Hey everyone!
This is for everyone studying A215 Creative Writing :) i couldn't seem to find a group for us so i thought i'd make one, hope to speak to you all soon!
Creative writing tutor's eye memoir wins literary prize
Tell us about your writing career so far
I have written for as long as I can remember and won a UNESCO medal when I was eighteen in 1979 for a book of poems on the Year of the Child.
I stopped writing when I went to Trinity, University of Dublin, to study English – the academic work on literature that I did for the next ten years silencing the writing side really. I took up writing again seriously in 2001 and took a three-year career break from teaching in that year and did the MA in Creative Writing in Queens.
My main work has always been teaching – English at secondary level and now Creative Writing with the OU also – and in a lot of that time as an English teacher I would see ‘gaps’ in texts – like the sixteen-year gap in the middle of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale – which I’d want to fill with story or narrative. That was one of the first projects I undertook when I started writing – to create a poem-sequence that would account for the lost years of Hermione!
How did Luscus come about?
I’ve worked mainly in poetry so far and now have a manuscript of poems that I hope to find a publisher for. I have just started to consider prose – partly because there is a strong narrative drive in the poems and I have an idea for a novel that I want to try.
The short memoir piece for the Fish is something I’ve wanted to try to write about for some time. I tend to use competitions as deadlines sometimes so that was the idea of this – to give me a date to aim to have a completed piece written by. It was something I knew I’d write at some time and I’d tried it in poetry but it didn’t work. This was my first memoir piece for print though I have written memoir pieces for radio – BBC Radio Ulster and RTE – which may have helped.
What are the rewards of teaching creative writing with the OU?
The thing I like about working with the OU is the close personal contact it affords with students through online teaching. If it works well it is a very intense and personal exchange of ideas and of practice. I love being part of the journey that writing can be for students – sometimes a journey just to finding a way to telling a story that needed to be told, but also when someone discovers a facility or love for a genre that has previously been closed to them – perhaps by negative learning experiences in the past. That often happens with poetry and being able to help in those discoveries and share in that excitement is what makes the work so enjoyable. It also adds to greater self-awareness in my own writing to be doing such close reading of other writers’ work in the course.
'I love being part of the journey that writing can be for students'
The benefits of OU study include the wonderful resources – I think they are exemplary – and the sense of inclusiveness of the institution and its structures of support which are of a different quality than anything I’ve seen in other universities where I studied myself. I think the structure, breadth and the feedback given on A215 is in some ways better than many MA courses since it matches reading, close written feedback and workshopping possibilities.
Why study creative writing?
In my own study the main benefit was in helping to take the writing seriously and to think of yourself as a writer, which is a hard thing to do sometimes. The other great plus is the contact with other writers and the interactions with them – of support and of ideas – that is very important. You need to have some people whose advice you trust and you begin to find that by studying Creative Writing.
I’m delighted to win the Fish. It is especially lovely when you win a prize chosen by a writer whose work you admire and Molly Mc Closkey’s feedback is perhaps the best part of it for me since I thought her memoir Circles Round the Sun was hugely impressive. I think winning it may make attractive the idea of doing more work in prose – in both memoir and fiction.
Any tips for students entering writing competitions?
Find a competition which suits something you already know you have or you want to work on. Make sure the work stands outside of any reference to a competition – that you have a sense of its quality yourself. Follow the rules carefully and avoid gimmicks – present the work carefully so that it is the writing alone that is being judged.
Maureen Boyle is based in Belfast and teaches A215 Creative Writing for the OU in Ireland. Luscus will appear in the 2013 Fish Anthology to be launched at the West Cork Literary Festival in July 2013, at which she is also invited to read.
Posted 29 April 2013
OU Creative Writing tutor Maureen Boyle (pictured) is a winner in the 2013 Fish Short Memoir Contest, with a prize of 1000 euros. Her memoir, Luscus, tells of losing an eye in a childhood accident and of the man who made the succession of eyes that replaced her own as she grew. She talks to Platform about writing, studying writing and entering competitions. Tell us ...
Talk: Ford Madox Ford, Parade's End and the War
Sara is a founder member and current chair of the Ford Madox Ford Society, and his work is the focus of much of her research.
She is one the editors of the definitive critical edition of Madox Ford's Parade's End, the series of novels recently adapted for the BBC, and was invited to the set to watch the filming of one of the scenes.
Her talk, Ford Madox Ford, Parade's End and the War, is at Stony Stratford Library Tuesday 19 March at 7 pm.
