2013
TheFED Writing Festival
Saturday 16th November
09.00 - 18.00
Faraday House, Old Gloucester Street, Holborn, London, WC1N 3AE
WERE YOU THERE?
If you have any pictures or video clips
PLEASE SHARE THEM WITH US
E-mail them to TheFED:
fedonline1@gmail.com
Please send us the writing you did in the workshops
and it will be displayed on TheFED Blog and TheFED FaceBook
WRITING and ARTWORK Submission Form
and please take out the time to complete the
Festival Evaluation Form
19 November, 2013
18 November, 2013
The Man Who Stopped Haunting Himself
The Man Who Stopped Haunting Himself
(Written at Agnes Meadows ‘Journeys’ FEDfest workshop.)
I
watched as his tiny finger pointed at the large Teddy Bear in the
window, I listened to words of anxious protest from the young woman
with him and I saw the tears streaming down his little face…
I
felt so sad. I felt for the young girl, whom, I so dearly wished I
could help. I longed to buy the Teddy Bear, longed to give it to the
little chap along with a warm hug. Yet, I was nothing to either of
them – nothing but a shadow taking up a doorway space.
For
a second the girl glanced in my direction. Quickly, I hid my face –
retreating back into almost total darkness…
“Tommy,
come along! Mummy has to get home now, mummy will be late for work…”
As
softly and as calmly her words evaporated in the cold night air I
could feel the chill from her heart that escaped from her very soul.
I, why did I always think of myself? Why had I not seen the pain of
others when I had shared the life they appeared to now be leading? If
I had only then felt something – anything – I may never have
taken my first drink…
I
wanted to reach out – I wanted to make conversation with the girl –
re-assure her – tell her that little Tommy would understand when he
was older but how could I?
Tears
started falling down my cheeks and suddenly warm arms were around my
waist. The chill of this December night seemed to penetrate my very
bones yet something warm inside had been awakened.
Pulling
my overcoat tightly around me, I reached for the bottle of whisky in
my left hand coat pocket...the bin was only three steps in front of
me.
Antony
May 17/11/2013
GROW
03 June, 2013
16 March, 2013
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27 February, 2013
TheFED - A Network of Writing and Community Publishers : GroupSpaces
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16 February, 2013
08 December, 2012
Get a Grip - Shareware Poem
And if its true
your rear is blue
I'm sending you
this wish
for time to rest
and write your best
for posterityeration.
your rear is blue
I'm sending you
this wish
for time to rest
and write your best
for posterityeration.
Lucia Birch
Get a Grip - Shareware Poem
But then I slip
And hurt my hip
While sliding on my bottom
Upon the ice
That's under foot
It isn't nice
And now I've got
To have an operation
Paid for by the Nation
And I feel rather rotten.
Andrew Diamond
And hurt my hip
While sliding on my bottom
Upon the ice
That's under foot
It isn't nice
And now I've got
To have an operation
Paid for by the Nation
And I feel rather rotten.
Andrew Diamond
Get a Grip - Shareware Poem
This is a sharewarefreeware poem for anybody to add a verse and or any writing group thats doing exercises because I want more verses. - 'Mary P'
"get a grip"
now there's a happy thought
I certainly can and will and ought
meanwhile I am sliding
from my pillar to my post
and all that I have riding
I am not hiding
from one jot of it
just abiding
I bide my time I slide
and in my mind I mime
and snatch the first step short
I certainly can and will and ought
now there's a happy thought
'Mary P'
"get a grip"
now there's a happy thought
I certainly can and will and ought
meanwhile I am sliding
from my pillar to my post
and all that I have riding
I am not hiding
from one jot of it
just abiding
I bide my time I slide
and in my mind I mime
and snatch the first step short
I certainly can and will and ought
now there's a happy thought
'Mary P'
26 November, 2012
The Three Pyramids
A workshop arranged by Andy H Smith at the FED meeting in London on the 17th November 2012 named "Cosmological Investigations and New Constellations" After an interesting talk and short video I called my poem
"The Three Pyramids"
Stark in the desert sand
three perfect shapes align
They interred great kings of old
who believed the planets were a sign
Now once more the same planets show
above the pyramids as of old
has this a meaning now
in the great scheme of things ?
