Norfolk Literary Events/News

The winner of this year's award was Matthew Rice - an author and artist - who divides his time between Oxford and Blakeney. His book Building Norfolk is a celebration of the county's architectural heritage and features many of his own watercolour paintings. Rice's wife Emma described the work as a 'love letter to Norfolk'.

2009 marks the 25th Anniversary of The Rialto - a consistently high quality, Norfolk-based poetry magazine. The magazine was founded in 1984 by Michael Mackmin (now the sole editor) and John Wakeman.

To mark the anniversary, the team at The Rialto will be producing an anthology featuring work by the many distinguished (and emerging) poets who have appeared in the magazine over the years.

More information about the anthology will be available soon at The Rialto website.

Copies of the magazine can be obtained via the Inpress site.

This year's event will take place on May 8th, 9th and 10th and will feature poets and writers such as Hugo Williams, Fleur Adcock and Louis de Bernières. The festival, which is now in its 12th year, provides a great opportunity to hear both local and national poets reading their own work. Most of the events are held in The Maltings on Staithe Street. More information can be found on the festival website:

Wells-next-the-Sea Poetry Festival

2009 marks the bicentenary of the death of the radical writer Thomas Paine. Paine was born in Thetford in 1737 and was educated at Thetford Grammar School. There are are series of events planned (in and around the town) to celebrate the occasion. Full details are available here.

 

The EDP, Jarrold and the New Writing Partnership (soon to be known as 'Wrters' Centre Norwich') are running a competition to find the best recent East Anglian Book. There will be a prize of £250 for the winner. The judges are looking for books with a strong regional content that were published between August 1, 2008 and July 31, 2009. The deadline for entries is 31, July 2009.

To enter, send four copies of your book to Keiron Pim at the Eastern Daily Press, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE. For more information call 01603 772431.

The competition judges are: Keiron Pim, Caroline Jarrold, Andrew Cowan and Chris Gribble.

 

The Wymondham-based poet has recently published a collection of three Norfolk libretti entitled Shuck, Hick, Tiffey. These lyrics have been set to music by Ken Crandell. George has kindly agreed that Tiffey Song can appear on this site. It's a delightful lyric about the 'titty-totty little river' that runs through his home town.

Shuck, Hick,Tiffey is published by The Gatehouse Press.

The 'Bard of Burnham' will be appearing at the Holt Bookshop on October 17th from 5.30-7pm to talk about his new children's book Waterslain Angels. The story is set in 1950s Norfolk in the fictional village of Waterslain (aka Burnham Overy Staithe) and concerns two children who are searching for a wooden angel's wing.

For more information about the gig call 01263 715858.

 

Will be held at the UEA from September 5 to the 7, 2008. Speakers will include Will Self (whose work was influenced by Sebald) and Anthea Bell who translated much of Sebald's work from the original German.

Conference guests will also have the opportunity to visit Suffolk landmarks such as Lowestoft pier and Somerleyton Hall which appeared in Sebald's work.

For more information about the conference call 01603 507728 or visit www.uea.ac.uk/lit.

For more information about Sebald's Norfolk connections see Framingham Earl and Poringland.

2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of the great Norfolk humourist Sidney Grapes - author of the delightful Boy John Letters. It has been suggested that a 'Sidney Grapes Society' should be established to help promote interest in the man and his work.

At present there is an oak-panelled clergy vestry in St. Nicholas' Church dedicated to Sidney Grapes - but the church is usually locked and there is no other memorial to him in his home village of Potter Heigham.

If anyone's interested in helping to establish a society or to promote Sid's links with Potter Heigham, please contact Keith Skipper via the Friends of Norfolk Dialect website or myself at Literary Norfolk. If you would like to make a comment about the possible formation of S.G.A.S., please use our Guestbook.

Aunt Agatha, she say: "That earn't wot yow look at, tha's wat yow see when yow do look."

On July 26 and 27th The Friends of Thetford Dad's Army Museum will be holding celebrations in the town to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1st series of the ever popular sitcom - first shown in 1968.

The BBC will also be filming a special 40th anniversary salute to Dad's Army which will be hosted by Jonathan Ross.

For more information about the events in Thetford contact Corinne Fulford on 07802701911.

This year, the InPrint Group (collection of artists and poets) aim to create works of art and poetry relating to the 15th Century Paston Letters - centred on the village of Paston in North Norfolk. These should result in more than one exhibition, several workshops and a hand-made book in collaboration with the Paston Heritage Society. See the group's website for more information www.inprintartsandpoetry.co.uk or visit their studio at the old Bally Factory on Hall Road, Norwich.

Message from Vernon Moyse:

'The Poetry Society have encouraged me to try and establish what they 
call a "Poetry Stanza", a group for joining together to read and write 
poetry and to undertake such other activities as members desire. The 
society have sent me details of members living in the PE post code 
district, but this includes very few Norfolk people!

It would be particularly good to get Norfolk writers contributing samples 
of their work or links to their own sites. My own work is published in 
full via a link to my web site - see: www.poetrynorfolk.net.

I am happy to support people by entering text and designing links and 
have included a blog by which I can publish your comments and 
suggestions.'

Please contact Vernon directly at vernsblog@btinternet.com if you're interested.

On Monday 17th June, leading writers such as Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland and politicians, including Norwich North MP Ian Gibson, will be examining the current threat to the planet, and what the creative imagination can contribute to the debate. Norwich Playhouse, from 8pm onwards. The cost of the event is £12, £10 concessions. Tel: 01603 598598 for tickets.