Entry is by free ticket available from Stony Stratford Library, tel. 01908 562562
Dr Sara Haslam, senior lecturer in the Open University department of English, is giving a talk on novelist Ford Madox Ford at Stony Stratford Library, Milton Keynes. Sara is a founder member and current chair of the Ford Madox Ford Society, and his work is the focus of much of her research. She is one the editors of the definitive critical edition of Madox Ford's Parade's End, ...
OU graduate has debut collection of short stories published
Carys is no stranger to hard work – she’s an OU graduate after all, and achieved her degree while raising a family. She’s continued her passion for education and creative writing and earlier this year won The Scott Prize, an international fiction award, which means her short story collection Sweet Home is now on the bookshelves.
“It’s really hard to get a short story collection published, particularly if you are a first time author. I knew that Salt Publishing had something called the Scott Prize which they award annually for a debut collection of short stories by a writer from the UK, Ireland, USA or Australasia, and I decided to enter. I was over the moon to be shortlisted and I couldn’t believe it when I had a phone call to say I’d won.
“My book is called Sweet Home and it’s a collection of stories about families. Some of the stories are funny, some are sad and there are a couple of modern fairy tales, too.
“The book includes a stories about an old woman who builds a gingerbread house at the edge of an English village, a father who is reminded of his son as he watches the rescue of a group of Chilean miners, a mother who buys special-offer babies at the supermarket and a little boy who tries to engineer a happily ever after following the death of his sister.
The last time Platform spoke to Carys, she was working towards an MA in Creative Writing at Edge Hill University and had just won a short story competition. She says her OU studies prepared her well for postgraduate study.
“My MA went really well. I concentrated on short stories and I was lucky because one of the staff at Edge Hill is a brilliant short story specialist. My OU studies definitely prepared me for postgrad study. I think OU students have to be especially self-disciplined because they often need to study in what’s supposed to be their ‘free’ time. I developed some good study habits while I studied with the OU and I kept them up during my MA.”
Ambitious – both in terms of her writing career and her continued education, Carys is penning a novel as well as working towards a PhD.
“I’m hoping to get the first draft of the novel finished before Christmas and I’m in the second year of the PhD,” she says.
But OU study prepared her well and she’s become a master of finding time to get her work done.
“I’ve got four children and it can sometimes be hard to find the time to write, but it was also hard to find the time to study - I think if you really want to do something, you’ll do your best to make the time.
“I write in the same way that I used to study; I squeeze it into the gaps. At the moment I’m teaching on Edge Hill’s Creative Writing BA. That leaves me with two days a week when the house is quiet and I can get on with writing (although sometimes I’m interrupted by need to buy food or hoover up the detritus from four pairs of football boots).”
And her advice for current creative writing students is…
“Read lots. If you’re writing short stories ask your tutor to recommend some really good collections. My tutor was happy to do that and he actually introduced me to the work of Carol Shields who is now one of my favourite authors.
“The other thing I would say is, don’t worry if you don’t lead a very exciting life! I used to worry that I didn’t have anything interesting to offer because I’d been at home with my children for so long. Then I realised that everyone has some sort of family; I felt that I knew a lot about family, so I did have something to write about, after all.”
And what would she say to someone thinking of studying with the OU?
“Go for it! I had brilliant, supportive tutors and I enjoyed everything about the experience.”
Find out more:
Literature and creative writing courses at the OU
Creative writing with the OU
More about Carys Bray
Platform's first interview with Carys
Carys Bray graduated from the OU with a degree in Literature after three years of study and while raising four children. After winning an award for her work while doing an MA in Creative Writing with Edge Hill University, she went on to win an international fiction prize and her debut collection of short stories has just been published… Carys is no stranger to hard work ...
Open University student writes her way to the top
This book follows on from the success of her first novel, '50 Shades of Red White and Blue' - described as an hilarious Belfast-based parody of the successful Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Published by Blackstaff Press, Leesa’s first novel is also due to hit the stage in January next year. Renowned Ulster playwright Martin Lynch will cast and produce the story at the MAC between 8-27 January 2013.
And it doesn’t stop there: Leesa now writes a regular column for the the Irish Daily Mirror. Entitled ‘Here’s Me Whaaaaa?’, Leesa charts her humorous observations about everyday life in Belfast.
Leesa claims that she would never have had the confidence to write for the public, rather than just for pleasure, if she hadn’t started studying with The Open University.
“Only recently, after becoming a mother and having some time away from work - when I say ‘work’, I mean ‘paid work’, not unpaid cook/cleaner/nappy-changer/general skivvy to my two little cherubs – did I start writing again. I have been working towards a degree in English and Literature with the OU since 2009. My last module was Creative Writing and I enjoyed every minute of it. I showed pieces I had written to strangers for the first time and it gave me the confidence to start writing for other audiences.”
