Literary Festivals - there are lots of them around. I've attended a few and generally, in terms of a popular adage, 'the oldest ones are the best'. The new ones don't have that wonderfully worn patina about them which give grace to a cosy feeling of piles of books and fascinating writer's of all genres sharing their views. That said, it needs a certain environment to make a festival work well and Kew Gardens is no exception.
Details of Write On Kew are here:
http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/whats-on/write-on-kew
And while we are talking of the right environment for a literary festival, Whitleigh Words Festival Finale will take place on 3 October 2015 to the north of Plymouth. For more details:
https://whitleigharts.wordpress.com/hiya-whitleigh-newsletter-autumn-2014/whitleigh-words-festival/
As some of you know, I don't involve myself with Open Mic, Performance Poetry or anything else which means I could (and would) bore people witless with my work. Nor do I sit in on endless performances either. I am happy to be a silent poet, as they say. However, I look forward to popping over to Whitleigh for a short spell on the day to say hello to Sandy Wager who has worked tirelessly in bringing everything together for the local residents.
Whitleigh has many things which some of the suburbs in Plymouth are without. Several airy and light church halls for various functions, a selection of shops, some gentle ancient woodlands and a great pub - The Albermarle Inn - which gives a warm welcome and has been a great help to Sandy in the festival. While many parts of Plymouth are losing their community hubs, Whitleigh is developing its own very well indeed. Good luck to Whitleigh - and Sandy - for more future successes.
Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Pseudonyms
Is a pseudonym - or several pseudonyms worthwhile? In my view yes, it is. The reasons are various but many writer's like to feel their work stands alone from the day job. For those fortunate enough not to have to work, a pseudonym is often still worthwhile as it allows an escape hatch into their ideas.
At a Writer's Convention in Bristol, sat amongst other writer's I was surprised at how many people wrote under fictitious names. The lady sat on my left hand side was a well known writer of romantic novels. In the course of conversation it turned out she was also a fully qualified accountant working from home and her husband was a GP. Living in a rural village in Cambridgeshire (I'll give no more away here!) she didn't want to be the focus of local gossip or bothered by people asking endless questions about her next book or plot. She wanted to get on with her main day job (Accountant), her domestic life (wife to a GP and mother to two teenagers) and - oh - of course - a Writer too!
Behind me another lady - in a most resplendent hat - was a highly successful historical novelist. Again, her 'writing' name was also a pseudonym and she is lucky enough to have a holiday cottage in Devon where she goes to write. Her real home is several counties away.
Lots of writer's and poets adopt another name to free them up from any expectations. After all, Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr were one and the same person. William Trevor is really William Trevor Cox. Even Elena Ferrante is another author by another name but nobody knows who. She (or he) has created a modern Italian mystery by hiding their real identity.
Am I Ruth Snell? In some ways yes, although several of you will know me as someone else.
At a Writer's Convention in Bristol, sat amongst other writer's I was surprised at how many people wrote under fictitious names. The lady sat on my left hand side was a well known writer of romantic novels. In the course of conversation it turned out she was also a fully qualified accountant working from home and her husband was a GP. Living in a rural village in Cambridgeshire (I'll give no more away here!) she didn't want to be the focus of local gossip or bothered by people asking endless questions about her next book or plot. She wanted to get on with her main day job (Accountant), her domestic life (wife to a GP and mother to two teenagers) and - oh - of course - a Writer too!
Behind me another lady - in a most resplendent hat - was a highly successful historical novelist. Again, her 'writing' name was also a pseudonym and she is lucky enough to have a holiday cottage in Devon where she goes to write. Her real home is several counties away.
Lots of writer's and poets adopt another name to free them up from any expectations. After all, Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr were one and the same person. William Trevor is really William Trevor Cox. Even Elena Ferrante is another author by another name but nobody knows who. She (or he) has created a modern Italian mystery by hiding their real identity.
Am I Ruth Snell? In some ways yes, although several of you will know me as someone else.
Saturday, 8 August 2015
Creative Writing Workshop on Russian Literature and it's importance to Western Literary Culture
Last year I ran a creative writing workshop near Plymouth where we focused on the styles of the Russian writers. Each literary gem has something to teach us.
The first image of Russia is one of bleak Siberian winters, heavy fur coats, Communism and the Kremlin. Scratch behind this imagery and you will find something far different. All of this is reflected in their highly successful literature which stands as a classic on the world stage.
