by Sossij
Today I went to see Lemn Sissay's talk for Cultural Exchanges. It was really a fascinating experience and I look forward to the rest of the feastival. I want to thank Lemn for sharing his work and his insights.
Lemn Sissay is very cool. Cooler than a cucumber in an icebox. In the Arctic. In a polar bear's fridge/freezer. Alongside the mammoth task of being cool he is also a strikingly unique poet. I have not encountered any work like his before, in particular his poem about music. I wanted to buy his new book but due to my current money crisis I was tragically unable to. However, I will be borrowing my two friends' copies of Listener for as long as I am able, or as long as I manage to scrape together the funds to purchase a copy for myself, as well as copies of his previous works.
Sissay's talk overran by around twenty minutes, but I could have listened to him speak for hours longer. A small talk, and as such incredibly intimate, this is arguably the best way to experience performance poetry. I am so glad I went to see this talk because it has really opened me up to an artist I had not encountered before. I want to see a longer talk from him, and I think I will get that by heading to the Edinburgh festival.
It made me completely forget that Charles Dance wasn't going to attend. And I was really looking forward to seeing Charles Dance.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Stuart Price, Jean Charles de Menezes and the overproduction of force
By LD
Wednesday in Leicester and my second De Montfort university Cultural Exchanges event, a lecture by Dr Stuart Price ‘STOCKWELL: the overproduction of force.’
I was really interested in the circumstances surrounding the death of Jean Charles de Menezes. After watching ‘In the line of fire’ (the ITV documentary about SO19) recently I was keen to find out what we could learn from the press coverage of the days events and the subsequent investigation.
Dr Price presented some really interesting evidence surrounding the one dimensional reporting of the incident and questioned the use of lethal force in such situations by the police.
In turn the lecture highlighted a lot of police failings I wasn’t aware of and the failure of the media to present a balanced argument. A really insightful and very interesting hour well spent.
Joshua Mowll
by Colin
I had attended a previous lecture given by a successful writer who had worked down a mine.Writing he had said was like working in the pit, the pen was a shovel, you had to keep digging, it was bloody hard work.
Joshua Mowll brought the same candour to his talk. Writing is obviously less Daphne De Maurier,lanquid afternoons engaged in light repartee and more like bloody hard work. Having worked bloody hard in life so far, I don't subscribe to the view. I do agree with Joshua however that dedication and focus is needed to succeed and that literature is a can of beans, it needs presentation, marketing and selling.
I enjoyed his thoughts on dedication,planning and action. Although I do think that you have to be brave to write and then discard perhaps a third of your book, now that takes courage.
It was an interesting and informative demonstration by Joshua on how to put together and sell a book.
A valuable lesson indeed.
I had attended a previous lecture given by a successful writer who had worked down a mine.Writing he had said was like working in the pit, the pen was a shovel, you had to keep digging, it was bloody hard work.
Joshua Mowll brought the same candour to his talk. Writing is obviously less Daphne De Maurier,lanquid afternoons engaged in light repartee and more like bloody hard work. Having worked bloody hard in life so far, I don't subscribe to the view. I do agree with Joshua however that dedication and focus is needed to succeed and that literature is a can of beans, it needs presentation, marketing and selling.
I enjoyed his thoughts on dedication,planning and action. Although I do think that you have to be brave to write and then discard perhaps a third of your book, now that takes courage.
It was an interesting and informative demonstration by Joshua on how to put together and sell a book.
A valuable lesson indeed.
Jonathan Powell
by Colin
The title of this lecture was 'Who adapts to who' and was given from the viewpoint of the producer.There was no room in this world for creativity and the art of the writer. This was about which classic could be adapted and how.
At first thought dull...Who would want to hear about the machinations and manouvering of managment?What emerged was a sparkling,erudite and fasinating story about the adaptions of classic works of literature for Television.
The tales of skulduggery, posturing,petulence and punctured ego's would grace the pages of a classic itself.
Jonathan Powell began his career in the British library researching Coppard and H.E.Bates. Literature he thought was a treasure trove of dreams ,an opportunity for a cultural upheaval. He had, along with his colleagues an ability to realise a vision. A chance to tell unsurpassable stories that original work could not compete with.
He told of the battles that ensued between producers,management, directors and stars. The warzone that enveloped the BBC and Commercial television around the adaptions of programmes such as 'Jewel in the Crown','Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Bleak House' and 'Cranford'.
Like a good book,it was almost sad when the story came to an end, most in the room wanted it to continue.
Most enjoyable.
The title of this lecture was 'Who adapts to who' and was given from the viewpoint of the producer.There was no room in this world for creativity and the art of the writer. This was about which classic could be adapted and how.
At first thought dull...Who would want to hear about the machinations and manouvering of managment?What emerged was a sparkling,erudite and fasinating story about the adaptions of classic works of literature for Television.
The tales of skulduggery, posturing,petulence and punctured ego's would grace the pages of a classic itself.
Jonathan Powell began his career in the British library researching Coppard and H.E.Bates. Literature he thought was a treasure trove of dreams ,an opportunity for a cultural upheaval. He had, along with his colleagues an ability to realise a vision. A chance to tell unsurpassable stories that original work could not compete with.
He told of the battles that ensued between producers,management, directors and stars. The warzone that enveloped the BBC and Commercial television around the adaptions of programmes such as 'Jewel in the Crown','Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Bleak House' and 'Cranford'.
Like a good book,it was almost sad when the story came to an end, most in the room wanted it to continue.
Most enjoyable.
‘Why would you be a writer? It’s quite an odd career.’- Joshua Mowll
By Georgia N.