Speaking about the flexible learning approach of The Open University, Leesa said “The OU allows you to study around your other commitments, giving you enough time to devote to everything in your life.”
Director of The Open University in Ireland, John D’Arcy said “Leesa’s rise to fame has been immensely satisfying to watch. The fact that the OU played a small part in that makes it all the more worthwhile.”
Mr D’Arcy continued to say that Leesa’s success should motivate people who are interested in returning to study or approaching study for the first time.
“The Open University is the UK’s only university dedicated to distance learning, and provides numerous options for students to fit in their study around work or other commitments. Over 71 per cent of OU students work full or part-time during their studies, and can access course materials on their mobile phones and tablets on the move and when suits them. Returning to study can be a big move, and The Open University provides a first class opportunity for people to develop their interests, as Leesa has demonstrated in her success.”
Find out more:
OU student Leesa Harker proves she is no flash in the pan. She recently launched her second novel, 'Dirty Dancing in Le Shebeen', in Eason's in Belfast, and signed around 200 copies. This book follows on from the success of her first novel, '50 Shades of Red White and Blue' - described as an hilarious Belfast-based parody of the successful Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. ...
Science student finds balance writing a magical children's book
Writing a magical children’s book has provided much-needed life balance for Kate Spencer, who is studying for an OU Natural Sciences degree. “I was really struggling with that left brain/right brain thing,” says the mum of two (pictured), who works as an accountant. “I felt whatever side it is that is creative, was shrivelling.” Kate, a ...
Drama written by OU associate lecturer is broadcast on Radio 4
OU associate lecturer Jane Purcell has her drama The Righteous Sisters being broadcast by Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour this week.
Jane, who teaches on A215 and A363, will see her work hit the airwaves this week and while you may have missed the first two episodes, you can ‘listen again’ and still catch the remaining three.
The series tells the story of how a love of opera leads two remarkable sisters into a life of danger. It’s a true-life tale of the remarkable Cook sisters' wartime adventures, as they rescue Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany.
OU associate lecturer Jane Purcell has her drama The Righteous Sisters being broadcast by Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour this week. Jane, who teaches on A215 and A363, will see her work hit the airwaves this week and while you may have missed the first two episodes, you can ‘listen again’ and still catch the remaining three. The series tells the story of how a love of ...
Associate Lecturer wins Scotsman Fringe Award
The production was developed with Edinburgh's Nutshell Theatre and will tour Fife in October as part of the Luminate Festival on creative ageing.
It's the second Fringe First for Jules and Nutshell - 2011's site-specific play Allotment began life at Inverleith Allotments and has toured nearly 50 venues between Lewis and Cornwall over the past year.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has brought success for A363 creative writing tutor Jules Horne, with a coveted Scotsman Fringe First Award for her play, Thread. The production was developed with Edinburgh's Nutshell Theatre and will tour Fife in October as part of the Luminate Festival on creative ageing. It's the second Fringe First for Jules and Nutshell - 2011's ...
Very, very creative writing
I thought that creative writing was when you made things up yourself rather than taking others' work. It appears that I was wrong, please see
https://www.facebook.com/groups/464940423533921/
So she is no longer associated with the OU.
This self promotional website lists all her quals, I hope that all awarding bodies now look at her work again, & if approprate, withdraw her quals.
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/joanne_benford.html
I thought that creative writing was when you made things up yourself rather than taking others' work. It appears that I was wrong, please see https://www.facebook.com/groups/464940423533921/ So she is no longer associated with the OU. This self promotional website lists all her quals, I hope that all awarding bodies now look at her work again, & if approprate, withdraw her ...
Nearing the end of the course, now what?
Well it is near the end and I am wondering what next. I took this course to try and improve my writing skills and think the course has helped me do this, but thinking about what I want to do next escapes me. Maybe it is because I am too nervous about the last TMA and the EMA all in one month, yikes! Anyway if you are out there and have ideas I would love to hear them. Ever hopeful.
Well it is near the end and I am wondering what next. I took this course to try and improve my writing skills and think the course has helped me do this, but thinking about what I want to do next escapes me. Maybe it is because I am too nervous about the last TMA and the EMA all in one month, yikes! Anyway if you are out there and have ideas I would love to hear them. Ever hopeful.
