SHORTLIST: Diversity Writing for Children Prize 2016

Shortlisted entries for the 2016 Commonword Diversity Writing for Children Prize are:

Star Burn by Magda Knight

The Ghosts and Jamal by Bridget Blankley

Jed Zed Black by Roopa Farooki

The Monster Orphanage by Rohan Agalwatta

A Very Modern Covern by Manon Olegasagarem

To read the entries, click on the titles.

The winner will be declared on the 11th of October at Chapter One Bookshop. Details to follow

For more details, please go to http://www.ihaveadream.org.uk/

Diversity Writing for Children Prize 2016: Writing for Children Masterclass

Organised by Commonword, this panel discussion is for those aspiring to write for the children’s fiction industry. Topics covered will include: how to find an agent, what publishers seek from writers in this genre, the challenges of writing diverse characters, the difficulties BAME authors face getting published within the children’s book industry and possible solutions.

Alexandra Antscherl – Penguin Random House, Executive Editor
Melvin Burgess – Award-Winning Author
Catherine Pellegrino – Marjacq Scripts Ltd, Literary Agent
Rosemarie Hudson – HopeRoad Publishing

This masterclass is part of the 4th Commonword Diversity Writing for Children Prize

Women in the Spotlight Arvon Residential

About Women in the Spotlight:
Women in the Spotlight (WITS) is a theatre development programme for women who want to write for and/or perform on the stage. This project will culminate in a group of queer women and BAME women having their short plays staged at a Manchester theatre and also them having the opportunity to confidently perform their own work within an established arts venue.

Paris Kaur wins Superheroes of Slam 2015

Click here for an exclusive interview with the 2015 slam winner, Paris Kaur

The Superheroes of Slam final took place on Friday 23rd October at Three Minute Theatre, as part of Manchester Literature Festival (MLF) 2015. This was the fifth occurrence of the poetry slam competition, which has become ever more successful year on year. Since June 2015, nine heats have taken place across the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands. There has been high uptake at all the slams. At the Leicester heat, the first round had 20 participants and the equally popular Manchester heat required a reserve list within the first 48 hours and 11 potential slammers were on the waiting list four weeks prior to the event. A diverse and talented group of individuals have slammed across the nine heats. Audiences have been packed with 50+ attendees at events.

Launch of Closure Anthology

Thursday 29th October 7pm
Three Minute Theatre Manchester
Launch of CLOSURE: Contemporary Black British Short Stories (over 14s to adults)

Closure is the first Black British short story anthology since IC3 (2000). This anthology is filled with stories which, like life, rarely end in the way we might expect… across cultures and time, from oral “folktales” to myths of origin.
Readers on this launch night will include Desiree Reynolds, Jennifer Makumbi, Muli Amaye and Pete Kalu.

Contributors include Dinesh Allirajah, Muli Amaye, Fred D’Aguiar, Peter Kalu, Chantal Oakes, Tariq Mehmood and Seni Seneviratne.
This event is free.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/527799914053328/