Andrew Oldham

Writers Retreats

With the credit crunch biting, don’t deny yourself the chance to recharge the batteries and be creative. Alizon Brunning has passed this onto me, Alizon is an old friend, and this is her new venture. This is a stunning region and a wonderful place to stay.

The apartments are in our own lovingly restored town house which is located right at the heart of the Arabic quarter with its ancient historic buildings and cobbled winding streets. The apartments have been designed as romantic hideaways where you can get away from it all, yet have access to lively bars, and shops. From the terraces you can watch the light change over the olive groves, see the farmer plough his field, the goatherd drive his animals home and spot many birds of prey. Summer evenings bring spectacular shows of shooting stars.In a few minutes you can walk to the magnificent gorge with its ruined flour mills and abundance of flora and fauna. Five minutes brings you to two traditional squares surrounded by lively bars where the tapas are still free and top quality Rioja is served. A short drive takes you to the hot springs after which the town is named. Swimming can be in the local pool or at Lake Bermajales only a 15 minute drive away. An artist’s and writer’s paradise.

Tags: Alizon Brunning, Andalucia, Writers Retreat

Final Week to Book: Andrew Oldham

20/06/2009 ANDREW OLDHAM: Re-writing

FINAL BOOKINGS BY 06/06/2009

Anyone can write but only writers can re-write. This is skills based workshop looking at the authorial voice, reader response, publishing markets, characterisation, genre conventions and exercises to keep you writing. For poets and writers.

 Andrew Oldham is an award winning writer and Creative Writing Lecturer for Edge Hill University and the OU. His work has been heard on BBC Radio 4 and has appeared on the pages of North American Review, Transmission, Ambit and Gargoyle. He has edited several small press magazines. He is published by Route Books.

This is one of several workshops available over summer. You can view the full programme and book online or find information on sending a cheque at:

http://www.incwriters.co.uk/KitschenWorkshops2009.htm

Tags: Andrew Oldham, Dormouse and the Teapot, Kitschen, Mossley, Rewriting, Workshops

New Blog

I’ve also been busy working on a new blog setup for Incwriters utilising the good people at WordPress. This is a blog open to any WordPress user interested in reading, writing or publishing. Publishers can join and showcase their new publications and more importantly it will give opinion from readers, writers and poets on the state of the industry. Some times these opinions may be controversial or even wrong, but the spirit is to create debate and discussion on the blog. What will be the future of reading and writing if we don’t discuss it?

Visit the blog at: http://incwriters.wordpress.com/ and register with WordPress at: http://en.wordpress.com/signup/

Then send your signup email to incwriters@yahoo.co.uk with information on you and your work.

Tags: Blog, Incwriters

New Forum

I’ve been busy over the last few days working with Incwriters again. They have brought me back on board to up date their forum. They’ve had constant problems with the last forum servers. The forum servers for some reason decided to link key words to advertising. This is a low trick and means users logging on for information were often directed to wrong sites. Incwriters ap0logises for this.

So, for the last week a team has been working to bring the forum forward. The old forum will remain up until mid-June and then it will be deleted. Users don’t need to wait for Administrators to register them BUT any user not adhering to the netiquette of the forum will be blocked. Prior to this we could only block emails, now we can block the PC and the network. This is step forward to keeping spammers out and getting writers, poets, publishers and readers in. The polls are new and easy to set up, as are the avatars and links. More importantly, if you’re not a member you can’t access all the forum, so you miss out on a lot of information.

I hope you join by going to: http://incwriters.phpbbhosts.co.uk

Click on register in the top right hand corner.

Tags: Forum, Incwriters, New

Embarrassment to Poetry?

Ruth Padel, the first woman to be voted as Oxford’s Professor of Poetry yesterday resigned from the post. It is an obnoxious end to a smear filled election that has damaged a poet who has spoken the truth. The favourite for the post, Derek Walcott, removed himself from the running after allegations. These allegations had nothing to do with his poety and where over two decades old. The problem is, even if the allegations may have been true, they were never proven in a court of law (the fact is it was all settled out of court). Therefore, they fall into a distinct grey area, is it truth, is it not? When Ruth Padel passed this information on, she may have been acting honourably but the information was flawed from the start. You can bark and swear and say, ‘But it’s true!’ but the law says otherwise. Regardless of what I believe, this was a dangerous line for Ruth Padel to tread, I admire her for it but at the same time I am angry. She was the first female Professor of Poetry at Oxford! Regardless of the milestone this was, it was up to the election panel to look into the pasts of all the candidates, not for the candidates to do this. When Ruth did this, it became an emotive, subjective argument, she was passing on Chinese Whispers (there may be truth somewhere in there but prove it or be open to liable). She states: “I genuinely believe that I did nothing intentional that led to Derek Walcott’s withdrawal from the election. I wish he had not pulled out. I did not engage in a smear campaign against him, but, as a result of student concern, I naively – and with hindsight unwisely – passed on to two journalists, whom I believed to be covering the whole election responsibly, information that was already in the public domain.”