What is their technique? Don't forget many writers who put their feelings onto paper were locked up and/or disappeared under the Communist regime. Some will say things haven't changed. However, as artists we are not here to judge that per se. We just want to look and enjoy.
If you want to get started on a good Russian short story then look no further than Anton Chekhov. His short story The Cherry Orchard stands alone as a wonderful work of art which grasps the cusp of change in 'old' Russia when we see that a family hanging onto old, traditional standards are 'in the way' of financial property development. It shows the first type of capitalism entering Russia when the poor peasant is no longer poor. Servant turned master and all the rest of it. At the end of the story, only the truly traditional servant is left caring about the family, the house and the orchards. Money talks.
At school, a truly wonderful teacher of Literature, Mrs Barbara Allen, took us through some of the work of Nikolay Vasilyevich Gogol. Gogol carries something into his work which makes us all look at ourselves from time to time. He puts his finger on the pulse of human frailties. If you haven't read any of his work then it's worth a try.
Russian Flash Fiction? How about reading some of the work of Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko to give you a stunning overview. Quick reads such as The Bathhouse, The Galosh and The Hat are food for thought.
In Russia it was important to be successful in both the short story form and poetry before even contemplating the novel. It was a true marathon. So, if you haven't yet looked at Russian literature then it is worth a go and is something more accessible than you think.
The first image of Russia is one of bleak Siberian winters, heavy fur coats, Communism and the Kremlin. Scratch behind this imagery and you will find something far different. All of this is reflected in their highly successful literature which stands as a classic on the world stage.
What is their technique? Don't forget many writers who put their feelings onto paper were locked up and/or disappeared under the Communist regime. Some will say things haven't changed. However, as artists we are not here to judge that per se. We just want to look and enjoy.
If you want to get started on a good Russian short story then look no further than Anton Chekhov. His short story The Cherry Orchard stands alone as a wonderful work of art which grasps the cusp of change in 'old' Russia when we see that a family hanging onto old, traditional standards are 'in the way' of financial property development. It shows the first type of capitalism entering Russia when the poor peasant is no longer poor. Servant turned master and all the rest of it. At the end of the story, only the truly traditional servant is left caring about the family, the house and the orchards. Money talks.
At school, a truly wonderful teacher of Literature, Mrs Barbara Allen, took us through some of the work of Nikolay Vasilyevich Gogol. Gogol carries something into his work which makes us all look at ourselves from time to time. He puts his finger on the pulse of human frailties. If you haven't read any of his work then it's worth a try.
Russian Flash Fiction? How about reading some of the work of Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko to give you a stunning overview. Quick reads such as The Bathhouse, The Galosh and The Hat are food for thought.
In Russia it was important to be successful in both the short story form and poetry before even contemplating the novel. It was a true marathon. So, if you haven't yet looked at Russian literature then it is worth a go and is something more accessible than you think.
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Creative Writing Workshop at Whitleigh Words Festival
A sincere thank you to everyone who came along to the Japanese Poetry Workshop on Saturday 4 July 2015 as part of the Whitleigh Words Festival. A group of people who barely knew each other were blended and revitalized by studying some of the methods of Haiku, Tanka, Haibun and Renga. This was just a brief introduction into the mysteries of Japanese poetry but one which was enjoyed by all. We also took time to explore and discuss the history of Japanese literature and the ancient culture which supports it. It is a complex subject and not one which can be fully analysed in a couple of hours but I trust the handouts helped.
Sincere thanks to Sandy Wager, Organizer of the Whitleigh Words Festival for her succinct administration of this event and other activities going on in Whitleigh. Don't forget folks that Whitleigh has been a thriving suburb of Plymouth for 65 years. In fact the key reason for the Festival was to celebrate that era of time from when the first foundation stones were laid. Prior to that, Whitleigh was sprawling farmland consisting of many green acres and traditional farm buildings.
Sadly Whitleigh Hall was knocked down just after the war which is a pity because like most manor houses in Plymouth, it would have enhanced the currently desired City of Culture status very well. But in those immediate post-war years, like all the Plymouth based manors, it was seen as a sign of capitalist living and not emblematic of socialism, so down it came. And now the Council want to apply for City of Culture status ... when the backbone of its history was wilfully destroyed .... by the .... Council ... while they keep the grotty Civic Centre Council House (circa late 1950s) standing as a listed building. You couldn't make it up if you tried.
P.S. I'm glad they don't work for me.
