OUR LOVELY LAUNCHES...

It's official and it's out! Gull Stones and Cuckoos has been launched at events in Watton, Gorleston and Swaffham, hosted by the three local libraries.  Here are some of the readers.

WATTON

M.C. Gardner at Watton

Jayne Winterbone

Nichola Lovell

Gill Ashton

It has always been a special project and the launch events just seemed to bring out the unique warmth and supportive ethos of the groups even more.  The community librarians supporting Rural Writes have been marvellous, especially Kathryn Jennings who oversaw both Watton and Swaffham - but everyone involved in the project has given time, energy and goodwill. This project has been generously supported by the Arts Council and Norfolk County Council.  This project illustrates how creative libraries are, how critical they can be for creating material change in the heart of rural communities. Women have discovered new things about themselves, developed their skills, made new and lasting friendships and had that adventure of writing and publication.

GORLESTON

Hilary Hanbury at Gorleton

Jane Rudd

Our first launch was in a very well-attended Watton - just as many of the women were first time writers, almost all of the writers had never read in public before  either - but it would have been hard to tell.  Gorleston brought in some surprise audience members mesmerised by what was going on next door to their meeting, Swaffham was packed.  It was really inspiring.  It takes courage to write about your life and then read it publicly and so our Rural Writes women are all brave. The proceeds from the sale of books will all go back to the libraries to continue to support the women's groups. 

The book is out but this isn't the end of the project - the beauty of the experience lies in the continued existence of the groups, all of which are continuing to meet, all the women are continuing to write and their first masterclasses with a poet and novelist will start in November and early December. Their work will feature on this blog over the coming year.  Please come back and read their words. 

Cynthia Gallogo

Lyn McKinney

SWAFFHAM

Julia Howarth

Leah Spencer

Jurgita Stipiniene

Camilla Balshaw

Katrina Stockdale

Charlie Dearden

Larie Danson

Rhonda Peake

Text of the press release going out about our lovely launches...

NORFOLK LIBRARIES AND WORDS AND WOMEN LAUNCH GULL STONES AND CUCKOOS – A BOOK OF CONTEMPORARY RURAL LIFE WRITING.

An anthology of compelling and passionate stories, Gull Stones and Cuckoos is to be launched in three local libraries in Norfolk this October; celebrating the results of a unique creative opportunity for women living in rural and coastal communities.

The anthology has grown out of Rural Writes, a partnership between Norfolk Library and Information Service and Words and Women supported by Arts Council England. Women of all ages and backgrounds from Gorleston, Watton and Swaffham were invited to attend 10 weeks of life-writing sessions in their local libraries led by two professional writers, Belona Greenwood, co-organiser of Words and Women and award-winning poet, Heidi Williamson.

The result, illustrated by Rose Cowan and edited by Lynne Bryan and Belona Greenwood is a bold, honest and vivid narrative of local lives. Published by Unthank Books, it tells of lost halls, early morning walks, stillness, fairy-light skies, telescopes on allotments, the loneliness of grief and the adventure of new places in rural Norfolk. The writers in this book are new to writing but their stories and observations are compellingly authentic.

The collection will be available to borrow from all Norfolk's libraries and to buy. 

‘This project shows how vital libraries are in bringing communities and people together.  The women who joined were strangers until they signed up to try their hand at writing. They have made friends, supported and inspired each other. The book itself, is fantastic but the fact the women’s writing groups are continuing is enormously important and heart-warming’ said Belona Greenwood from Words and Women

The book launches will take place in Watton Library at 6.00 pm on October 26^th, Gorleston Library, 6.30 pm on the 27^th and Swaffham Library, 6.30 pm on the 28^th,

Rural Writes doesn’t end with the book, all three writing groups continue to meet in their local libraries and to post on the Rural Writes blog.

www.ruralwrites.blogspot.co.uk

Launching Soon...

Next week it's launch time...three libraries, three events and compelling prose...

Our first event kicks off in Watton at 6 pm in the library on 26th October. Gorleston on the

27th at 6.30 pm  - and finally, Swaffham on Friday 28th.