Where does one start with such a mistake? The law has clearly defined the past mistakes of Derek Walcott is a closed book. Yet, Ruth Padel trusted a student rather than the facts (which, yet again, are grey and not founded in a court of law). She passed this onto journalists who she deemed honourable. Ruth Padel could be forgiven for the mistake of believing the student. She cannot be forgiven for passing on what is deemed as confidential information to the public sector. This is an abuse of pastoral care. Now, before you say this was public domain information, it is not when a student talks to you privately. I think Ruth has been manipulated, and this is a shame, and that factions in Oxford have used her. She is a great poet, who has made a silly mistake.

The only mistake she has made is a breach of conduct. What happens in a seminar is private, and effectively belongs to the institution. There are procedures when a student passes anything that can be deemed as personal or of a sensitive nature. This information is dealt with by line managers, heads of departments and corroborated. Now, this mistake has meant that the student could become a public figure or worse, end up in court, and asked to evidence allegations. Yet again, I have to direct you to the out of court settlement that Walcott’s lawyers won, these would have had certain terms attached. 

I think Ms Padel in a moment of weakness thought she was speaking the truth but the truth can only be told by Walcott or the alledged victims. Heresay is not fact. Heresay is not truth. But more importantly it was up to the election committee to take control of what was becoming a shambles and to make sure that, like a proper election, there should have been a perda period.

Unfortunately, the people who first started the smear campaign made the wrong decision for the world of poetry. They have sent the message out to young poets that it is okay to cut corners, to smear your colleagues, comrades and friends with information that is not the proven truth.

 That is a very silly mistake to end a shambles of an election.

Read more at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/may/25/ruth-padel-resigns-oxford-poetry-professor

More information is leaked from the Evening Standard on the 26/05/2009 by Robert Mendick and Peter Dominiczak: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23698409-details/Revealed:%20Ruth%20Padel%20s%20email%20that%20smeared%20her%20Nobel%20rival/article.do?expand=true#StartComments

Tags: Derek Walcott, Evening Standard, Oxford Professor of Poetry, Poetry, reputation, Ruth Padel resigns, The Guardian

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Ethics Group

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Ethics group has been set up by a consortium of authors, co-ordinated by Andy Remic, who wish to celebrate the good side of the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres. By that, we don’t just mean media with a positive theme – no, we’re into violence, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll like every other monkey – but that our outlook and content will be geared towards the positive.

The site will include reviews, articles and interviews, which is pretty standard across the industry, but also several exciting new angles – such as collaborative stories written by the professional authors therein, and “Viewpoint” articles where writers can collectively wax lyrical on a certain topic.

Andy Remic enthuses, “If we can get all the associated writers together at a convention and suitably drunk on a cocktail of cheap Scandinavian meths, Stella and absinthe, we can also expect a movie! Watch this space!”. The horror.

The official line runs thus: “Our mission is to celebrate everything positive, funky and exciting in the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Universe! The SFFE is a core platform, a hub of authors who have banded together with the aim of celebrating all that is positive in genre fiction. We aim to leave cynicism and negativity at the door, and concentrate on what makes us smile, what entertains us, and what brings light and joy to our SF, fantasy and horror universe. That’s not to say there is no place for criticism— there’s plenty bad in the world. However, this little digital corner is a place for positive progression, somewhere you will (hopefully) come if you want to smile.”

