OOTA Newsletter March 4, 2014
WRITING AT THE CENTRE Novel Writing with Helen Hagemann Friday’s Prose Class, 7th March continues with writing novel chapters or the short story form / stand-alone piece. The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks is featured in this workshop and writers will look at the way Banks creates scenes. Class will read part of two chapters, there will be two writing exercises and discussion will revolve around the techniques of writing “scenes”.
Three OOTA writers to feature at Publication to Public: a program hosted by the Subiaco Library. Join Sarah Evans, Vivienne Glance, Helen Hagemann, together with local authors at the Subiaco Library, Monday March 10th at 6pm. Wine & Nibbles. RSVP: is essential here
Sarah Evans is the convenor of Bridgetown’s Words in the Valley Writers Festival. Operation Paradise, a rom-com crime novel, and Prudence and the Mighty Flynn, a romance e-book, are Sarah’s latest novels.
Vivienne Glance is a poet, playwright and performer. She has several collections of poetry, The Softness of Water (Sunline Press 2009) the anthology Amber Contains the Sun and A Simple Rain (Lethologica Press, 2012).
Helen Hagemann has two collections of poetry Evangelyne & Other Poems (APC 2009), of Arc & Shadow (Sunline Press, 2013). Helen is currently working on a collection of children’s poetry titled Miniscule.
The Sweet Hereafter is a 1997 Canadian film written and directed by Atom Egoyan. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Russell Banks. The film documents the effects of a tragic bus accident on the population of a small town. It took home a Special Grand Jury Prize at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival and scored a pair of Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and best adapted screenplay. “But really, it was reading that lead me to writing. And in particular reading the American classics like Twain who taught me at an early age that ordinary lives of ordinary people can be made into high art.” — Russell Banks
International writing workshop tour This tour is for people who are committed writers, who want a completely different experience at the hands of local experts, who want to boost their craft to a new level under the mentorship of a long-term student of story. The workshops I’ve got planned in this tour are new ground in many respects. While they will include our proven theory — theory that has helped hundreds of student and adult writers since 2005 — the workshops will explore entirely new ground in their application. We will take Born Storytellers theories and exercise them in the real world, in new space, in different circumstances, as we go. We will share what we learn in a dynamic environment dedicated to developing writing skills and to developing new story. More here.
UWA Slam The University of Western Australia is running their first ever slam poetry night on the 13th of March and are looking for upcoming performers looking to perform and get some publicity from doing so. If you know some poets who would be interested in this please contact Alex Hamilton on 0439 597 802, or email WA Poets Inc for further details. 2014 Castaways Poetry Prize is now open until Friday 13 March 2014, with $400 available in prizes. Pure Slush is looking for travel stories. Fiction or non-fiction, your story should include travel in some way - on the bus somewhere, local or international, in your mind, your own experience or someone else's and be no longer than 1000 words. Pure Slush is publishing one travel story a week - every Wednesday - throughout 2014, and we hope you can be a part of it. Click here Overland is seeking fiction from new and emerging writers for a special online edition to be guest edited by writer and Overland fiction reader, Oliver Driscoll. Closes Monday, 10th March. http://overland.org.au/submit/ Peter Cowan 600 Word Short Story Competition Closing date is 11 April, 2014. Further details here. The Best Australian Poems 2013 Closing date is 1 August, 2014. Further details here.
Short Fiction Workshop by Leonard Goulds Saturday, March 8, 1- 4pm Mattie Furphy House Using music and visualization to stimulate creativity, Perth writer Leonard Goulds will be running a workshop for aspiring writers. Mattie Furphy House is at the corner of Kirkwood Ave and Clare Copse, Swanbourne, next to Allen Park. Cost: $22
Haiku on speed – Recycling an ancient tradition with Carol Millner Sunday, 9th March, 1.30-4.30pm The aim of this workshop is to generate new poems by combining the ancient Japanese haiku form with texts gleaned from our everyday world – contemporary Western Australia. This workshop is inspired by the Bill Manhire’s Mutes & Earthquakes (Wellington 1997) and Paul Janeczko, How to Write Haiku and Other Poems (U.S.A. 2004) Mattie Furphy House Clare Copse Swanbourne$33 ($22 for members of FAWWA) FAWWA members RSVP: admin@fawwa.org.au $33 others or ph 93844771
The Author’s Course – 6 weeks: Sun 9 March This course led by a professional author and former publisher is aimed at the emerging author, and will cover the six essential steps to help take your novel from seedling stage to a full-grown publication. Full course: $150 members, $240 non-members. Per class: $30 / $45 http://kspf.iinet.net.au
Bold Park Community School is currently establishing a Language Arts Hub and they are putting the 'callout' to Perth writers who might be interested in working with our students. They are hoping to create a pool of volunteers who are keen to assist their students in developing their writing, as well as sharing own their work and insights into the writing process. If this sounds like a project that you or your group may be interested in, we'd love to hear from you. Kind Regards, Ainslie Webber, Bold Park Community School. Contact Ainslie @ ainslie@boldpark.com or check out their website www.boldpark.com/
OPPORTUNITIES Peter Cowan Writers Centre proudly presents ‘Beginners Poetry’, a 4 part series of workshops with Shane McCauley. More info here “Dear OOTA poets, The Monday poetry critiquing group, which has been running for 6 years now, has run out of members. Flora Smith, Julie Watts and Dick Alderson would like to keep the group going with an injection of new members, because they feel it has been an enormous help in honing their skills in writing and critiquing poetry, as well as getting published. If you would like to explore these possibilities, you are invited to have coffee and bring along 6 copies of one of your poems for discussion at a couple of critiquing sessions on Monday 10 and Monday 17 March, from 10am ‘till 12 in the garden at the FAC. Ring Flora on 9272 9475 for more information.” Perth Poetry Club features Women Scream 2014 this week on Saturday, 8th March @ The Moon Café, 323 William St, Perth.
CALENDAR MARCH 13 – Castaways Poetry Prize 14 - The Ethel Webb Bundell Literary Awards Poetry & short story.
22 - Society of Women Writers Workshop 31 – Westerly for July Issue 31 - Ekphrastis Poetry Award 31 - The joanne burns (prose poem/microfiction) Award: 31 – Prole Collaborative Poetry Collection. APRIL 12-13 Nurture: A Workshop for Playwrights 13 – The Writer’s Tales. Details: FAW website. MAY 1– Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize Deadline not advised - Readings New Australian Writing Award. MEMBERS ACHIEVEMENTS Congratulations to WA poet Nandi Chinna who has won the Tom Collins Poetry Prize for her poem 'Cut and Paste Lake'. Second Prize went to OOTA's Mags Webster for 'Reclaiming'. Several poems were awarded Highly Commended and Commended distinctions, so congrats to Rose van Son and Dick Alderson.
POEM OF THE WEEK i carry your heart with me (i carry it in) by e.e. cummings i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart) ≈≈ OOTA Committee 2014 Julie Watts: President Helen Trengrove: Vice-President Leanne Searle: Treasurer / Membership Admin Secretary: Liz Hearnden Helen Hagemann: Newsletter/ Web Committee members: Carolyn Abbs, Flora Smith and Murray Jennings. ootawriters@gmail.com http://ootawriters.blogspot.com.au