at the Whitworth Art Gallery on Monday 22 March at 18:30, along with the poet Jen Hadfield.
Tickets are £5 each (£3 for concessions)
See you there!
To see more literature events hosted by Manchester University click here.
Fab new writing course: A Critical Eye
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Have you ever read a theatre review and been in complete disagreement with the author, or wished you could write your own review? Well, if you enrol on this course you will learn the craft of theatre review writing and attend current theatre performances to hone your skills. You will also spend a relaxing evening at the Cornerhouse cinema, watching and discussing a film screening in the convivial company of your fellow participants. This course is FREE and includes the tickets for Ghost Stories, Nineteen Eighty-Four and the cinema. There are 16 places available on Critical Eye: eight places in Manchester and eight places in Liverpool. To enrol click here.
Critical Eye
Thursday, January 28th, 2010How wonderful is Twitter? John from The Public Reviews contacted me via twitter and suggested a possible new course for Just the Ticket called Critical Eye. Well, we met up this morning and designed the course together and it will start on 17 Feb and run for three weeks. Participants will learn how to write theatre reviews and attend performances of Ghost Stories at Liverpool Playhouse and 1984 at The Royal Exchange in Manchester. During the final session they will meet up at the Cornerhouse cinema and watch, then discuss a film together. So, if this course has grabbed your interest by the throat, click on the Critical Eye ticket and you will find out more (but not yet as I haven’t written it up or sent it to Alan and Richard at Axis – should be there by Monday).
To have a look at The Public Reviews website click here.
Reel Surreal begins today
Thursday, November 26th, 2009Our Reel Surreal course begins today. I pop down to meet the participants. What an interesting, eclectic group of people, the majority of whom are new learners to WEA. I really hope that they and the tutor Merethe, enjoy the course. We’re all off to a screening of Bady Minck at the Cornerhouse later, which I’m looking forward to seeing.
Rachel Abbott, our Manchester Media Ambassador, will also join us for the screening. Over the coming months Rachel will be attending some of the trips to the cultural venues to capture learners on film and video for the website.
Well, I’ve just got home after the screening of Bady Minck. Most interesting indeed. The curator of the Angels of Anarchy, Dr Patricia Allmer, gave an impassioned introduction to the films and then we sat back and watched as visions of strangeness filled the screen. I have asked the participants of the Reel Surreal line to write a review of the films. With their permission, I shall post any forthcoming reviews on the website.