OU 'completely changed my life' says author Julia Crouch
Julia Crouch started her career as director and playwright, retrained as a graphic designer to work from home and raise children and, after two creative writing courses with The Open University and support from her tutors, is now working full time as a writer and published author. Would she recommend OU study? “Absolutely,” she says, “the courses have completely changed my life.” Here, she talks to Platform and offers some tips to budding writers...
Little did Julia realise that when she stumbled on a magazine flyer advertising short courses with The Open University that it would lead to a professional writing career. With her third and youngest child at school, Julia had found herself at a crossroads.
“Having not written any fiction (apart from my picture books and plays) since I was a child, I had no idea where to start, or whether I was going to be any good at it. So I thought the A174 presented an ideal opportunity to find out.
"The commitment in terms of time and money was at just the right level for putting my toe in the water.
After a drama degree at Bristol University, Julia’s professional life started as a theatre director and playwright, but children changed that and she needed to work from home. She retrained at a local FE College and spent 10 years as a graphic/website designer but it was during an MA in Sequential Illustration at the University of Brighton that Julia realised she preferred writing over drawing.
'I think the major thing I took away with me was the ability to treat my writing seriously and to carve out time to do it'
“A174 was an ideal introduction and A215 taught me so much about the technical side of writing, as well as firing off all sorts of creative possibilities and opening up my reading and my critical thinking. I think the major thing I took away with me was the ability to treat my writing seriously and to carve out time to do it. The tutors were marvellous, and particularly good at giving me the confidence I so badly needed.
“The courses have completely changed my life - two years after completing A215, I had finished my second novel and got an agent and a three book deal with a major publisher, as well as a whole host of foreign sales. I was able to give up my other work and now I write full time, in between talking, reading and lecturing at festivals and courses.”
Julia says encouragement from her tutors played a key role in boosting her confidence and it was the suggestion to enter National Novel Writing Month – a scheme to write a whole novel in one month, without looking back at what you’ve written - that really set her going.
'The courses have completely changed my life - two years after completing A215, I had finished my second novel and got an agent and a three book deal with a major publisher'
“My A215 tutor John O'Donoghue suggested it to me, and I realised that, like A174, it presented a great, low-commitment way of finding out if I could write long fiction - just one month of heavy duty sprint – 1,700 words every day for the whole month of November.
“The idea is you never go back and read what you've written and you never edit - you just put your head down and write until, 50,000 words later, you have reached the very quick and dirty end of your story. After my second NaNoWriMo sprint, I spent a year editing what I had produced, and that formed the basis of my first published novel, Cuckoo.”
Julia’s second book, Every Vow You Break, is about to hit the shelves and she’s currently working hard on her third, mostly from a shed in the bottom of her Brighton garden.
"I now also have a much more varied life, with many more outings both on book business and for research and what I call 'feeding my beast' - living a life that nourishes my writing.
"I hope I'll get another book deal after this one (I'm shortly due to deliver the third out of the three) and that I can carry on writing books well into my dotage.”
Would Julia recommend OU study to others?
“Of course! Absolutely and unreservedly. Whether to get professional qualifications or to follow or develop an interest, it's a fantastic way of fitting study around a life. Particularly if that life involves a lot of evenings in on your own while your children sleep!”
Here, Julia offers her tips to other writers:
- It's contradictory really - you have to have self-belief and a thick skin, but you also have to be able to accept and respond to criticism without getting defensive.
- You'll never have anything to edit until you have written it. So write first, THEN go back and edit. Never, ever let anyone see your work until you are happy with it. Then be prepared to change it again and again.
- I suppose the nutshell of that is be serious about your work, but don't be precious about it.
- Write every day. Read widely. Read fiction, read books about writing.
- Make sure you get enough exercise. Make sure you get out and see the world.
- The other thing to bear in mind is that EVERYONE I have met in publishing has been lovely. They are there to nurture and encourage good work. When you're on the outside looking in, it's easy to demonise those you see as the gatekeepers between you and publication. But they are there for a good reason. Listen to what they say.
You can find out more about Julia and her work at: juliacrouch.co.uk
Julia Crouch started her career as director and playwright, retrained as a graphic designer to work from home and raise children and, after two creative writing courses with The Open University and support from her tutors, is now working full time as a writer and published author. Would she recommend OU study? “Absolutely,” she says, “the courses have completely changed my ...
Stranger than fiction: birthplace of the Bronte sisters creates two nude calendars
A Yorkshire town noted for its literary heritage has created two nude calendars for 2012, in a bid to raise sufficient funds to finance the restoration of its parish church.