Sincere thanks to Sandy Wager, Organizer of the Whitleigh Words Festival for her succinct administration of this event and other activities going on in Whitleigh. Don't forget folks that Whitleigh has been a thriving suburb of Plymouth for 65 years. In fact the key reason for the Festival was to celebrate that era of time from when the first foundation stones were laid. Prior to that, Whitleigh was sprawling farmland consisting of many green acres and traditional farm buildings.
Sadly Whitleigh Hall was knocked down just after the war which is a pity because like most manor houses in Plymouth, it would have enhanced the currently desired City of Culture status very well. But in those immediate post-war years, like all the Plymouth based manors, it was seen as a sign of capitalist living and not emblematic of socialism, so down it came. And now the Council want to apply for City of Culture status ... when the backbone of its history was wilfully destroyed .... by the .... Council ... while they keep the grotty Civic Centre Council House (circa late 1950s) standing as a listed building. You couldn't make it up if you tried.
P.S. I'm glad they don't work for me.
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Let's Start Looking At Haiku ...
Let us start looking at Haiku. That small but philosophical piece of poetry in the 5-7-5 syllable count which gives a snapshot of a moment in time. Here are some I did earlier (as they say) ...
Summer morning dawns
as gulls sweep glittering seas
Plymouth awakens
Vast skies unfold blue
above a river's strong flow
which stills each poet
Each snowdrop wavers
in woodland green glades of dew
February gems
A silent world waits
over a golden seabed
yet above there's storms
(c) Ruth Snell
2015
Look forward to meeting the fellow creative writers at Whitleigh very soon.
Ruth
Summer morning dawns
as gulls sweep glittering seas
Plymouth awakens
Vast skies unfold blue
above a river's strong flow
which stills each poet
Each snowdrop wavers
in woodland green glades of dew
February gems
A silent world waits
over a golden seabed
yet above there's storms
(c) Ruth Snell
2015
Look forward to meeting the fellow creative writers at Whitleigh very soon.
Ruth
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Looking at Japanese Poetry
In due course I will be running a workshop as part of the Whitleigh Words Festival 2015 on Japanese Poetry. Below is a poem which caught my eye several years ago and was written by Tamura Ryuichi, Japan's most popular modern poet:
A Man Who Writes a Poem
A man who writes a poem
floats in space
No one can tell
where the buoyancy comes from
A man who writes a poem
is like a pianist
whose hands are already moving
before the key's been chosen consciously
His hands precede him
His hands caught by the sound cannot escape
which is why they struggle
The sound guides the hands
and the hands
trying to escape the sound
drag him along
somewhere
Where?
To see the shape
of a man writing a poem
Jump off the highest place in the world
upside down
And then your falling eye the wrong way up
might catch a glimpse
of a man writing a poem
floating in space
inside the gloom
----------------------------------------
We will look at this and more traditional styles of Japanese Poetry. Workshop details available through the Whitleigh Words Festival website.
A Man Who Writes a Poem
A man who writes a poem
floats in space
No one can tell
where the buoyancy comes from
A man who writes a poem
is like a pianist
whose hands are already moving
before the key's been chosen consciously
His hands precede him
His hands caught by the sound cannot escape
which is why they struggle
The sound guides the hands
and the hands
trying to escape the sound
drag him along
somewhere
Where?
To see the shape
of a man writing a poem
Jump off the highest place in the world
upside down
And then your falling eye the wrong way up
might catch a glimpse
of a man writing a poem
floating in space
inside the gloom
----------------------------------------
We will look at this and more traditional styles of Japanese Poetry. Workshop details available through the Whitleigh Words Festival website.
Monday, 11 May 2015
Plymouth Poetry - Past and Present
Poetry about Plymouth - Past and Present. Well, I wonder who started the ball rolling on that one then? It always makes me smile when someone 'borrows' an idea you have had (and published) by then masquerading it as their own. When I published Inspeximus: Poetry from the Manors of The Roborough Hundred I realised I was writing for a very niche market. Not everyone likes history. Few understand specific local history and even fewer people these days read poetry. So, when I see a certain 'historic' institution in Plymouth deciding to have an open evening for people with 'Plymouth Poetry Past and Present' as a grand theme, I fall off my chair in laughter.
Remember. You heard it here first.
Remember also that nepotism rules in some cities which have refused to unlock their minds but want all the benefits when things go right. Truth is stranger than fiction in Plymouth.
Remember. You heard it here first.
Remember also that nepotism rules in some cities which have refused to unlock their minds but want all the benefits when things go right. Truth is stranger than fiction in Plymouth.
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