So far, a considerable number of industry figures have signed up to take part, and many more are currently in negotiation! The SFFE currently enjoys:
Tony Ballantyne
Eric Brown
Mark Chadbourn
David Devereux
Ian Graham
Paul Kearney
Tim Lebbon
Tom Lloyd
James Lovegrove
Gail Z. Martin
James Maxey
Juliet E. Mckenna
Mark Morris
Andrew Oldham
Sarah Pinborough
Andy Remic
Brian Ruckley
Tim Stretton
James Swallow
Jeffrey Thomas
Jetse de Vries
Danie Ware
Conrad Williams

A healthy dollop of literary roughage, we’re sure you’ll agree! Check out:
www.sffeth.blogspot.com

Tags: Ethics, Fantasy, Science Fiction and Fantasy Ethics, SF

Save Salt Publishing

As many of you will know, Jen and Christopher have been struggling to keep Salt moving since June last year when the economic downturn began to affect our press. Their three year funding ends this year: they’ve £4,000 due from Arts Council England in a final payment, but cannot apply through Grants for the Arts for further funding for Salt’s operations. Spring sales were down nearly 80% on the previous year, and despite April’s much improved trading, the past twelve months has left them with a budget deficit of over £55,000. It’s proving to be a very big hole and they’re having to take some drastic measures to save their business. Here’s how you can help them save Salt and all their work with hundreds of authors around the world. JUST ONE BOOK

1. Please buy just one book, right now. They don’t mind from where, you can buy it from Salt or from Amazon, your local shop or megastore, online or offline. If you buy just one book now, you’ll help to save Salt. Timing is absolutely everything here. They need cash now to stay afloat. If you love literature, help keep it alive. All it takes is just one book sale. Go to our online store and help us keep going.

2. Share this note on Facebook or your Forum. Tell your friends. If they can spread the word about their cash crisis, they can hopefully find more sales and save our literary publishing. Remember it’s just one book, that’s all it takes to save us. Please do it now.

GO TO: http://www.saltpublishing.com

Tags: Poets, Publisher, Salt Publishing, Save Poetry

The Manchester Fiction Prize 2009

First prize: £10,000
Deadline for entries: 7^th August 2009
Entry fee: £15

The Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University is launching The Manchester Fiction Prize – a new literary competition celebrating excellence in creative writing.

The Manchester Fiction Prize is open internationally and will award a cash prize of £10,000* to the writer of the best short story submitted. The competition is open to entrants aged 16 or over; there is no upper age limit.

A bursary for study at MMU will also be awarded to an entrant aged 18-25 as part of the Jeffrey Wainwright Manchester Young Writer of the Year Award*. Eligible entrants are asked to indicate on the entry form if they would like to be considered for the Manchester Young Writer of the Year Award in addition to the main prize.

All entrants are asked to submit a complete short story of up to 5,000 words in length. The story can be on any subject, and written in any style, but must be new work, not published or submitted for consideration elsewhere. The competition will be judged by distinguished novelists and short story writers Sarah Hall, M. John Harrison and Nicholas Royle.

The Manchester Fiction Prize celebrates the substantial cultural and literary achievements of Manchester, building on the work of MMU’s Writing School and enhancing the city’s reputation as one of Europe’s most adventurous and creative spaces. The prizes will be awarded at a gala ceremony, held as part of the 2009 Manchester Literature Festival.

To enter the competition, click “online entry” in the column on the left of your screen. If you would like a printed entry pack for postal submission, or if you have any queries, please contact:

James Draper
Project Manager: Writing School
Department of English
Manchester Metropolitan University
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 247 1787
E-mail: j.draper@mmu.ac.uk

Click the following link for printable entry form for postal submission: http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk/fiction/doc/ManchesterFictionCompetitionLeaflet.pdf

Click the link below for a printable competition poster: http://www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk/fiction/doc/ManchesterFictionCompetitionPoster.pdf

* Terms and conditions apply.

Tags: The Manchester Fiction Prize 2009

Frank O’Connor Longlist 2009

Following on form last week’s Edge Hill Short Story Prize shortlist comes the list of short story collections longlisted for the 2009 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. The Award has one of the biggest prizes for short story writers, €35,000. Yet, what makes €35,000 story? Well the long list this year has expanded from 2008′s thirty-eight to a stagger fifty-seven short story collections. The great thing is that the big boy publishers are weighing up against the independent small presses (including Andrew’s publisher, Route). We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Anthony Croppers collection.

The judges for the award are Lloren A. Foster, Milka Jankowska and Vincent McDonnell. The shortlist of 5 titles will be announced in late June, and the winner in September.

For more on the award visit The Munster Literature Centre.

