This section includes resources that might be of use to people involved in reader and literature development (librarians, teachers, literature development workers, etc.). The main resource currently is Shelf Talk, a collection of material designed to support literature promotion in public libraries. It includes links to information on many useful organisations, including Regional Arts Boards, the National Association for Literature Development, the Arts Council, Well Worth Reading and Opening the Book. Other items will be added in due course.....
trace writing course Poetry Society Poetry Class Big Books Come To Coventry
Lit-Net
is still to convert to the ECU, but we're redesigning the site for a relaunch October 1st
e-mail info@lit-net.org for
comments etc
Reader Development in Care Homes
Harold Wonham & Shropshire Libraries have been there, done it and got the zimmer frame. To find out how click here
The
Shropshire INSET days are due to take place on 17 October at the Belmont Arts Centre, offering complete focus for teachers in a thoughtful enviroment. Each participant place costs £90, for which they will receive a full poetryclass tool kit (details on booking form) and a two course lunch.Please find attached a booking
form for the new poetryclass INSET
scheme, funded by the Department for Education
and Skills and supported by Edexcel.
Using poetry in the classroom is
a very effective way of learning about the power of language, but teachers have not always
had the high quality resources and support they need to teach poetry. The Poetry Society
has developed a groundbreaking project, poetryclass, to work directly
with teachers, offering them exciting ways to enable students of all abilities and at all
Key Stages to develop their understanding of poetry and to improve their literacy.
Your creative arts advisor Neil
Rathmell may have already been in touch with you by now about an INSET day in your
area in October for Key Stage 2 & 3. The day will be led by widely experienced and
innovative poet Andrew Fusek-Peters, who has over 30 publications for children under his
belt and who also presents Wham Bam Strawberry Jam for BBC1. This
is a rare opportunity for teachers to pick his brains and explore some of his
inspirational methods for dealing with literacy in schools.
poetryclass is a project involving over 40
poets who have been picked both for their experience of working within schools and for
their publishing/ performance track record. They have all attended Planning Days, led by
authors Anthony Wilson and Cliff Yates, where they shared both their knowledge of working
within schools and their considerable literacy skills, and applied them as appropriate to
the National Literacy Strategy
These are practical courses.
They explore poetry not only as a creative end in itself but also as a lively and engaging
way of acquiring literacy and language skills. The courses will equip you with a set of
fresh ideas and methods for approaching poetry in the classroom, and the information you
need to find resources and support in the future.
The
Shropshire INSET days are due to take place on 17 October at the Belmont Arts Centre, offering complete focus for teachers in a thoughtful enviroment. Each participant place costs £90, for which they will receive a full poetryclass tool kit (details on booking form) and a two course lunch.If you require further
information or wouls like to order a free copy of the poetryclass brochure please call me on 0207
420 9892. Otherwise, check out our website www.poetryclass.net
for workshop plans and biographies of the poets.
If you would like to reserve a
place, please return the attached booking form either electronically poetryclass@poetrysoc.com or mail to:
poetryclass
The Poetry Society
22 Betterton Street
London
0207 420 9892
trace writing courses - fancy learning on-line? This is what's on offer apply by 30th September
* Basic Website Design for Writers/Artists, Randy Adams
* Searching the Web: Research For Writers, Helen Whitehead
* Get Your Book Published, Graham Seal
* Writing Children's Fiction, Karen King
* Novel Writing, Jean Chapman
* Short Fiction, Kate Pullinger
* Travel Writing for Fun and Profit, Caron James
* Writing an Online Family History, Liz Swift
* Hypertext and its Double, Talan Memmott
* Beginning Screenwriting, Bonnie O'Neill
* Getting Serious: How to Revise Your Poems, Nicole Pekarske Hunt
* Animated Poetry in Flash, Peter Howard
* Managing and teaching web-based creative writing projects(Starter), Sue Thomas
GENERAL
* Basic Website Design for Writers/Artists Randy Adams
This course will guide students step by step through the maze of Hypertext Markup Language, webpage design, and going online. Suitable for absolute beginners, this course will stress creativity and experimentation. Extended exercises will be offered for those students who feel comfortable tinkering with the basic material.
* Searching the Web: Research For Writers Helen Whitehead
Find out how to use the Web for research: we will look at ten top tips for better searching. Students will learn how to evaluate websites and their content and how to avoid rubbish. Students will find out how to use portals, links pages, search engines, directories and meta-engines.
* Get Your Book Published Graham Seal
An introduction to the realities and practices of the global book publishing and book-selling industry with a view to teaching how best to take advantage of its rapid changes to get your book(s) published. The emphasis is on non-fiction, but the techniques taught are equally applicable to fiction.