we can create dark matter
and peer into the universe
no more does man depend on faith alone
science has all the answers now
but when I behold the beauty of the skies
I know there is still a lot to learn
Cynthia Price
Stevenage Survirvors
23 November, 2012
Happy Times and Sad Times Remembered
The soundtrack of your life
A work shop facilitated by Tony May
17/11/2012
Tony started by explaining that to write a real character into a story the personality must be followed through, we cited examples of some soap operas where the characters go on holiday and come back as someone completely different . This change spoils the credibility of the whole story. One method, Tony felt was to use music as a "hook" to verify the character, he told us how pieces of music had influenced his life because they seemed to be playing at a time in his life when changes occurred We heard in all two pieces and were told of how they affected Tony, then were asked if we could think of a significant piece or two and wrote about it, preferably a light piece and a sad one. Tony also expressed that the time the music was popular could indicate a persons' age if that was the favoured genre. I wrote the following ( which makes me about 200 - sorry Tony)
Calming memories Beethoven’s' Moonlight Sonata
As a child, lying in bed, a brief time when I felt warm and safe, I listened to my mother on the piano playing "Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata. She was a very accomplished pianist and I would drift off to sleep with the even ripples in my ears. My mother was an infant school teacher and said that if she encountered a disruptive class, she would sit at the piano and play this piece., immediately the class would calm down and all would sit and listen.
In later years when I taught the piano mainly to children, I found this a useful piece to teach, it is quite easy to learn and many children would go away after a few weeks of practice with the first three pages of Beethoven in their repertoire . It is very impressive, gave the child a feeling of pride and a boost to the self esteem, some even played it at their school concert.
All in all, the man who could hardly hear what he wrote down musically has passed on so many beautiful sounds for us all to enjoy.
This was my "sad" piece
Sadness The Rose
Some music can make me feel sad when there is no reason , ballet music for example , I fine emotional and Italian opera well some of the stories are sad maybe I relate to them. The other evening though I turned on the television and X Factor was on, not a programme I like at all but I was captivated by the man who was telling his story it was a sad story and when he began to sing it was as if all the sorrows of the world were being expressed , I just sat and cried.
Cynthia Price
Stevenage Survirvors
20 November, 2012
'My Fed 2012 Experience'
I had a pretty good time at the festival this year! It was nice to see many familiar faces again if a little frustrating that during the day there wasn't much time to just 'sit around and chat' with people. Still, with any one day event this is always going to be difficult.
My group and I arrived late due to roadworks and a seemingly endless diversion so as soon as my bags hit the sofa in the student lounge I was off towards the first morning workshop. I attended John Malcolmson's 'Flash Fiction' workshop and found it very interesting and quite a challenge. The new one and a half hour time slot did not help things much on this occasion however and John did not really get enough time but everyone who attended wrote something and gave feedback at one point or another so the workshop was a success never the less.
After a coffee break I attended the 'Book Stalls' session. Hosted by Andrew from Goodmayes Writers (and Roger) the time was used to allow members of the FED a chance to introduce their latest works and or publications to everyone. Various people read passages from books they had for sale and I got to introduce 3 CD's of my own which would never have come into being without the positive effect previous FEDfests have had upon me.
Lunch was as delicious as ever I had two cups full of Lucia's fantastic soup. Later, the was also a selection of wonderful cakes and sponges that were enjoyed by all as well...
Having had a long journey and a somewhat rushed morning session I chose not to attend the AGM this year. Instead I went to room 303 and prepared for my afternoon Workshop - 'The Soundtrack To Your Life'.
The workshop itself did not go quite as well as I had hoped (I still have a lot to learn about how to put a workshop together) and I was a bit disappointed that only 5 people attended. Everybody wrote plenty though during the workshop and so I'm sure most enjoyed it even if I did end up 'winging it' a little in places!
After more coffee Roger took to the floor in the students lounge and conducted the Plenary session. Its always good to get some feedback from the floor and hear first hand what people have gained from attending the workshops. I do think now (with sadly dwindling numbers attending) that six workshops each slot is too many (four would be better) though. A lot of work goes into preparing a workshop and if on the day workshop leaders only get a few attendees it is likely to put them off running a workshop at future festivals.
Perhaps members could be asked to indicate their preferences in advance of the actual day as in a restaurant menu at a works Christmas do? This way, any proposed workshop that does not attract much interest can be scratched and the final timetable for the day then finalised and sent out to members? I felt really sorry this year for one lady whose workshop failed to attract a single person. Surely things could be done to avoid this situation happening again?
Lastly, I got to compare the 'Celebratory Reading' session this year. This was great fun for me and a hark back to my old DJ'ing days! Everybody who wanted to read got their turn and the session was good natured and light hearted. During the hour and a half we heard a bit of everything really. Interesting, whimsical, 'Naughty' (Bruce and Agnes, really! HA HA), poetic, heart wrenching etc, etc and I got to finish this years festival off by singing a song of mine fittingly entitled 'Genius'.
