Dani, Lynne and Amanda read their work at The Bike Shed last night as part of the SMHAF and they were wonderful. The Bike Shed are now going to host regular open mic events and I hope at least some of you will consider reading your wonderful poems, stories and essays. One of the most enjoyable things about last night was the richness of culture being embraced and adored. This is surely one of the reasons we write? Because it is culturally important or inherent within us, to tell stories, play music and re-enact our lives in creative expression. I do not wish to see storytelling die out, I want to create poets so that our children’s children still know the heart breaking joy of the spoken word.
HUG and other local mental health projects are going to apply for funding so that I can bring you theses classes for free. Until that time comes, I am reducing the price in the hope of attracting more people. I am also cutting the class from 3 hours to 2. AND, we are going to start at the beginning again, with switching off, learning to free-write and then shaping the stuff of our free-writes.
If you are interested in this, please sign up, book by paying on line and send me a sample of work that you would like to work on. (When sending work, please put your name on the top and use docx or pdf or pages)
That’s £80 (for 4 workshops, plus one critique a week) to be paid to Miss Orla P Broderick (please ask for bank details)
Brodie
We have the makings of a committee for the Brodie Literary Gathering and I would like to invite anyone who may be interested in getting together on a Friday, to join us at The Old Mill in Brodie, by Forres. This is a beautiful relaxed venue where you can practise reading your work or discussing ideas with fellow writers. If we form a committee, then we can apply for funding for author and poet events. We have been meeting at 5.30 on a Friday, if this time suits the majority? I am more than happy to teach whatever you need at Brodie, as required. Hopefully, we will concentrate on self publishing, and then use this venue to launch your novels!
Daless Farm Writing Retreat
Instead of the wild wild writing on the Isle of Skye, we are going to an ancestral pile deep in the Nairnshire hills. It is truly tranquil. You will be immersed in Nature for three days with fully tutored writing workshops, vegan food and wonderful company. That happens at midsummer and there is space for another dozen folks. You can contact me in the first instance but I am not actually organising it – Napier and Dani will be your hostess and host respectively and they will want to know your needs and wants so as to make your retreat as comfortable as possible. I think the cost is about £200, but Napier will provide these details on request. There are photographs of the magnificent house and surroundings on my Council House Publishing Facebook page if you wish to take a peek!