Here is the longlist:

Sana Krasikov, One More Year, Portobello Books Ltd
Petina Gappah, An Elegy for Easterly, Faber and Faber Limited
Eleanor Bluestein, Tea and Other Ayama Na Tales, BkMk Press (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
Bonnie Jo Cambell, American Salvage,Wayne State University Press
Dennis Cooper, Ugly Man: Stories, Harper Perennial
David Eagleman, Sum, Pantheon Books (Random House)
Mary Gaitskill, Don’t Cry, Pantheon Books (Random House)
Lauren Groff, Delicate Edible Bird, Hyperion
Daniel A. Hoyt, Then We Saw The Flames, University of Massachusetts Press
Ian MacMillan, Our People, BkMk Press (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
James Mathews, Last Known Position, University of North Texas Press
Christopher Meeks, Months and Season, White Whisker Books
Lydia Peelle, Reasons for and Advantage of Breathing, Harper Perennial
Andrew Porter, The Theory of Light and Matter, University of Georgia Press
Glen Pourciau, Invite, University of Iowa Press
Midge Raymond, Forgetting English, Eastern Washington University Press
Wells Tower, Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Anthony Cropper, Nature’s Magician, Route
Jane Feaver, Love Me Tender, Harvill Secker (The Random House Group)
Paul Flynn, Crossing the Border, CC Publishing
Tania Hershman, The White Road and Other Stories, Salt Publishing
Sue Hubbard, Rothko’s Red, Salt Publishing
Kazuo Ishiguro, Nocturnes, Faber and Faber Limited
Sushma Joshi, The End of the World, FinePrint Books
Alex Keegan, Ballistics, Salt Publishing
Charles Lambert, The Scent of Cinnamon, Salt Publishing
James Lasdun, It’s Beginning to Hurt, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Tom Lee, Greenfly, Harvill Secker (The Random House Group)
Frederick Lightfoot, Fetish and Other Stories, Superscript
André Mangeot, A Little Javanese, Salt Publishing
Sean O’Brien, The Silence Room, Comma Press
John Saul, As Rivers Flow, Salt Publishing
Ali Smith, The First Person, Penguin Group Canada
Mark Illis, Tender, Salt Publishing
Simon Van Booy, Love Begins in Winter, Harper Perennial
Tricia Dower, Silent Girl, Innana Publications and Education Inc.
Hannah Holborn, Fierce, McClelland & Stewart
Pamela Stewart, Elysium, Anvil Press
Deborah Willis, Vanishing and Other Stories, Penguin Group Canada
Kuzhali Manickavel, Insects Are Just Like You and Me Except Some of Them Have Wings, Blaft Publications
Arnon Grunberg, Amuse-Bouche, Comma Press
Kristiina Ehin, A Priceless Nest, Oleander Press
Maike Wetzel (Trans. Lyn Marven), Long Days, Comma Press
Gyrơir Elíasson (Trans. Victoria Cribb), Stone Tree, Comma Press
Jahnavi Barua, Next Door, Penguin Books ( India )
Jasmine Anita Yvette D’Costa, Curry is Thicker Than Water, BookLand Press
Michael J. Farrell, Life in the Universe, The Stinging Fly Press
Robert Graham, The Only Living Boy, Salt Publishing
Alan McMonagle, Liar, Liar, Words on the Street
Philip Ó Ceallaigh, The Pleasant Light of Day, Penguin Ireland
Kiril Bozhinov, Eclipses: Stories of Disappearances and Reappearance, Beyond Art Productions
Shih-Li-Kow, Ripples and Other Short Stories, Silverfish Books
Jeanette Galpin, Aroha and the River, Maungatiro Press of Marton
Charlotte Grimshaw Singularity, Vintage
Sefi Atta, Lawless, Farafina Books
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Thing Around Your Neck, Fourth Estate LTD
Empar Moliner (Trans. Peter Bush), I Love You When I’m Drunk, Comma Press

Tags: Anthony Cropper, Comma Press, Frank O'Connor Award, Route

Edge Hill Prize shortlist 2009

Andrew has been a reader for this award since its inception and is proud to support the award. The five short story collections on the shortlist for the £5000 Edge Hill Prize for the Short Story 2009 have just been announced: (1)Shena Mackay, The Atmospheric Railway, Random House, (2) Gerard Donovan, Country of the Grand, Faber, (3) Anne Enright, Yesterday’s Weather, Random House , (4) Chris Beckett, The Turing Test, Elastic Press, (5) Ali Smith, The First Person and Other Stories, Hamish Hamilton.

Tags: Edge Hill Prize for the Short Story