Watch this space for news.....meanwhile here's the blurb on the back of the book...

Gull Stones and Cuckoos is a clear-eyed, passionate and honest book of life-writing about contemporary country living in Norfolk.

Lost halls, early morning walks, stillness, fairy-light skies, telescopes on allotments, the loneliness of grief and the adventure of new places in rural Norfolk. The writers in this book are new to writing but their stories and observations are compellingly authentic.

This book has grown out of an Arts Council England project, Rural Writes, a partnership between Norfolk Library and Information Service and Words and Women.

Contributions from: Gill Ashton, Camilla Balshaw, Chanel Richenda Carlyon, Enid Clarke, Larie Danson, Charlie Dearden, Cynthia Gallogo, M.C.  Gardner, Jan Godfrey, M.B.E., Hilary Hanbury, Julia Howarth, Nichola Lovell, Lyn Mckinnon, Rhonda Peak, Maxine Robertson, Jane Rudd, Leah Spencer, Jurgita Stipiniene, Katrina Stockdale and Jayne Winterbone.

A preview of our cover...

The design goes all around the book, past the spine onto the back cover...

Update - It won't be long...

It's been a long, old process, editing and producing the book  but we are almost there...as soon as the cover has been finalised and finessed sometime this week, I will post it.
It is a great cover.

The launches of the book are all scheduled for one week in October:
26th October, Watton
27th October, Gorleston
28th October, Swaffham

all at 6.30 start (but feel free to come earlier and if you are reading please be there at 6 pm).

I think the launches should be happy, informal affairs and anyone who wants to read their work, please get in touch with me...Words and Women have a tradition of short readings - so nothing above 5 minutes. Invite your friends and families! There will be an invitation that can be sent out - that too, is in production.

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer and that your groups have met or are in this good old month - I will be in touch to schedule your masterclasses soon - poet Julia Webb is going to take you all on a poetic journey, our prose writer is yet to be confirmed.

I hope too, that you are still writing - and if you have takena  summer break, you get pretty busy now the autumn is standing just outside the back door...

Clouds over Norwich Market

A sudden grey sky 

turns noon to dusk.

Rain plunges down,

people swarm

to reach the cover

of brightly painted

striped roofs.

Murmurs and groans

smother the air.

Squawks and wails 

from unhappy tots

pierce through the 

fast, heavy pitter-patter

as water pounds

the metallic canopies.

Herded through a maze

of darkened alleys,

jackets rub

elbows and shoulders. 

Toes kick heels.

Squish, push, 

bump and poke.

Feet shuffle,

side-swiped 

by rolling wheels.

Wet handbags

smack into chests.

Stray droplets, 

from soaked hair 

and saturated hoods,

splash faces.

Aromas of 

chilled brine

pungent copper 

sweet malt 

dewy-botanical 

saccharine citrus 

bitter sulfur 

salt and vinegar,

swirl and waft out 

behind a sea of backs.

Steam rises 

as kettles boil,

bacon sizzles,

sausages spit. 

Scarves and baskets 

hang on hooks 

up high, 

a wicker coffin?  

Could it be?

Search for a pocket 

of space to breathe. 

© Nichola Lovell 

I Am West Runton

I am West Runton

I am the old nag that your father lifted up placing you high on my back, flies buzzing all around.

I am the fossil found by your children, as they wander in and out of my cold wet puddles, with coarse sand sticking to their feet.

I am the cold flint that you turn over to reveal the pattern and smooth bottom of a 2 million year old sea urchin.

I am the cold east wind that blows, lifting the sand and blasting your face, in your eyes, and up your nose.

I am the sea with my waves rushing and crashing onto the shore, retreating with a mouthful of pebbles only to throw them down in the next wave.  

I am the smell of hot chocolate that wafts down my shore, from the café half way up the hill, delivered in white china mugs, to warm your hand. 

I am where you can stand and watch the wind turbines turning slowly in the wind, waves crashing around them circled by gulls.

I am West Runton, I was here long before man walked upon my shores, and I will be here long after man stops walking upon these earthly shores.

Gill Ashton