Mungrisdale Writers Group News

This page, from time to time, will be populated with news items about our group

HOMEWORK

Homework will be posted on the Forum under the topic 'Homework' in future. This will enable discussion and clarification if needed about the topic between members. It will also enable any member to post it which will help share the jobs round the group.

Friday July 30th

The Village Hall, Mungrisdale…Cost: Donation on the day.

Refreshments provided

This seminar is part of the “Open Doors” programme of St Kentigern’s Church, Mungrisdale

On Juniper Mountain: A Journey in the Himalayas

Poetry for a summer’s day

With Kenneth Steven, Angela Locke and Stephen Wright

3 poets come together to explore the sacred.

Kenneth Steven is a poet, a writer of fiction for adults and children, and a translator. He's best known as a poet, and much of the inspiration for his work derives from his passion for the natural world and his love, in particular, for the Hebrides. At the heart of those islands lies Iona, and it has been Columba's isle and the Celtic Christian story which have formed the backbone of his creative output over the years. His books of poetry include “Iona”, “Columba” and “Making the known world new” as well as books for children including “The Sea Mice and the Stars”, “The Lord’s prayer – explained for children” and “The biggest thing in the world”.

Angela Locke is a widely published poet, author and creative writing tutor, who has been the guiding light of the Mungrisdale Writers Group. She most recently appeared on the BBC2 “Review” programme, and has worked widely in TV and radio. Her latest book, published in May 2010 by O-Books “On Juniper Mountain - A Journey in the Himalayas” is about her travels in Nepal in the 90's, where she found herself on a journey of discovery which would change her life.

Stephen Wright is a distinguished academic, journalist and health care expert having published many books and journal articles and making numerous TV and radio appearances. His most recent published works include “Coming Home” – exploring spiritual awakening and returning to Christianity, “Song and Dance for the Way Home”- a collection of sacred songs and dances and the poem: “Beloved”.

All three of our presenters are experienced in teaching creative writing and will bring their own rich spiritual histories to this event.

Session 1 will begin at 2pm when Kenneth as our guest poet will lead a creative and participatory writer’s class.

Session 2 will begin at 7.30pm and will be open to all when all three poets will offer readings from their published works.

Places are limited; please make early contact to reserve your place. For more details and bookings please contact stephen@sacredspace.org.uk or telephone 017687 79000

John Bagness

1933-2010

A much loved member and committee member of Mungrisdale Writers, John Bagness, died during February. John was a very quiet unassuming person who had great depths of insight and knowledge. He was a Quaker. Members of the group are privileged to have known him and his poetry was appreciated by all of us. Five members of the group were able to attend his funeral at the Quaker Meeting House in Penrith. We send our good wishes to his family.

Dates for your diary

Summer Programme

The Great Mungrisdale Summer Programme 2010

The Last of the Summer Wine!

We've had some great sessions this summer with Geraldine and Janni and we are now down to the last two - Don't forget:-

5th August Nick Pemberton. Nick is a creative writing tutor and comes well

recommended. He will be concentrating on poetry although feel free to write in any form you choose.

19th August Mike Smith. Mike says he would do some work on FLASH FICTION! and possibly MAGIC REALISM

Please come and enjoy. Usual price (£10) usual time 10.30 am to 1.30 pm - lunch in the pub afterwards for those who want.

Members may bring visitors (£12 per head) but should let Sue know if they want to do so

Next Term Dates

Thursdays: Sept 23rd, Oct 7th, Oct 21st, Nov 4th, Nov 18th, Dec 2nd, Dec 16th

All with Angela, same time, same place, same lovely people!

AGM Oct 28th - 10.30 am Mungrisdale Village Hall - put your thinking caps on - nominations needed for committee members and for Chair and Secretary - Both Jill and Dorothy are retiring this year having served hei terms of office.

dating@60

and other tribulations

ISBN No 978-0-9550249-5-5

Now featuring as one of the Best Sellers in Cumbria

Order through Amazon - see home page - or purchase through good booksellers including Waterstones, Bookends, The Bluebell Bookshop and On The Shelf, Caldbeck

Last few copies of the second print left - buy now

Congratulations to Geoffrey Smith

Press

Release

Including the short story: Re-reading the Greeks in Mexico

The poems in this new collection have been described as: Combining wit and tenderness in a very individual and memorable way—they have a delightfully tongue-in-cheek rueful quality about them but a seriousness too which is often profound and moving

Trade Paperback: ISBN13: 978-1-4535-1416-0

Published by: Xlibris Corporation, 1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403, USA

Available from: www.amazon.com - Please remember to order all your books through our link on the home page

or www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk www.barnesandnoble.com

Congratulations

To Dorothy Crowther and John Fryer

Dorothy for winning first prize in the Society of Medical Writers non fiction section in the autumn competition with her article entitled 'Peace in Africa. Vain Hope or Work in Progress?'
Dorothy also won the non fiction section of the Cumbria Literary Group annual competition with an article. A City Walk.. A Walk Around Newcastle.
John Fryer was second in the same section with his Walk Around Edinburgh.

