From the WWC mailbox

Launch of DAW's One Act Playwriting Competition 2012

Monday 17th October 2011. Today, DAW launched its annual Playwriting Competition. The competition aims to encourage the writing of plays for theatre in English and Welsh. Previous prizewinners have been published and performed as a result of promotion through our New Writing Scheme.

THE WINNING PLAY IN EACH CATEGORY

WILL RECEIVE A CASH PRIZE OF £250

AND WILL BE PUBLISHED

PLAYING TIME: 20-50 MINS – A MINIMUM CAST OF TWO

An Adjudicating Panel appointed by the Drama Association of Wales will read and consider the plays entered into the Competition and will award the following prizes:

• Best Play for a Youth Cast (16-25 years) - £250

• Best Play in the Open Category - £250

• Best Play in the Welsh Language - £250

• plus commemorative Prizewinners Medals

• The above plays will also be published by DAW Publications

• Also:

• The Best Play from a Wales Based Playwright will be awarded a bursary to T? Newydd, the National Writers’ Centre for Wales

TO CONTINUE THE SUCCESS OF LAST YEARS SERVICE...

If you would like to make use of DAW’s Script Reading Service whilst your play is with us, please send £37.50 as the combined price of both competition entry - £17.50 and Script Reading Service - £20.00

For a hard copy of the application form, please contact Teresa on Cardiff +44 (0) 29 2045 2200 or

email: teresa@dramawales.org.uk

For a downloadable entry form by pdf or word format, visit our website: www.dramawales.org.uk/pages/playwritingcompetition.html

Closing date: 31st January 2012

THE COMPETITION IS OPEN TO EVERYONE. DON'T BE DISCOURAGED FROM ENTERING IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE WALES - WE RECEIVE ENTRIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

With special thanks this year to Christchurch Theatre Club, Dorset

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Dear Writers:

I would be very pleased to offer your group a free writing workshop at one of your regular meetings. I have taught writing for many years and so perhaps I will be able to offer something of interest.

I will make no charge, but only ask if I might be allowed to bring the new book that I have written, Freeing My Sisters, Olympia Publishers, for your members to see and buy if they wish.

Some possible topics you may wish to consider for the workshop are Building a Character, The Importance of Setting, Point of View (or Viewpoint). Naturally, if you have a specific topic you would like assistance with, please let me know.

With all best wishes,

Wilma Hayes

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Discover the pleasures of poetry with the T S Eliot Prize reading groups!

Now in its second year, this scheme is based on the shortlist for the 2011 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry, announced on 20 October.

The judges, Chair Gillian Clarke, Stephen Knight and Dennis O’Driscoll, have agreed on the ten-book shortlist:

Black Cat Bone John Burnside Cape

The Bees Carol Ann Duffy Picador

Profit and Loss Leontia Flynn Jonathan Cape

Night David Harsent Faber

Armour John Kinsella Picador

Grace Esther Morgan Bloodaxe

Tippoo Sultan’s Incredible Daljit Nagra Faber

White-Man-Eating Tiger

Toy-Machine!!!

November Sean O’Brien Picador

Farmers Cross Bernard O’Donoghue Faber

Memorial Alice Oswald Faber

From today groups can download three poems from each book, together with reading group notes on the poems, a biography and photo of each poet.

The PBS website will offer readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite poet and to take part in discussion of the shortlist on our facebook page. The result of the reading groups’ vote will be announced at the award ceremony.

Anxious about poetry? Who’s Afraid of T S Eliot? is an article suggesting ways in which you can overcome any anxieties you may have and free yourself up to enjoy poetry. The article offers some helpful comparisons along the lines of ‘if you like this… (novel) you might like to try that… (poetry collection)’.

Generous reading group discounts are available and readers can sign up for a weekly email which will cover the ten poets in turn and keep you up-to-date with news on the Prize.

There will also be a prize draw for tickets for the celebratory T S Eliot Prize Readings in the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank on Sunday 15 January 2012.

Reading groups can download the poems from the site and incorporate them into their reading plans, or order books from the PBS if they wish to read further. We also hope to encourage the setting-up of new poetry reading groups. Pam Johnson’s article on the site shows how to go about it and describes how her own group enjoyed reading last year’s shortlist.

The winner of the 2011 T S Eliot Prize will be announced at the award ceremony on Monday 16 January 2012, when Mrs Valerie Eliot will present the winner with a cheque for £15,000. The shortlisted poets will each receive £1,000.

For further information please go to www.poetrybooks.co.uk/projects

or contact: Hilary Davidson or Chris Holifield at the Poetry Book Society

tel 020 7831 7468 emails hilary@poetrybooks.co.uk and chris@poetrybooks.co.uk