Fears that parishioners in Haworth – the birthplace of the Brontë sisters – might deem the idea as being in bad taste were soon overcome when the Vicar, the Revd. Peter Mayo-Smith, demonstrated the tasteful way the photographer planned to capture the naked ambitions of local volunteers. The pictures are great fun, especially the three councillors in the stocks by the side of the church.
So many people came forward in Haworth that it was eventually decided to produce two calendars, one featuring men and the other featuring women. A little friendly rivalry has been introduced to see which version sells in greater quantities.
The calendars include a local councillor, a former Lord Mayor, a senior district councillor, some of the Haworth traders, a host of interesting characters from the wider Worth Valley, a bell ringer, a minister and his wife, a plumber, a mechanic, a busker, and a retired Haworth bobby and oompah band leader.
You can see some of the photos for yourselves and place your orders online at the calendar website. The Brontë sisters must be turning in their graves.
Dick Skellington 24 February 2012
Cartoon by Catherine Pain.
Further information
Brontë landscape's battle for survival
A Yorkshire town noted for its literary heritage has created two nude calendars for 2012, in a bid to raise sufficient funds to finance the restoration of its parish church. Fears that parishioners in Haworth – the birthplace of the Brontë sisters – might deem the idea as being in bad taste were soon overcome when the Vicar, the Revd. Peter Mayo-Smith, ...
- Yvonne Cook's blog
- Login or register to post comments
From travelling family to OU graduate to bestselling author...
Roxy Freeman grew up in a travelling family and learned to milk goats, ride horses, dance and forage for food. And then she stumbled on academia, which opened up a whole new world. Now an OU graduate and journalist with a bestselling memoir, Roxy talks to Platform about her journey...
“I grew up on the road, my family was always on the move and education was not a priority. I learned a lot of things growing up in a traveling family. But my skills were practical not academic. I could cook, milk goats, ride horses, look after babies and children, dance and forage for food.
“I value the lessons I learned as a child and they have helped me get on in life, but I craved more. I started my formal education at the age of 22. The first year was a struggle but learning for the first time was a revelation. It felt like someone had switched my brain on for the first time.
Roxy tried traditional university before she found the OU but couldn’t get along with the inflexible hours, the travel to campus and the inability to fit work around a rigid study plan.
“The timetable made it impossible for me to work at all. I had no financial support what so ever and lived a 40 minute drive away from the campus. I realised that there was no way I could support myself if I continued with the course. I couldn’t fulfill my study dreams, but I wasn’t ready to throw them away either, so started looking for an alternative option, something that would work around a part time job and was a bit more flexible. The OU sounded ideal. I found a course online and within just a few weeks received my first bundle of study material.”
Roxy studied for a BA in European Studies but confesses to not having a career plan when she started out. Little did she realise that her OU degree would help discover a passion for writing and open the door to a career in journalism.
'I found that changing my scenery often gave my studies an extra boost. None of my friends attending traditional universities had that freedom, and none of them graduated debt free like I did!'
“I wanted to know more about the continent I called home and the modules sounded interesting. I studied history, economics, governance and politics and did a diploma in Spanish language. By the time I graduated I knew I loved writing and research so I went on to do an NCTJ (National Council for Training of Journalists) certificate in journalism at a local college.”
But her OU journey wasn’t all plain sailing – it’s no mean feat studying in isolation and spending summers revising when your friends are enjoying holidays. But it was worth it, says Roxy.
“My OU study had its highs and its lows. It takes a hell of a lot of determination and dedication to complete a degree, especially when you’re doing most of it on your own. Sometimes it felt like an uphill battle, but I was lucky to have some excellent tutors that I could call or email when things got tough.
“My exams always seemed to fall at the end of summer, so when my friends were all enjoying their holidays and going to festivals I was locked away with a pile of books. But it also offered a lot of freedom. I spent a few months of every year abroad, I’d do some extra shifts at work and then pile all my books into my car and go to Ireland, France or Spain and stay with family or friends. I found that changing my scenery often gave my studies an extra boost. None of my friends attending traditional universities had that freedom, and none of them graduated debt free like I did!”
'Getting a degree gave me confidence in my writing and confidence in myself, without those things I would never have written my book'
Roxy gained new contacts following the article including an editor from Simon and Schuster who spotted the potential in both her writing and her personal story.
“A year later I completed my book, Little Gypsy: A Life of Freedom, a Time of Secrets. It went straight into the bestseller’s charts and has had some great reviews. Getting a degree gave me confidence in my writing and confidence in myself, without those things I would never have written my book.”
Roxy has also written on issues that travelers and gypsies face and hopes to help dispel some of the negative stereotypes.
