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Thames Valley Writers' Circle News

August  2010

Monday 9th

Pick and Mix   Anthology launched – send in your works!
Short stories and articles up to 1500 words maximum and poems up to 40 lines.  Mary is asking all the members to send in two stories, two articles or up to six poems (or even a mixture…)
Send your contribution(s) to Stuart 

Wednesday 4th

Jan’s play “Romantic Hero“ has been shortlisted in the “Pint Sized Plays” competition (see: http://www.pintsizedplays.org.uk/) .  
There were nearly 200 entries and the shortlist is 36.  These will now be judged by Theatre Director, Phil Clark and the ten winners announced later this month.

July 2010

Friday 30th

Optional Homework for the Summer Hols!

Knickers!

Why is there such ecstasy over such an unflattering garment?

…see Homework

Thursday 29th

Richard is taking his evacuee book ‘Six Spoons of Sugar’ to the States in August.  See the Press Release!

Tuesday 27th

AGM

June 2010

Monday 14th

An optional homework competition has been set for 20th July – see Homework.

Thursday 10th

Claudette has written a musical (or is it a midsummer pantomime?) entitled “The Three Wonders” which is to be performed at the Oakwood Theatre in Woodley on the 9th. and 10th. of July. – see: http://www.woodleytheatre.org/Youth-Theatre

Tuesday 1st

There were many envious writers amongst the large audience last night for our guest speaker, crime fiction writer Leigh Russell.

Click here for a report by Dick.

April 2010

Wednesday 28th

Stop Press                The results of the Arthur Redway Memorial Competitin:

Winner                      Joyce Robinson with “The Wolf Time”

Runner-up Les Williams with “Compact but has Potential”

Third place               Nick Telepneff with “Revelation”

Read all the Gothic tales – click here

Tuesday 27th 

Clare entered the Bridge House Publishing Company’s debut novel competition and has now made it to their short list
(1 of 6 novels selected) with
“Moving Over Snow.”

Fingers crossed she’ll have even better news soon!

Sunday 25th

Elizabeth’s latest novel “April and May” will be launched on Thursday 10th June at Caversham Library

from 7.15pm -9.00pm.  (Free parking available behind Waitrose across the road from the Library.)

Wine, soft drinks and nibbles [some of them Turkish] will be served.

Guests can rub Aladdin's lamp for a fee of 10 pence, to be put into a collecting tin for Help for Heroes. 

March 2010

Wednesday 31st.

Arthur Redway Memorial Competition

12 Gothic Tales have been received – read them by clicking here.. 

If you might not be present at the meeting on 27th April – don’t forget to vote by email!

 

February 2010

Tuesday 23rd.

Our annual one-act-play competition was again judged by David Casals.

In first place he chose “Out of the Zone” by Dick Sawdon Smith, in second place was Taken In”  by Jan Sprenger and in  third place The Gift” by Mary Pooley.

See Competitions for a brief report by Dick.

Friday 19th.

One-Act Plays - Don’t forget to get your script to your nominated actors before the meeting on Tuesday!

Tuesday 16th.

The winner of the homework competition was Les Cooper with “The naughty wife of Reading” and Neil was a close second.

Tuesday 2nd.

Victoria has had an article, “Beauty Sleep – how to get the most from your slumber” accepted for publication in Simple Joy – an American on-line magazine (see: www.simplejoy.org ).

January 2010

Saturday 23rd

Mojib’s anthology of 100 poems: “Not Just Love” is now available from:  www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/notjustlove.html ... for only $12.95!

Wednesday 20th

Optional homework set for 16th February!

Monday 11th

Jess will be reading from and signing copies of her novel,Child of the Hive at Waterstones in the Oracle on Saturday 13th February,  from 11am until 2pm.

December 2009

Tuesday 15th

The cup for member of the year 2009 was presented to Elizabeth.

Tuesday 1st

Our guest speaker was Diane Bethel, a lecturer at the School of Media at Thames Valley University at Ealing, who gave an illustrated talk on writing for the screen.  Click here for a brief report by Dick.

November 2009

Tuesday 24th

Mary’s story ‘Blitz’ has been commended in the Leaf Books Micro-Fiction Competition 2009. (see: www.leafbooks.co.uk )

Tuesday 10th

Richard has finally got his article describing the launch of “Six Spoons...” published – in Writing Magazine. Read a copy here!

Tuesday 3rd

There were thirteen(!) entries for this year’s Halloween/Bonfire short story competition. 

 The winners were decided as usual by the votes of members present on the evening.

First prize went to Les 2 with “No Tricks, No Treats” second to Chris with “Not the Ghost of an Idea”  
and third to Joyce with “Jenny”

October 2009

Tuesday 27th

Richard won the Dialogue competition run by the Hastings Writers’ Group – judged by a senior lecturer in English at Brighton University.

Tuesday 13th

Another success for Dick – his short story 'The Legend of St Barbe's Fountain' has appeared on the front page of the October issue of  the on-line Magazine “Brittany Writers”.