The New Writing Cumbria website is now up and running: find it at www.newwritingcumbria.org.uk. It’s still in its infancy, with a lot more information still to go up there. In due course I hope it will be linked closely into the newsletter, which will include links directly to the website, but we’re not quite there yet with it.

One of the things the site will include in the near future - under the ‘New Writing’ tab at the top - is the opportunity to publish your own poetry and (very) short fiction. We’ll set a theme every three or four months for submissions, and selection will be by guest editors who are published writers themselves who will, hopefully, add a few lines of critique about each piece published too. I’m working on submission guidelines at the moment, so next month I look forward to receiving your works!

In addition, there’s a forum where you can post your own writing link to your website if you have one, as well as discuss matters literary to your hearts’ content. To get you started I’ve posted a question: If there were a CUMBRIAN Man Booker Prize - for any sort of book, be it poetry, fiction or even non-fiction published by a writer living and working in Cumbria - who would you shortlist? (title just says ‘What Book Would Win Your Cumbria …’ as it seems there’s a limit on number of characters in a title - so beware of that!) You’ll need to register to use the forum – just your user name and password.

The next e-Update will be at the end of October. Any news from you that I receive in the interim will go up on the website.

Sue Allan
Project Officer – Eden Arts

On Juniper Mountain by Angela Locke

O Books ISBN 978-1-84694 -301-0
Forward by Sir Chris Bonington, CBE
'For every journey there has to be a first step. When, in 1992, Angela Locke travelled to Nepal for the first time, she had never been anywhere in the Developing World. This first journey would be a life-changing experience which would culminate in the founding of the charity Juniper Trust, of which I am the Patron, which now works to provide basic facilities for the poorest and most disadvantaged communities across the world. This is a book about an inner journey, not an adventure in a conventional sense, but a journey of discovery nonetheless. No mountains were summitted, but there is real adventure, told against a background of the sublime beauty of the Himalayas and of the gentle people who inhabit the foothills of Nepal.

And a bit about the book:
Leaving her isolated Lake District valley, writer Angela Locke finds herself on a life-changing journey in the Himalayas.

Angela travelled to Nepal in the early 90's to research a new book, and found herself on a journey of discovery which would change her life. Meeting a Tibetan monk in the supermarket before she left, he told her that 'the book is not important, but the journey is...' She would find herself going back and back to Nepal, becoming immersed in the life of the country, and experiencing a deep spiritual awakening. Her experiences would lead to the founding of the charity Juniper Trust which now works in Education and Health with the poorest communities all over the world.

Pam Pottinger, writing as Annie Bates, has contributed a short story to an anthology 'Making Changes' published by Bridge House Publishing at £8.99, buy it through our Amazon link or at The Bluebell Bookshop, Penrith. It is about an ordinary working family who decide to leave their homeland and uproot to the UK told through the eyes of the 16 year old daughter of a glassmaker who is upset about having to leave behind her home in Bohemia and her elderley Grandma. A short extract of her story can be found in Pam's showcase.

And another one - Annie Bates, alias Pam Pottinger, has done it again. This time she has a short story in this collection

OUT MAY 13th £8.99

In The Shadow Of The Red Queen...

"We hope you will enjoy this collection of short stories. They have been selected because we hoped that each one of them would either make you laugh or cry or at least muse a little about the glorious game that is life.

One of our authors introduced the Red Queen and it became apparent that she is a little like Jung's goddess. If we use our imagination a little we can plot her trajectory in most of our stories. Hence our title. She can be bitterly cruel but also has a wicked sense of humour."

Perhaps you would like to have a look at Bridge House Publishing and see if you can get a story published!

The Church of the Sunday Jazz
Geoffrey Smith

Geoffrey has published a booklet of poems, which you can get from him direct
Geoffrey Smith
Available now from Wilde Words:
30 Waters Meet, Warwick Bridge, Carlisle, CA4 8RT
At £5 00 post free

Congratulations

To Vi Taylor. Vi, who is one of the backbones of our group, has published a collection of her work under the title

Words

are Thoughts

are Pictures

these poems reflect on a long life and show the changing face of events and landscapes through the perspectives of age. They are full of insight and show a keen observation and sense of humour.

To Dorothy Chalk, one of our founder members who has just published a collection of her poetry under the title "Listen" (ISBN 0-9550249-4-4). Dorothy's book is full of images of Cumbria, the hills, lakes, weather, flora and fauna and of her faith in God as her, and their creator.

To Sally Dalglish whose poems which have been published under the title "Winter" (ISBN 0-9550249-3-5) have been inspired by changes in seasonal weather and man's behaviour.

Reflections from Mungrisdale

Our second collection of prose and poetry in our Reflections series is out now. The theme is Travel and it contains some of the poems members submitted for the Words by the Water competition earlier this year. This, and our first collection on Water, is available at 50p each.

Congratulations

To Fenella Davies, writing as Fenella Madoc whose book "La Saison des Mangoustans" has been published by Presses de la Cite. We wait for it to be published in English! - the language in which it is written - but in the meantime congratulations to Fenella and her agent for securing publication (and a very good advance!).