If Shakespeare…

Lest you may not have heard, two of the UK’s leading editors will be at the VWC’s ‘Get Writing’ Conference at the University of Hertfordshire on Saturday 20th February…

‘Step aside, JK Rowling and Ian McEwan,’ says Richard Brooks in the Sunday Times today. Simon Beckett was ‘Last year’s best-selling British fiction writer in Continental Europe.’ Who is his publisher? Simon Taylor at Bantam Books. Simon Taylor is coming to GW10. As an editorial director at Transworld, part of the Random House Group, he also commissions into Doubleday, Corgi and Black Swan. We are hugely privileged to have Simon Taylor as one of our keynote speakers, and not only has he agreed to talk, but to listen to private one-to-one pitches as well. In fact we are doubly privileged because appearing alongside him will be Marlene Johnson, managing director of the Children’s Division of Hachette UK, and she also will be listening to authors promote their work. Thanks to them, delegates will have a rare opportunity to talk to leading editors face to face.

The Conference features even more: ‘Crime Writer of the year,’ Mark Billingham; leading literary agents, John Jarrold, Anna Power and Philip Patterson; distinguished editorial adviser, Kathy Gale – along with Adèle Geras, author of over 90 books, and Imran Ahmad, possibly the ‘funniest writer ever’ – in addition to a great selection of workshops and optional talks, with lunch included, all for only £45.

We’re just a few places away from selling out completely. If you’ve not already booked, then book now at www.vwc.org.uk. It’s a chance not to be missed.

As I’m sure everyone out there is already aware, the illustrious Vanessa Gebbie is coming to our forthcoming Get Writing 2010 conference to present a workshop on short story writing. Just to whet your appetites, here’s an interview that I did with her recently as part of her blog tour promoting Salt Publishing’s excellent new “Short Circuit” guide.

As a lad, my interest in football peaked in 1966 as England surged forwards to win the world cup. Subsequent outings (as the results suggest) have not been as successful or as rewarding.

My last attempt at watching our 3 Lion side cast the glare of close-up television upon a number of Neanderthal players (I won’t use Chinny Hill’s epithet) whose claim to fame was kicking their erstwhile opponents up in the air and getting booked for the privilege.

How refreshing it was for me to glimpse some of yesterdays Scunthorpe vs. Man City match where the Scunthorpe goalie made three terrific instinctive saves from an M.City blitzkrieg attack in less than two seconds. MC’s Robinho (no doubt a cracking lad from Matlock Bath?!) actually shook the Scunthorpe goalie’s hand in congratulation.

Does this signal the return of professional sportsmanship and entertaining games?

Who says it’s difficult to make your work stand out from the crowd? Certainly not Orion. They have a trick or two up their, well… their sleeves.

Is this the future of book promotion? Can anyone guess who represents the author and who the publisher in this scene?

(15-rated content. Be warned)

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Two excellent short stories by prolific VWC writer Jonathan Pinnock and a couple by a certain other nondescript, also of this parish (modesty forbids), appear in the Rhinoceros in question, details here.

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Yes, he has finally got a Round Tooit.

Here

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

David Who? …Not any more.

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…from everyone at Verulam Writers’ Circle.

(Although don’t feel obliged to marry Christmas, as my initial mistyping for the headline said).

People who know me might not be surprised to find that I have an opinion on this! You can read it at the Musicbrick website.

Space Captain Smith, via his alter ego Toby Frost has unleashed a new tale for the festive season for you to download and pass among your friends.

Find it, free of charge, by clicking the link below:

The Celery and the Ivy

At last the world speaks with one voice. If only those in power will listen.

56 newspapers, 45 countries, 20 languages.

Whatever you believe about the cause of global warming, this is clearly the final countdown.

Let’s make our feelings known.