We are a long established Writers Circle based in Felixstowe, Suffolk. This Weblog will be about us, Writing, Writing Competitions, Writing in Felixstowe, life and generally what we are up to as a Group and individuals and what interests us.
We are based in Felixstowe but our membership comes both from a wide area within Suffolk and we also have many 'online' members from around the UK, Europe and the US.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Please note our New! contact address is scribblers@btinternet.com . Please note all previous email addresses are now defunct.
It's nearly 18 months since the establishment of this weblog. We would just like to note the passing of this little mark for all of us - well maybe it is more of a notch, or maybe a tide mark or even a plimsol line.
Thanks to all concerned - particularly the readers but especially the contributors - huge thanks - you know who you all are and we are very proud of the work you have done.
The BBC Programme Catalogue is a new experimental archive from the BBC that gives us a vast new resource that can be used in a myriad of ways. It is an index of 946,614 radio and television broadcasts, dating back 75 years.
The first way it can be used is any subject you are reasearching you can immediatletly have a summary of all the BBC material on the subject. For instance a search of Felixstowe or Shakespeare reveals.
The second way is it has a way of giving you the schedules for any day in the past - a huge use for a writer trying to get the zietgiest for a day in the past http://open.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/on_this_day/1999/12/31/ - fiddle with the numbers in the link to get any day you choose. If you fiddle around with the information there are ways to get information on the running order of news programmes and a myriad of other detail.
Im sure there are a dozen other ways that we can use this resource
Felixstowe life is the new felixstowe magazine from the Felixstowe TV people, it takes the core information from the Felixstowe TV project and puts it in a very polished and smooth new graphic feel - another welcome addition to the public sphere in felixstowe .... good luck with your excellent new project Chris from all of us.
"Sean Clarke leaves the writer's block at home to join a travel writing course in Granada, where the peer criticism is sweetened by healthy doses of spring sunshine and wine "
I found this interesting article on Boing Boing....
How fiction paperbacks lose or make money "Livejournaller and Tor employee Anna Louise has posted a brilliant, engrossing exposition on the economics of fiction publishing -- how a publisher makes or loses money on a book. It uses real numbers from real books to illustrate in painstaking depth how marketing, printing, and preparation costs interact with margins from different retailers and wholesalers to make or break a book. I think that every writer alive (myself included) harbors some cherished illusions about how publishing works. This lucid, entertaining and vivid portrait of the inside workings of a fiction publisher is an excellent way to disabuse yourself of them."
The Royal Exchange Theatre has launched a National Playwriting Competition, for original, full-length stage plays that have not been previously performed.
Writers must be over the age of 18 and a resident of the UK or Ireland to enter, but can be of any level of professional experience. Anonymous selection allows both novices and professionals to compete alongside each other. The competition is absolutely inclusive and open to all.
This will be one of the most important competitions in British Theatre with major cash prizes and full-scale productions. The intention is to present productions of two winning entries at the Royal Exchange Theatre during the inaugural Manchester International Festival in 2007. Cash prizes total £45,000.
The prestigious judging panel includes actress Brenda Blethyn OBE, actor and playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah and National Theatre Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner.
From the royal exchange website....
"The Bruntwood Playwriting Competition for the Royal Exchange will offer awards of �15,000 as a First Prize, a Second Prize of �10,000 and Third Prize of �5000. There is also a Regional Award for those living in the North West (�5000), an Under 26 Award (�5000), and a bursary for a promising writer to have a year�s residency as the Royal Exchange Theatre. This competition represents one the world�s biggest awards for playwriting. "
I just wanted to let you know about a radio drama writing competition Ive heard of linked with the Mark Radcliffe show on BBC Radio 2.
Amy Buscombe writes....
Imagine… What would happen if you met your music hero…?
A national competition for new drama on BBC Radio 2.
Imagine an encounter with your own music legend and use it to create imaginative, original drama. Be funny, be bold, tell a great story in less than 10 minutes. You can meet anyone, be anyone, go anywhere, do anything! Turn your dramatic ideas into a radio drama between three and ten minutes long and it could be broadcast on the Mark Radcliffe show. Deadline for entries midday Friday 2 June 2006.