Admittedly, I have never read Joshua Mowll’s books (sorry!) but he struck a chord when I discovered he was from the same town as me. Finally, I thought, a kindred spirit. Refreshingly honest, if not a tad pessimistic, he gave some valuable tips about writing a novel-
1. Plot is very important- plan the book chapter by chapter.
2. The appearance of the novel is crucial too so spend some time on this.
3. Don’t be frightened of editing- at the end of the day it can improve your novel. Joshua Mowll quotes-‘Writing is rewriting and editing. Cut cut cut all the time.’
4. Agents know within 30 pages whether they like your book so pack it full of action.
5. A book is like a toaster therefore you have to do market research. Publishers would rather have a book that can sell extensively than a crossover from children's to adult fiction.
6. Books over 50,000 words are generally disliked by publishers (unless you are J K Rowling).
7. Leading on from this, keep chapters short.
8. Payment is irregular and the hours are long- basically being a writer is quite solitary if not dull.
I hope this helps all budding writers- thank you Joshua Mowll for all those tips :)
Joshua Mowll
By PJH
Time for me to get real. No more dreaming of easily achieved fame and fortune (well, not too much anyway) and back to reality. Joshua Mowll spoke thoughtfully and realistically about the perils and pitfalls of being a writer of children's books / graphic artist for the Mail on Sunday.
His down-to-Earth manner was refreshing, telling of his first inspiration from doing solely illustrative work to story writing as well. This came about by his boredom in drawing, of all things, dog training graphics. The idea of a Tin Tin style adventure came to him through these canine diagrams and he decided he should really start writing his ideas down. Hey presto, a writer is born - well, after several million hours of gruelling hard work and, apparently, screen-staring related sciatica into the bargain. What a lot to look forward to.
He also spoke more seriously about his career, starting with 'The Guild of Specialists', his series of illustrated children's novels with Walker Books and, also, about his forthcoming book 'The Great Space Race' - set in the 1920s and very much in Indiana Jones mode. I looked carefully at some of these books after the lecture and I thought they were amazing. To have the writing talent alone is wonderful enough - but to be able to draw so brilliantly as well? Mind blowing.
Next on the agenda was the presention of tips for budding writers and warnings of what not to present to prospective publishers / agents. His tales of editing woes worried me mercilessly - regurgitating scary memories of creative writing workshops, being told "no, cut it, scrap that, start again!" Is this really what I have to do? Ouch. All this is true said Mr.Mowll. He added, with a wry grin, that cutting a 70 000 word novel down to only 40 000 is just a case of, 'well, you gotta do what you gotta do'. Scary indeed.
So - has this put me off being a writer? Well - it did for a moment, possibly for as long as half a minute. But being the glutton for punishment that I am, I walked out of that lecture theatre inspired rather than depressed. What is wrong with me?
Time for me to get real. No more dreaming of easily achieved fame and fortune (well, not too much anyway) and back to reality. Joshua Mowll spoke thoughtfully and realistically about the perils and pitfalls of being a writer of children's books / graphic artist for the Mail on Sunday.
His down-to-Earth manner was refreshing, telling of his first inspiration from doing solely illustrative work to story writing as well. This came about by his boredom in drawing, of all things, dog training graphics. The idea of a Tin Tin style adventure came to him through these canine diagrams and he decided he should really start writing his ideas down. Hey presto, a writer is born - well, after several million hours of gruelling hard work and, apparently, screen-staring related sciatica into the bargain. What a lot to look forward to.
He also spoke more seriously about his career, starting with 'The Guild of Specialists', his series of illustrated children's novels with Walker Books and, also, about his forthcoming book 'The Great Space Race' - set in the 1920s and very much in Indiana Jones mode. I looked carefully at some of these books after the lecture and I thought they were amazing. To have the writing talent alone is wonderful enough - but to be able to draw so brilliantly as well? Mind blowing.
Next on the agenda was the presention of tips for budding writers and warnings of what not to present to prospective publishers / agents. His tales of editing woes worried me mercilessly - regurgitating scary memories of creative writing workshops, being told "no, cut it, scrap that, start again!" Is this really what I have to do? Ouch. All this is true said Mr.Mowll. He added, with a wry grin, that cutting a 70 000 word novel down to only 40 000 is just a case of, 'well, you gotta do what you gotta do'. Scary indeed.
So - has this put me off being a writer? Well - it did for a moment, possibly for as long as half a minute. But being the glutton for punishment that I am, I walked out of that lecture theatre inspired rather than depressed. What is wrong with me?
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
The Unspoken Craft
by tira
I have been inspired by accomplished graphic artist, children's author and nice-guy extraordinaire, Joshua Mowll. His lecture about the technicalities of the writing process was engaging, insightful and very refreshing.
There is a balance, he explained, between free creativity and disciplined focus. A serious writer should invite months of solitary confinement with a brain full of ideas and a bin full of redrafts. Also necessary is a realistic understanding of the impatient publishing market... apparently, it isn't as sweet and fluffy as I always hoped.
The lecture encouraged me to think about writing from a serious and determined viewpoint. In this way, Joshua invited everybody to consider themselves as serious and determined writers, which was a rather special feeling.
I have been inspired by accomplished graphic artist, children's author and nice-guy extraordinaire, Joshua Mowll. His lecture about the technicalities of the writing process was engaging, insightful and very refreshing.
There is a balance, he explained, between free creativity and disciplined focus. A serious writer should invite months of solitary confinement with a brain full of ideas and a bin full of redrafts. Also necessary is a realistic understanding of the impatient publishing market... apparently, it isn't as sweet and fluffy as I always hoped.
The lecture encouraged me to think about writing from a serious and determined viewpoint. In this way, Joshua invited everybody to consider themselves as serious and determined writers, which was a rather special feeling.
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