FICTION
* Writing Children's Fiction Karen King
We will explore the various markets for children’s books and guidance will be given on how to aim at a specific market, get an agent and find a publisher. Special attention will be given to the skills needed, such as vocabulary, dialogue, creating characters children can identify with and writing for different age groups.
* Novel Writing Jean Chapman
This course is designed by a novelist to help students avoid basic errors in constructing a long manuscript. The aim is to give pointers progressing from original idea to finished manuscript. The course will also aim to make new writers aware of the business side of publishing today.
* Short Fiction Kate Pullinger
This course is for students interested in writing prose fiction and, in particular, short stories. It is suitable for both beginners and the more experienced. The emphasis is on developing the editorial skills crucial to good writing. The focus of the workshop will be
on the students' own work. "This tutor is excellent!" Student, July 2001
NON-FICTION
* Travel Writing for Fun and Profit Caron James
A step-by-step guide for travel lovers who want to write about their experiences for magazines and newspapers. The course will teach how to research, construct and write travel articles and how to get them published. Learn about the different types of travel writing and how to make your story appealing and unique.
* Writing an Online Family History Liz Swift
Explore exciting ways of approaching the creation of a family history for a digital environment. Students will develop and use creative writing, research and design skills, to document aspects of their own and their family's lives on a website.
NEW MEDIA
* Hypertext and its Double Talan Memmott
This advanced course examines the formal, structural, and narrative formation of various literary hypermedia projects. Primary focus is placed upon performative language, spatial aspects of the hypermediated document, and the author/reader relationship to the content "application". Students critique, discuss & create work.
SCRIPTWRITING
* Beginning Screenwriting Bonnie O'Neill
An introduction to the elements of the art of writing for film and video. Students will develop their story ideas with attention to tridimensional characters and the three act structure. They will learn the steps of screenwriting up through the treatment and then
write their "set-up" -- the first 12 pages of a feature screenplay.
POETRY
* Getting Serious: How to Revise Your Poems Nicole Pekarske Hunt
This course will introduce techniques of re-writing and editing your poems, typical of the publishing poet. The tutor will aid students through multiple re-writes of 2 or 3 of their poems, as well as providing you with a host of widely applicable fun techniques to apply to drafts in the future.
* Animated Poetry in Flash Peter Howard
This course is for people who want to learn how to use Macromedia Flash to create animated poetry, in which words move around, change colour and size, and so on. It will also be of value to those who want to animate other forms of text. Students need to have Flash 4 or
5."The most useful writing course I've ever done." Student, July 2001
PROFESSIONAL
* Managing and teaching web-based creative writing projects.(Starter) Sue Thomas
A beginner's level guide for arts organisers, creative writing teachers, and others who are or will be managing web-based writing projects. Includes experience of the way interactivity works online, diagnosis of individual training needs and live chat meetings. You will develop fluency in online discussions, and plan a small web-based project or class. This course leads to Intermediate level in series 5.
All courses are 100% online and open to students around the world. Full details at http://tracewritingschool.com
As part of the Artists in waiting celebrations, here in Coventry, thelibrary service is running a scheme entitled the Shelf Life Shuffle. The title harks back to the days when the library building was the Locarno Dance Hall. Artists have made 3D books that are displayed around the library for usersto look at and feel - a real hands on experience.The books cover a range of subjects and are entitled:
1.The Women's Room
2.The Importance of Being Earnest
3.The Cigarette Vendor
4.Come Dancing
5.An Ideal Husband
6.Down Memory Lane
7.Dance of the voodoo handbag
8.South Pacific
9.The Ilford Manual of Photography.
The 3D books are all visually and sensually stunning and all are urged to make the most of the exhibition, whilst it lasts
.
Break Into Print
Coventry Libraries Exciting Venture to support Coventry Writers click here for more
~~~~~~~~~and something similar~~~~~~~~~~ BRAVE NEW WORDS Sandwell Adult Education and Spouting Forth, the literature development group have announced an exciting new venture aimed at developing the talent of writers in Sandwell. Brave New Words is a scheme aimed at: Poets, novelists, playwrights, in fact any kind of writer who wants to take theirwork in new directions. The scheme is looking for writers who have shown a commitment to writing. This could mean you have been writing for some time but have never shown anyone your work, or you may have attended a creative writing course, or contributed to a local magazine. 12 writers have been selected and paired with experienced mentors who will offer guidance and support and give regular feedback on work. Roz Goddard, co-ordinator of the scheme says, 'This is a unique opportunity for emerging and more experienced writers in Sandwell to work on a one to one basis with professional writers'.
Shelf Talk is a collection
of case studies, articles and references aimed at supporting literature promotion in
public libraries. It was published by the Arts Council of England in 1996 and was
recently updated. The directory pages from Shelf Talk are
reproduced here. 
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