Come along to one of our Q&A sessions to find out more and get tips on writing for radio from a BBC producer and an experienced writer:
Write words are a UK online writing community many of you will already be aware of. From the 'writewords' website....
"Take your writing a stage further with a WriteWords one-to-one email correspondence course. Tutors are usually WriteWords Experts, so you can see their style of comment before you sign up. We also offer a range of critiquing and other writing services. "
Courses Available: a.. Poetry & Verse b.. Feature Writing c.. Creative writing d.. Short Story Writing e.. Theatre Writing f.. Biography, Memoir & Family History g.. Academic & Business Writing h.. Writing for Children
I had a message from a mate and thought you'd all be interested ....
If you're looking for something different to do later this week, why not come and see me in the latest FADOS play - 'They Came from Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Village Hall, Just In Time For The Townswomen's Guild Coffee Morning' - a comedy! Its been great fun in rehearsal. You won't see any award-winning performances but hopefully you'll have a few laughs.
The play is on Thurs 20th - Sat 22nd at 8pm at Walton Church Hall (opposite Walton Church).
Details of the play: "They Came From Mars And Landed Outside The Farndale Avenue Church Hall In Time For The Townswomen's Guild's Coffee Morning by David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin Jr directed by Su Stedman 8pm on Thursday 20th - Saturday 22nd April 2006 St Mary's Church Hall, Walton"
Just read an article about a French playwright, who searching for inspiration for a drama about pandas, has spent much of the last week in a cage in a zoo in northern France. Norbert Aboudarham, 57, has been in a cage in Amiens zoo for ten hours each day for the past week writing "The panda's flea" which is his third in a series about animals which he began in 2002.
He has the support of the staff that say for the animals it makes no difference as they are used to people looking at them. He isn't entirely without his comforts as he is able to use a laptop and sits on a bale of straw but he ignores the visitors, immersing himself in his craft.
His explanation? To write about the universe, you have to put yourself in a cage smaller than the universe.
Food for thought there?
....Alex writes....
Might be a way to get my Scribblers homework done.
As part of the Queer Up North Festival, the Contact Theatre company is doing a special Short Cuts writing competition and open stage night called 'Queer Flip'. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Monday 8th May. 'Queer Flip' is on Wed 23rd May, 7:30 pm, Box 0161 274 0600. If you'd like to submit something or know someone who might, please have them send scripts, monologues, or even dramatic poems to:
Queer Flip Contact Theatre Oxford Road Manchester M15 6JA
Or email raw@contact-theatre.org.uk with QUEER FLIP in the subject line.
I wondered if any of you would be interested in hearing about a play writing workshop on Saturday 22nd April at The Ipswich Institute. It is being led by Peppy Barlow who currently has a production with Eastern Angles called The Sutton Hoo Mob. The cost is £27 and includes lunch.
Were sure it will be a really useful day but also a very enjoyable one as Peppy is such a character and has a wealth of knowledge having put on many other plays.
East Anglian Writers aims to bring together and help promote the work of professional writers working or living in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
East Anglian Writers has existed, in various incarnations, since the 1960s, and since 1990, we have been affiliated to the Society of Authors. We have a growing membership, now with over 180 writers, from a wide variety of disciplines, including:
Novelist, Biographer and critic D.J. Taylor will be reading from his work and talking about his life as a writer. This meeting will take place in Norwich and is open to the public. For more information click here.
Annual Spring Jolly
20th May 2006, 9am to 6pm (estimated)
The Spring Jolly is a light-hearted adventure around East Anglia's literary landscape with frequent stops at coffee shops and usually a pub lunch. This year we plan to explore the area around Bury St Edmunds. More information coming soon.
Paul Bourne from the Menagerie Theatre Company writes....
Please pass this information onto writers you think may be interested…
We are looking for new voices and big hitters (!)