“But I don’t want to only write about my life and experiences,” she says. “I love to write and I think a good writer can write about anything. One of my main passions is cooking and I love to write about food. I recently started a food blog, I love documenting my foodie exploits and sharing some of my foraging experiences.
What’s next for Roxy? She’s busy with journalism and writing and aspired to be a food writer one day, but for now she’s content to simply see what happens next.
“Little Gypsy caused quite a whirlwind, and six months after its release my life is only just settling down again. I’m not sure about embarking on another book just yet but when the inspiration takes me I’ll get to work.”
Find out more
Roxy Freeman grew up in a travelling family and learned to milk goats, ride horses, dance and forage for food. And then she stumbled on academia, which opened up a whole new world. Now an OU graduate and journalist with a bestselling memoir, Roxy talks to Platform about her journey... “I grew up on the road, my family was always on the move and education was not a priority. I learned a ...
Poetry competition win leads to published collection for Caroline
Caroline's collection was recently published. Platform caught up with her to find out more about her OU studies and her experiences as a result of winning the competition….
Caroline’s winning poem: An Apple Tree Spouts Philosophy in an office car park can be read on the Ward Wood Publishing website.
Her short collection An Apple Tree Spouts Philosophy is now on sale, with all £3 of the cover price going to raise funds for ‘The Cold Weather Shelters’, the same charity. The winner is chosen on the strength of just one poem, and as part of the prize they will be helped to complete a short paperback collection with 20 pages of poetry. Caroline has also had the opportunity to take part in a launch event and Open Mic night.
You gained a BA in Literature with the Open University? Why did you decide to study with the OU?
I’ve always loved books and literature but somehow I ended up studying accountancy and becoming an auditor. After spending several years in the corporate world, I became attracted to the idea of doing something different and I decided to study with the OU to give me a creative outlet. Getting a qualification wasn’t the most important thing for me though – I would have been quite happy just to go on with more courses really, but I suppose you have to stop somewhere? I’m fascinated by psychology, so maybe one day.
Have you been writing poetry long/When did your interest in writing poetry develop?
I’ve written some poetry in the past, but nothing much. I really started taking poetry more seriously when I first studied Creative Writing with the OU about four years ago. I completed both the level 2 and the level 3 Creative Writing courses. I remember feeling apprehensive about studying the subject at first, because I didn’t think I was particularly creative. But the courses were excellent for stimulating creativity and imagination, with techniques such as freewriting, and cluster diagrams.
How did you feel when you found out you had won the competition?
Quite shocked. I don’t think you ever expect to win something.
Can you share your experiences of :
Producing & getting An Apple Tree Sprouts Philosophy published?
This has been an exciting experience. I never felt time pressured to produce more poems for the pamphlet before I was ready. There was quite a lot of polishing and editing to do, even for such a small book. Adele Ward has been great - very helpful and encouraging all the way. It was a very valuable prize – far better than cash.
Doing a reading at Open Mic night?
I was quite nervous about the idea if I’m honest, but on the night I actually enjoyed myself. I suppose my worry was that people wouldn’t like the poems, and I would be faced with rows of stony faces. Of course it wasn’t like that at all. I attended poetry evenings leading up to the event, and took the opportunity to read at these whenever I could.
What you plan to achieve now after/alongside studying for you MA?
I would really love to publish a full collection when I’m ready. I have to produce poetry on a regular basis to take along to the MA workshops, which is a real incentive, so I’m building up a store. Not that I need the push, as writing poetry is something I always do. The only problem is that they all need more work after being critiqued at the workshops! It can take quite a lot of time and editing to get the poem to where it needs to be. It’s my aim to get up early and spend an hour or so editing before work. I managed it today for the first time.
Anything else you would like to share
One of the great things about studying for the MA is getting to read some fantastic poetry, from the classics to modern and contemporary poetry, some poets I’ve never even heard of before. Everyone says it, don’t they, but if you want to write poetry you have to be a reader of it first and foremost.
The poetry competition, judged by Carol Ann Duffy was introduced to raise funds for ‘The Cold Weather Shelters’ and organisers say they couldn’t survive without the contribution made by poetry. Events held and the competition are the brainchild of the poet Ruth O’Callaghan, who has been running the Lumen and Camden Poetry series of open mics and performances for five years.
Adele Ward of Ward Wood publishing said “I have no say in the judging of the competition, and I was delighted to see an OU student win because I also got back into studying by doing an MA in Literature with the OU and some of the Creative Writing courses. So the OU played a major part in the steps that led up to me starting Ward Wood Publishing.