A big THANK YOU to all who made my day so special and to those who bought copies of my CD's especially Matt from Stevenage Survivors who has been a long-term supporter of me and my work.
I hope we can do it all again next year...
Tony May
G.R.O.W (and Shorelink Community Writers)
05 October, 2012
Loose Muse - October : TheFED - A Network of Writing and Community Publishers : GroupSpaces
Loose Muse - October : TheFED - A Network of Writing and Community Publishers : GroupSpaces
Loose Muse - October
Wednesday, 10th October 2012 at 8pm
Location: The Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2 (closest tube = Covent Garden),
Hi gang,
With autumn chasing away the last remnants of summer, the October Loose Muse has a real international flavour:
LOOSE MUSE – London’s Premiere Women’s Writers Night.
Wednesday 10th October – the second Wednesday of each month.
@ The Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2 (closest tube = Covent Garden),
8.00 p.m. - £5.00 - £3.00 concessions
Features this month:
Ivy Alvarez is the author of Mortal (Washington, DC: Red Morning Press, 2006), with a second collection forthcoming from Seren Books. A recipient of writing residencies from MacDowell Colony, Hawthornden Castle and Fundacion Valparaiso, her work appears in journals and anthologies in many countries, with individual poems translated into Russian, Spanish, Japanese and Korean. www.ivyalvarez.com
Jona Burghardt is a writer, poet, translator and teacher, from Buenos Aires, who has lived in Germany since the mid 80’s. She specializes in poetry written in Spanish and German, edited a series of Korean literature, and translated German, Austrian, Swiss, Arab and Asian authors into Spanish for International Poetry Festivals in Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela, where she also led workshops. Her poems have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Portuguese and Turkish, and she has presented her work at international festivals all over the world.
Plus plenty of chances to come read your own work from the floor.
So come share the passion, share the joy!
Agnes Meadows
Host and Coordinator - Loose Muse Women’s Writers’ Night Tel: 07789-901-667 E: agnespoet@googlemail.com www.loose-muse.com
With autumn chasing away the last remnants of summer, the October Loose Muse has a real international flavour:
LOOSE MUSE – London’s Premiere Women’s Writers Night.
Wednesday 10th October – the second Wednesday of each month.
@ The Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2 (closest tube = Covent Garden),
8.00 p.m. - £5.00 - £3.00 concessions
Features this month:
Ivy Alvarez is the author of Mortal (Washington, DC: Red Morning Press, 2006), with a second collection forthcoming from Seren Books. A recipient of writing residencies from MacDowell Colony, Hawthornden Castle and Fundacion Valparaiso, her work appears in journals and anthologies in many countries, with individual poems translated into Russian, Spanish, Japanese and Korean. www.ivyalvarez.com
Jona Burghardt is a writer, poet, translator and teacher, from Buenos Aires, who has lived in Germany since the mid 80’s. She specializes in poetry written in Spanish and German, edited a series of Korean literature, and translated German, Austrian, Swiss, Arab and Asian authors into Spanish for International Poetry Festivals in Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela, where she also led workshops. Her poems have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Portuguese and Turkish, and she has presented her work at international festivals all over the world.
Plus plenty of chances to come read your own work from the floor.
So come share the passion, share the joy!
Agnes Meadows
Host and Coordinator - Loose Muse Women’s Writers’ Night Tel: 07789-901-667 E: agnespoet@googlemail.com www.loose-muse.com
02 October, 2012
TheFED - A Network of Writing and Community Publishers : GroupSpaces
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17 August, 2012
HELP SAVE Little Episodes!!
It's
been a year of rest for LE, what with Olympic fever and various jubilee
type parties... And it has been well needed but on the downside, there
has been no income from our usual monthly nights. LE is run entirely by a
thinly spread smattering of unpaid volunteers who also have to earn
livings and run lives. The break has been needed by one and all but
unfortunately we have our annual website hosting bill of £450 to pay and
only £100 in the paypal. To keep the site, we need to raise some cash
sharpish - if everyone donated a pound; http://littleepisodes.
We are planning an all singing, all dancing end of year fundraiser
with many of our regulars. We would love to assemble a new team to push
LE through into 2013 and achieve charity status. The aim is to secure
funding so that we can achieve more and engage a core staff...
More to come on that front but for the meantime; please HELP SAVE LE!!
Lucie & Chris
x
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GroupSpaces
04 August, 2012
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16 July, 2012
TheFED - Network of Writing & Community Publishers - Coleford Festival of Words 2012
TheFED - Network of Writing & Community Publishers - Coleford Festival of Words 2012
Roger Drury's report and pictures have been added to TheFED website gallery.
Roger Drury's report and pictures have been added to TheFED website gallery.
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