The H.E. Bates Short Story Competition 2009: PRIZEGIVING
Join us for a celebration of new writing talent as the winners of the 2009 H.E. Bates Short Story Competition are announced. Northampton Central Library at 7pm on Thursday 26th November 2009. FREE ENTRY. Further details from kwilkinson@northamptonshire.gov.uk.
Follow Literature Northants on Twitter
If you’re that way inclined, you can now follow Literature Northants on Twitter. Go to https://twitter.com/ and search for ‘LitNorthants.’
Women of Steel – A Living History of Corby
A book about Corby’s modern history was launched on Thursday 13 November. Paula Boulton’s book ‘Women of Steel’ is the most comprehensive social history of modern Corby ever produced and documents the important moments in the life of the new town that was established in the 1930s and almost destroyed in the 1980s when the steel works closed down.
The book follows a hugely successful play of the same name that was performed at East Carlton Park in July 2006 and subsequently adapted for indoor theatre in 2007, and a film which was first screened this summer.
Paula, who was brought up in the town and founded the groundbreaking Corby Women’s Centre, the Corby Women’s Theatre Group and Shout! Youth Theatre, said the book came about from a desire to make a permanent record of the many stories and images collected throughout the life of the project.
“The book is a time capsule and it shows the human impact of political decisions and how they can devastate communities and shape entire generations,” she said. “Telling it through the voices of women and children gives it a very personal feel, but it is very much about the men of the town and those who gave their working lives to the steel works.”
Included within the book’s pages are hundreds of photographs which document the town’s growth from a small rural village to a mighty industrial town and then from the depressed post steel town of the 1980s to the more prosperous and growing town that stands today.
The script of the play, which was performed by the Corby Women’s Theatre Group and Shout! Youth theatre, makes up the core of the book and there is an extensive author’s notes section of additional commentary and more ‘stories of steel.’
‘Women of Steel’ is being sold at the The Paper Shop in New Post Office Square, Corby, WH Smith in Corby and Kettering, Waterstone’s in Kettering, the libraries in Corby and Kettering, Rockingham tea shop, Quinn’s in Market Harborough and the Oundle bookshop. There is also a website for those who want to find out more and copies of the book, DVD and audio CD can be bought online by logging on to www.womenofsteel.co.uk. There are only fifty copies of the book left so don’t delay!
H.E. Bates Anthology 2008 now on sale
Handprints, the anthology of shortlisted and winning stories from the 2008 H.E. Bates Short Story Competition, is now on sale. Copies are available from the Literature Development Officer for £3 each. To obtain your copy, ask at your local library or send a cheque for £3 made out to ‘NCC’ to:
Kate Wilkinson
Literature Development Officer
Arts Development Team
Northamptonshire County Council
Music & Performing Arts Centre
125-129 Kettering Road
Northampton NN1 4AZ
EMIT
Are you passionate about literature? EMIT is the monthly e-mail newsletter for literature in the East Midlands. Every month EMIT gives you the latest literature news, details of upcoming events and opportunities for writers from introductory writing courses to major commissions. EMIT is a publication of the Literature Network.
To subscribe visit: http://literaturenetwork.org.
Writing East Midlands announces new appointments
Henderson Mullin, Chief Executive, is joined by Antonia Bell and Catherine Rogers to make up the team at Writing East Midlands. Previously Antonia was Office Manager for AI Digital, a Brighton based on-line digital marketing agency and will be PA and Operations Manager. Catherine worked as Literature Development Officer for Derby City Council and joins Writing East Midlands as Projects and Marketing Manager.
catherine@writingeastmidlands.co.uk, t: 0115 959 7932
antonia@writingeastmidlands.co.uk, t: 0115 959 7929
Writing East Midlands is a new writing agency in the region, which will support, promote and champion writing from the East Midlands. It aims to establish the region as a consistent producer of excellent writing and will create opportunities for practicing writers as well as discovering new writers of quality. Writing East Midlands is based at 49 Stoney Street, The Lace Market, Nottingham NG1 1LX. For details about Writing East Midlands, please go to the website – www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk.