Being able to publish an OU student felt especially rewarding, and I enjoyed working with Caroline on compiling her first short collection. Caroline won against incredibly tough competition, including published authors and poets from the best creative writing courses in the UK, Ireland, and around the world, so it’s interesting to see how the OU courses inspired and developed her skills.”
The prize is publication of a short collection, 50 copies and good promotion of the published collection including an invitation to read in the London venues if the poet wishes. The winner is chosen on the strength of one poem and will also be helped towards completing the short collection with free mentoring if needed. The entry fee is low to make it accessible to everybody (£2.50 per poem or £10 for 6) and all proceeds go to help the homeless in two London cold weather shelters. The judge is Carol Ann Duffy. No income is taken by any of the organisers or the judge from this competition.
The closing date is Tuesday 14 February and gives the author a foot in the door of publishing and a way to get their name widely known.
Find out more:
-
Enter the competition with Ward Wood Publishing
-
The open mic events are held in the two venues where the homeless sleep in the Cold Weather Shelters.
The Lumen and Camden Poetry competition 2011 has been won by OU BA Literature graduate Caroline Squire. Her poem was chosen from more than 1,000 entries by judge Carol Ann Duffy, and the prize was to have a short collection of poems published. Caroline's collection was recently published. Platform caught up with her to find out more about her OU studies ...
Nigel goes up to Oxford
Nigel Warburton makes difficult philosophical concepts easy with his Little History of Philosophy at the Oxford Literary Festival on Weds 28th March. The Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University follows humanity’s quest for answers to some of the big questions: what is reality and how should I live? Warburton, author of several popular ...
Aye think, therefore I am
For more information visit
Nigel Warburton heads over the border for Glasgow’s ‘Aye Write’ Book Festival on Wednesday, March 14 and A Little History of Philosophy. The Open University Senior Lecturer’s book introduces the great thinkers in Western philosophy, exploring their most compelling ideas about the world and how best to live in it. From Socrates to ...
New Year's resolution to write a novel? Help is at hand...
Is your New Year's resolution to write a novel? Then you'll find some useful articles and information on OpenLearn here to steer you in the right direction.
Is your New Year's resolution to write a novel? Then you'll find some useful articles and information on OpenLearn here to steer you in the right direction. 2.4 Average: 2.4 (5 votes)
Poetry magazine...
Please check my website on: www.lastbench.org.
feedback or/and contribution towards content is welcomed...
Please check my website on: www.lastbench.org. feedback or/and contribution towards content is welcomed...
Crime author Ian Rankin answers your questions
For those who submitted a question there was also a chance to win a signed copy of The Impossible Dead. Thank you to everyone who posted a question,. The winner is: David McIlveen
Here are Ian's responses to your questions:
The local colour of the various locations in Scotland shine through in your books and make it all so real, living in Aberdeen I have often walked near places you've written about and half expected to see your characters pass me in the street. Where do you start if you're needing that sort of local flavour in a location that is new to you? Beth Scott
Well, it certainly helps to spend time in a place if you intend writing about it. Even a day spent tramping the streets will give you a sense of the place. For the Aberdeen scenes in 'Black and Blue' I checked into a hotel just of Union Street for three or four days. I did a lot of walking, and asked a lot of questions.
I have just come back from a weekend break in Edinburgh and loved it! Which other major city would you set your books in and why? Maz Loton
I'm not sure which other city I would set my books in. I like Vancouver and Ottawa and Halifax (in Canada), and see some similarities between them and Edinburgh. Writing about them would be a good excuse to go stay there for a while....
Do you envisage more Malcolm Fox adventures coming along, or is he just making "guest appearance books" with his team from time to time? Debbie Pitt
I don't really know. When I begin planning a new book, I get the theme and story first, then decide which main characters would help me explore both. In real life, cops only join internal affairs for a short time (between 2 and 5 years), so Malcolm will eventually go back to 'normal duties'.
How do you find your continual inspiration and do you write in a good old fashioned book for ideas and research or do you write direct onto a word processor? Ray Packham
Inspiration comes from anywhere. Maybe a news story that makes me think 'what if...?' Or someone might tell me an anecdote. Or an idea might just pop into my head fully-formed. I then do some thinking/mulling, and scribble down ideas and such like. Then I type these up. When I start the actual book, I type all of it on my coal-fired laptop.