Hotbed is the Cambridge new writing theatre festival. For ten days in July, the festival celebrates new writing in the short one act form with an ensemble cast, 18 commissions in five and twenty minute plays and readings of full length plays along with workshops, training and panel events.
This year we are working BBC television and radio, with the desire for many of the pieces to be developed for future broadcast.
For details on the general commissioning process and specific information on the five minute (confessional) pieces please see the attached documents.
Details are out for the next Felixstowe Drama Festival.
Saturday May 27th - Thurrock Courts Players present 'Cash On Delivery' by Michael Cooney Sunday May 28th - Sawston Players present 'Ladies In Retirement' by Edward Percy and Reginald Denham Monday May 29th - Deben Players present 'It Runs in the Family' by Ray Cooney Tuesday May 30th - Parkside Players present 'Jayne Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte
Thursday June 1st - Cardiff Players present 'A Fistfull of Mondays' Friday June 2nd - In Yer Space present 'Hannah and Hanna' Saturday June 3rd - Stowemarket OADS present 'When we are Married'
For more information about the festival - sadly not updated for this year yet Drama Festival Info.
Interested? Then why not join us at one of our meetings?
We meet on the First and Third Tuesday of each month at the Felixstowe Library in Crescent Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7BY., meetings start at 7.30 pm and we endeavour to be finished by 10pm.
The New!2009 programme is:-
All meetings are held at Felixstowe Library
Start at 7.30 pm and finish by 10.00 pm.
Suggested 50 pence donation per meeting, includes tea or coffee
January
20 Bill Budner Trophy – Anonymous competition for attending writers only
24 Social meal at Castle Lodge Hotel
25 Group session with Maureen Blundell at Castle Lodge Hotel
February
3 Meeting
17 Meeting
March
3 Meeting
17 Creative writing exercise
April
7 Meeting
21 Meeting
May
5 Meeting
19 Bill Budner Trophy – Anonymous competition for attending writers only
June
2 Meeting
16 Meeting
Beach Party Social to be arranged June/July
July
7 Meeting
21 Creative writing exercise
August
4 Meeting
18 Meeting
September
1 Meeting
15 Bill Budner Trophy – Anonymous competition for attending writers only
October
6 Meeting
20 Torchlight Halloween Meeting
November
3 Meeting
17 Meeting
December
1 Meeting
15 Creative writing exercise followed by the Christmas party.
Remember, membership is FREE, so why not come along? We ask for an optional donation of 50p per meeting to help towards running costs but that does include tea or coffee and a biscuit!
New!IMPORTANT - you can help.....do you know information or content that would help other readers of the Felixstowe Scribblers Weblog?...mail us at Dave Feakes, scribblers@btinternet.com with your comments, additions and suggestions TA! The Scribblers.
Sponsored Links
The Felixstowe Scribblers are an initiative created with the support of Suffolk County Council to help, support and encourage writers living in Suffolk.
It's nearly 18 months since the establishment of this weblog. We would just like to note the passing of this little mark for all of us - well maybe it is more of a notch, or maybe a tide mark or even a plimsol line.
An interesting article from the Guardian....
I found this interesting article on 
The Royal Exchange Theatre has launched a National Playwriting Competition, for original, full-length stage plays that have not been previously performed. 
Write words are a UK online writing community many of you will already be aware of. From the 'writewords' website....
I had a message from a mate and thought you'd all be interested ....
Jan writes....
I wondered if any of you would be interested in hearing about a play writing workshop on Saturday 22nd April at The Ipswich Institute. It is being led by Peppy Barlow who currently has a production with Eastern Angles called The Sutton Hoo Mob. The cost is £27 and includes lunch.
This year we are working BBC television and radio, with the desire for many of the pieces to be developed for future broadcast.
The Spelling Society maintains a page of "poems showing the absurdities of English spelling" -- and they're a hoot! Try reading one aloud.
Details are out for the next Felixstowe Drama Festival.
![[ Registered ]](http://www.diarist.net/registry/button.gif){kind=small}