Read it at:  www.brittanywriters.com/

Thursday 9th

Claudette may not have won in Cannes – but her new play, Vive la Retraite” (“Happy Retirement”) won another competition – and is being performed in Orléans on Saturday 24th!  See www.viesenscene.fr (Mr. Google will translate it for you!)  The play is also being published in a book entitled “Vies en Scène” (“Life on the Stage”) - for the 2nd national competition of creative writing for the theatre, 2009.
Publisher : (Editions) ABS see: www.abseditions.com

Wednesday 7th

Dick Sawdon Smith's play 'The 11.57', written originally for our one-act-play competition, has been selected to be performed by the Progress theatre for this year's 'Write-fest'

The dates are 22nd, 23rd and 24th October at 7.45pm.  Tickets are available on 0118 960600 or via www.readingarts.com, click on 'other venues' and put 'progress' in the keyword box. They are priced at £7 or £8 online.

Click here to read the script.

September 2009

Tuesday 22nd

Claudette’s play “Big Ben” is in a shortlist of five in a competition in Cannes.  It is being performed (and judged) on Sunday evening at 6:00 pm.  We wish her bonne chance!  Click to read the synopsis or the programme (in French).

Tuesday 8 th

There were three joint winners of the Summer Homework competition – Joyce, Neil and Nick T.  (See Homework)

Tuesday 1st 

Jess’ novel, “Child of the Hive,” is to be published later this month – see Successes

August 2009

Sunday 16th

Elizabeth chats with Debbie McGee on BBC Radio Berkshire about elements of writing a book.
Click here to listen again…

Sunday 9th

Colin is interviewed by Clare Catford on BBC Radio Berkshire about his life, his beliefs and his new book.
Click here to listen again…    (Recording by Dick.)

Saturday 8th

Colin’s new book of fifty poems, all of which can be sung to old tunes, has been published – and is available in the shops from today, priced £7.50. 
(See Successes)

July 2009

Tuesday 28th

The short story competition, judged by Iain Pattison, was won by Nick Cross with Chris Mundy second and Dick Sawdon Smith third.  Details are on the Competitions page.

Tuesday 21st

Chris Davidson has had her book “Goodnight, Sweet Prince” published by Best Global Publishing.  For details, visit her website:  http://chrisdavidson.info/index.html  or better still, buy a copy today from Amazon!

Elizabeth has set an optional Summer Homework to occupy members during the long summer evenings!  It’s for short stories or poems which will be read and judged on 8th September – for details, see Homework .

Tuesday 14th

Our guest speaker was Diana Birchall who is a story analyst for Warner Brothers in Hollywood – but that’s only her day job. 

First and foremost she is a writer…  Click here for more.

June 2009

Tuesday 23rd

Congratulations to Dorothy – her poem “Why did I hesitate?” won third place in the Tilehurst Eisteddfod 2009.

Click here to read it.

May 2009

Tuesday 19th

Our guest speaker Iain Pattison  gave a very interesting talk on “Writing for Magazines” – click here for a brief report.

Tuesday 12th

The 2009 Short Story Competition to be judged by Iain Pattison announced.  (see Competitions)

Tuesday 5th

Clare’s short story “Like Soft Fruit” (her entry for the Arthur Redway memorial competition) has been selected for publication in “Sand - a Journal of Strange Tales”  (see Successes)

April 2009

Tuesday 28th

The first winner of the Arthur Redway Trophy was Patricia Pycraft with her story Love amongst the Gargoyles’
 see Competitions

Thursday 9th

Sad News flash from Liz:      I'm moving back to the US at the end of June. We (my husband, dog and I) were supposed to stay through the end of the year - but the economic crunch is sending us back earlier than we had planned. (I’m here via my husband's company so, blame it on his employer.)  I'd like to continue my membership stateside, so I'll just be an e-mail away.
Click here to see her latest success

Tuesday 7th

Edit your Personal Organisers !       the date for voting and presentation of prizes for the Arthur Redway memorial competition
has been changed to Tuesday 28th April.

March 2009

Tuesday 31st

Claudette and Richard were successful in a short story competition sponsored by At Home Services to mark national storytelling week - see Successes.

Colin has had two more hymns accepted by “Worship Live”  - click here to see them.

Wednesday 11th

Chris had four successes in the Basingstoke Festival!  - click here for more details.

Thursday 5th

Premiere of Claudette's short  film "First Love" on the internet!    Click here to watch it.

Tuesday 3rd

The Arthur Redway Memorial Competition announced – see Competitions

 

February 2009

Tuesday 24th

Result of this year’s One Act Play Competition

The judge for our annual one-act-play competition was once again Spanish film maker David Casals-Roma.

See Competitions for the result!

Wednesday 18th

Richard has launched his reminiscences of a WWII evacuee “Six Spoons of Sugar” in Australia  – see Successes

January 2009

Tuesday 6th

Congratulations to Elizabeth – the Romantic Novelists Association has shortlisted “The Wild Card” for its Romance Prize.

The Romance Prize honours the most memorable stories set around a single theme that concentrates on the developing love affair.

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