How much of yourself went into Rebus? Were you a dark and moody heavy drinker? Ian Simmins Was I dark and moody? I suppose I was. I spent a lot of time on my own and was never terribly gregarious. I had no direction in my life. I lost my mother when I was nineteen and I was maybe listening to too much 'dark' music (Joy Division, Throbbing Gristle, The Cure). But that's not to say Rebus is 'me'. It's just that he is imbued with some of that darkness from the man in his early twenties who invented him.
I have read nearly all the Rebus books, and some short stories too. I wonder where he is now? He had no life outside the job. Has he really retired? Is he sitting in the corner of the Oxford all day, doing the crossword and downing pints? Does Siobhan drop in now and again? Has he been beaten up by some lowlife as he staggered home, now he hasn't a badge? I can't believe I care so much, but I do! David McIlveen
As was hinted at in the 'final' Rebus book, Rebus himself is almost certainly working for the Cold Case unit of the Edinburgh police. They have also changed the retirement age, so it is possible he has asked to re-enlist. He certainly has not gone 'gentle into that good night'. And he still sees Siobhan.
Will you bring back Rebus? Anthony Blacker
I think so, yes. We have some unfinished business, Rebus and I....
How would you get away with murder? Phillip Tennant
I've been told by fire officers that one good way to get away with murder is to get someone blind drunk, then simply turn the heat up under a chip-pan and leave them in the kitchen. Another tip is to murder someone who won't be missed - a vagrant or similar. You're welcome...
Which was your favourite OU course and why? Christine Carrot
'Listening to Music' was interesting. I discovered that for over 40 years I had been hearing music passively rather than actively listening to it. The elder of my two sons also did the arts foundation year and I enjoyed sneaking a read of some of his course materials, and my wife has been an OU student for about ten years.
Are there OU courses currently, or possible ones in the future, that Rebus could deliver & Fox could take? (Not sure how you'd get Rebus into the teaching role but it would be fascinating to see the results) THEN you could work in the import of libraries & librarians LOL Lana Kamennof-Sine
I dread to think what OU courses Rebus could teach! I don't think I would trust him to impart the correct twenty-first century views to the students. He's too much of a throwback. But I can envisage Malcolm Fox doing all sorts of courses and modules. He is not set in his ways and is willing to learn - unlike Rebus!
Find out more
In celebration of the release of his new book The Impossible Dead, author Ian Rankin answers questions submitted by The Open University community via Platform. Ian is the UK’s number one bestselling crime author and an OU honorary graduate. For those who submitted a question there was also a chance to win a signed copy of The Impossible Dead. Thank you to ...
OU prize winner in poetry translation competition
Henry Stead, Research Student (Classical Studies) has won third prize in the prestigious The Times Stephen Spender Prize 2011, awarded for an original translation of poetry into English. His winning entry is a translation from Latin of an extract of Seneca's powerful tragedy, ‘Medea’.
The prize set up by the The Times and Stephen Spender Trust, hopes to encourage and stimulate a new generation of literary translators. Stephen Spender was himself a fine translator of poetry.
Email to request a free booklet containing the winning translations and commentaries.
One of the judges, Prof Edith Hall, comments: "As a theatre enthusiast, I was delighted with the taut speakability of Henry Stead’s excerpt from his version of the grim Senecan Medea. I hope that it will encourage others to submit translations from verse drama, a category of translation in which poets such as Ted Hughes and Tony Harrison have recently shown English can be most effective."
Find out more:
- Henry's winning poem
- Classical studies at the OU
- The Times Stephen Spender Prize for poetry translation 2011
Henry Stead, Research Student (Classical Studies) has won third prize in the prestigious The Times Stephen Spender Prize 2011, awarded for an original translation of poetry into English. His winning entry is a translation from Latin of an extract of Seneca's powerful tragedy, ‘Medea’. The prize set up by the The Times and Stephen Spender Trust, hopes to encourage and stimulate ...
Careers forum for arts and humanities students
The forum is on the Careers Workspace (use your OU username and password) to log in and you can post a question, provide help to other students or just come in and browse. There will be three careers advisers moderating the forum and information from a number of Arts and Humanities-related organisations will be posted.
The forum will be open for four weeks and then read-only for a further 12 months. Questions raised previously have included:
- What career options are available with an Arts & Humanities qualification?
- How do I get into teaching?
- How can I get work experience?
- What are the benefits and financial implications of further study?
- Is age a problem for career changers?
.
The OU Careers Advisory Service is running an online forum for OU Arts and Humanities students wanting to plan their next career steps. It started on Monday 14 November and will run until Friday 9 December. The forum is on the Careers Workspace (use your OU username and password) to log in and you can post a question, provide help to other students or just come in and browse. ...