FREE literature magazine
Tripod is a magazine of new writing that has, up to now, concentrated on the three cities of Leicester, Derby and Nottingham. We are currently busy planning the way forward for Tripod magazine. We hope to produce a further magazine, in the spirit of Tripod, and certainly extending its reach to cover the whole East Midlands region, including Northamptonshire.
Literature Northants has a limited number of Tripod magazines available for free. If you would like to be sent an issue, please contact Kate Wilkinson on kwilkinson@northamptonshire.gov.uk / 01604 237959. All we’ll ask in return is your comments on the magazine. If you are interested in being kept informed of Tripod’s progress, and joining the contact list, please email info@tripodmagazine.com.
Innovative fundraising website launched
A new website has been set up to provide fundraisers everywhere with a comprehensive, easily accessible archive of the best fundraising creativity from around the world. All the information on www.sofii.org has been compiled to inform, guide and help fundraisers when preparing their own fundraising strategies, campaigns and promotions. In this way SOFII aims to improve fundraising practice everywhere for the benefit of fundraisers, donors and the organisations and causes they all serve. It’s also free to join, providing you are currently working in a non-profit organisation/charity.
A Mile of River by Judith Allnatt
On the evening of 3rd April, Northampton Central Library was the proud host of the launch of Judith’s first novel, A Mile of River, published by Transworld (Doubleday). It was an excellent evening featuring some lovely readings from Judith - which lead to a record number of books being sold! Many thanks to Judith and Central Library staff for making the evening such a success.
A Mile of River is set in 1976, the summer of the one-hundred-day drought; the English countryside is a tinderbox and a small farm is barely surviving. Farmer’s daughter, Jess, has a father who demands absolute loyalty and obedience. She must never mention the name of her absent mother, Sylvie. Jess finds Sylvie’s diary and starts to unravel secrets. Against the background of a scorching summer that is drying up the river, the very lifeblood of the farm, Jess struggles to decide who she is, her mother’s or her father’s daughter.
For more information and to buy the book visit http://www.judithallnatt.co.uk/.
Three year plan for literature in Northamptonshire
For the last few months I’ve been working with literary consultant Steve Dearden, and in consultation with a cross section of Northamptonshire’s literary community, in order to develop a new year year plan for literature in the county. The plan identifies areas of need which I, as Literature Development Officer, will aim to address over the next three years. The plan is available in summary form: 3 year plan. I hope you find it as exciting and challenging as I do. Thanks to all who contributed to this process.
New book by Northants writer Sue Moorcroft
A helicopter crash. And one secret after another is spilled. Diane Jenner’s isolated world is rocked when she discovers her husband has been enjoying a double life. Perhaps Diane’s parents were right to oppose her marriage to Gareth 25 years ago over his impoverished background - it’s money that’s at the root of every one of Gareth’s betrayals. James North has money but he knows it doesn’t buy him happiness because the lifestyle of his wife, Valerie, the pilot of the helicopter, has caused James problems for years. He’s desperate for her to be more stable for the sake of their fragile daughter, Tamzin. And Diane’s daughter, Bryony, needs a father to rely on. Which is more important? Money or family?
Sue Moorcroft’s new novel, Family Matters, will be published in March 2008. For more information, see http://www.suemoorcroft.com/.
New H. E. Bates anthology: now on sale
The 2007 anthology of top stories from the H.E. Bates Short Story Competition, entitled ’Spreading Wings,’ is now on sale. Anthologies are available for £3.50 from most Northamptonshire libraries or from Kate Wilkinson on the details below:
Kate Wilkinson
Literature Development Officer
NLIS
John Dryden House
8-10 The Lakes
Northampton
NN4 7DD
01604 237959 / kwilkinson@northamptonshire.gov.uk.
Please make any cheques payable to ‘NCC.’
National Year of Reading 2008
“The 2008 National Year of Reading will create a powerful focus of opportunities and activities so that children, families and adult learners understand the benefits that reading for pleasure and purpose can bring to change their lives,” Ed Balls MP. Look out for lots of exciting NYR events from Literature Northants and Northants Libraries. http://www.yearofreading.org.uk.
H.E. Bates Short Story Competition: winners
We received over 150 entries for the H.E. Bates Short Story Writing Competition this year, from locations as far apart as Kettering and Tasmania. Head judge Judith Allnatt read all the shortlisted entries and had the difficult task of picking the winners, which were announced at the prize evening at Northampton Central Library on 22nd November at 7pm. So, without further ado, the winners are …
1st prize: Jackie Spry from Stoke on Trent for ‘Douglas Spreads His Wings’
2nd prize: Hilary Graham from Berwickshire for ‘Earth to Air’
3rd prize: Jason Jackson from Bristol for ‘Telling Kate about the Polish Wolfsong’
Highly commended: Joel Willans from London for ‘The Secret Power of Daisy Oswald’
Highly commended: Hilary Graham from Berwickshire for ‘Music the Time Beguileth’
Under-18s winner: Michael Bellot from Wetherby for ‘The Rock and the Toad’
Extracts from each winning entry were read at the prize giving evening and received great praise from the audience. A anthology of shortlisted entries is now available from libraries or Kate Wilkinson, Literature Development Officer (see ‘Contact’ page), in the New Year.
Many thanks to Northampton Writers’ Group for the initial judging of the entries, particularly Nick Hamlyn who was instrumental in the organisation of the competition. Thanks also to head judge Judith Allnatt, Library Service Manager Grace Kempster and the staff at Northampton Central Library for all their work, particularly their contribution to a most enjoyable prize giving evening.
About the head judge … Judith Allnatt writes poetry and fiction. Her novel ‘A Mile of River’ will be published by Transworld (Doubleday) in March 2008. Judith’s short stories have been published in anthologies and broadcast on Radio 4. She is Course Director for the H.E.Certificate in Creative Writing at the University of Leicester Northampton Centre and also lectures in creative writing for the Open University and for libraries and museums.Judith lives and works in Northamptonshire and is currently working on a second novel for Transworld. You can find out more about Judith’s writing life and read some of her writing at http://www.judithallnatt.co.uk/.
