Members’ News
I wanted to share for the news a project I’ve been involved in called ‘25 Voices’. (Not quite 26!). It’s a project by Mary Reynolds Thompson described as 25 Poems for the Soul of the Nation – a project born out of a desire to respond with heart, courage, and clarity to the times we are living in. Inspired by Senator Cory Booker’s 25-hour stand on the Senate floor, this is our own offering: 25 voices reading 25 poems that speak to the soul of our nation. My offering is linked above, reading a poem by Wendell Berrry.
– Olivia Sprinkel
As well as being a brand voice strategist, I run Dirty Laundry, a live storytelling and poetry night based in Frome, Somerset. It’s become a well-loved local event, blending grassroots energy with top-tier spoken word. Over the past few years I’ve hosted poets like Harry Baker, Vanessa Kisuule, and Jonny Fluffypunk, and we’re now stepping into new spaces – both online and in collaboration with the Frome Festival and the Crysse Morrison Prize for Poetry.
On Tuesday 6th May, I’m hosting our first online poetry workshop, with Luke Wright – an award-winning performance poet who’s currently touring his critically acclaimed show, Joy. The workshop is short, energetic, and designed to get people writing through guided exercises and creative provocation. It’s open to all levels, and a new strand of what Dirty Laundry offers.
Here’s the info and ticket link and I’ve attached the flyer:
- Luke Wright x Dirty Laundry – Online Poetry Workshop
- Tuesday 6th May, 8–9.15pm
- £10.00 / £6 concession
- Info and tickets here
– Olly Davy
I have finally finished the novel (The Vegan Detective) I’ve been working on since my last 26 contribution in 2018 and begun the process of thumbing through the latest Writers’ and Artists’ yearbook and sending a synopsis and sample off to agents to see if any might take a chance on it. Now it’s just a matter of sitting back and waiting for the rejection slips – or, worse, the assumed lack of interest if no reply within 8 weeks – to roll in.
Should my pessimism prove well-founded, will explore the self-publishing route – any advice from 26-ers on that score would be welcome.
– Tony Clarke
I’m co-hosting another #CopywritersUnite night in London on Thursday 8 May. Here are the details:
Writers’ social
26er Sarah Farley and copywriter Luke Bishop are hosting the next #CopywritersUnite night on Thursday 8 May.
#CopywritersUnite nights and lites are informal drinks with copywriters and copy lovers. No tickets, no agenda, no speakers. Just lots of friendly copy chat. And you don’t need to be a copywriter to come along!
Date: Thursday 8 May
Time: From 6pm
Place: Duke of Sussex (upstairs function room), 23 Baylis Road, Waterloo, London SE1 7AY
Please use the Google form to let us know if you’re coming, so we can get an idea of numbers: https://forms.gle/muW6JpTVXAHMk6mo8
Hope to see you there!
Not in London? Follow #CopywritersUnite on LinkedIn for news of meetups across the UK and around the world.
– Sarah Farley
News from me for members in or visiting North East London:
I will have a small exhibition of botanical work, Hello, Petal, at Springfield Park Café in Clapton, East London from 24 April to 11 June.There will be giclée prints (for practical reasons – the inks I use aren’t lightfast – but that will also make them available to anyone who would like to buy one), four original sketches and three textile pieces enlarged from sketches, all with my usual handwritten notes. As I hand-stitch the caption on the last textile piece, my embroidery hoop is making accidental Dadaist poetry as I move it across the words.
– Lydia Thornley
Bradford Literature Festival, I will be involved in several events:
29th June, 11-1pm Tour: Undercliffe Cemetery, Grade II* listed site, resting place of mill owners, architects, ‘father of forensic science’, sassy lasses and so many more. A green oasis with panoramic views.
4th July, 2pm Talk: ‘Medieval Streets of Bradford’ illustrating the town’s existence before becoming ‘Worstedopolis’
6th July, time TBC Talk: ‘Frances Mary Richardson Currer’ described as England’s first female bibliophile, (she had a library of almost 30,000 books). I’ll also be exploring her links with the Brontes, who she knew.
Take a look on the website for more.
– Irene Lofthouse
One more piece of unexpected news… A random meeting led to a chat with BBC Radio Humberside’s Richard Stead, which he generously aired on his show. If you fancy hearing about The Writer’s Walk and how I started it, it’s available on BBC Sounds until 23 May. I’m on at about 16 minutes into the show. Listen now.
– Sarah Farley
Members’ Recommendations
The Film. Radio 4, 12 April: by Martin Jameson. In April 1945. A Ministry of Information army film crew enters Bergen-Belsen to record the Holocaust horrors that many were already refusing to believe. Sidney Bernstein, head of the unit, asks friend Alfred Hitchcock to help him create ‘irrefutable cinematic testimony.’
It’s a play that reveals lots about the rewriting of history, its manipulation by governments and their cynicism (in this case, Britain’s).
– Irene Lofthouse