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Tag Archives: News

Would you like to become a literacy volunteer?

05 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by ninevoices in Sarah, Volunteering

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Beanstalk, News

 

There are few moments more rewarding than when a six-year-old looks up at you in boggle-eyed amazement that she’s just managed to read a whole page without a falter.

Or when a smiling teacher tells you that the little girl you’ve been helping to read all year has unexpectedly passed her English SATs.

I’ve had several moments like this – and they are, quite simply, thrilling.  I’ve also had a lot of fun as, twice a week, I go into a primary school to listen to six- and seven-year-olds read, then play literacy games with them.

If you think you might be interested in doing this too, then the charity Beanstalk (www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk) would love to hear from you.  They are always looking for new volunteers. They provide a short training course and lots of books and games.  Most reading helpers go into a school twice a week and work with three children one-on-one for half an hour each. They usually work with the same children for the whole year.

If, like me, you’re writing fiction for children, this has a huge side benefit: you find out what your audience really enjoy reading. But the real value is that a child who might otherwise have very little one-on-one help receives it twice a week from someone who really wants them to succeed.

 

 

 

The Exeter Novel Award

26 Sunday Mar 2017

Posted by ninevoices in Competition, Exeter Novel Prize, Sarah

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Briony Collins, Broo Doherty, News

Many congratulations to Briony Collins who yesterday won the Exeter Novel Award with her wonderful-sounding civil rights novel Raise Them Up.  Here she is sitting next to Sarah (front row, second from right).

unnamed

Our lovely judge was Broo Doherty of DHH Agency. If you’d like to see her thoughts on the six shortlisted novels, go to: http://www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk/2016-enp-award-ceremony-and-judges-report.html

paperweight

Check out the competitions

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by ninevoices in Competition, Exeter Novel Prize, Sarah

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

News

There’s a scene in Chariots of Fire where a disheartened Harold Abrahams declares that if he can’t win he won’t run – to which his girlfriend replies that if he won’t run he can’t win. I don’t have Olympic gold in my sights but without my writing pals’ encouragement I’d never have entered my novel for this year’s Exeter Novel Award. Which means I’d never have received yesterday’s email telling me it had been shortlisted. This is a first for me – so I hope our blog-readers won’t just think ‘smug git’ when they read that! I feel so grateful (as well as amazed) that I want to encourage everyone to listen to the positive voices in their lives – and act on what they hear.  Maggie’s monthly round-up of competitions (below) is a particularly helpful spur for me.

Meter Reader Found Ideal Launchpad For Writing Career

23 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by ninevoices in Maggie

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Amazon, Audiobook Creation Exchange, Kindle Direct Publishing, News

Steven McKay was a meter reader in Glasgow who dreamed of writing historical novels, but faced constant rejections from publishers.

Having taken three years to produce the 97,000-word Wolf’s Head – about Robin Hood – he refused to give up and turned instead to Amazon and Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

He has now sold thousands of copies of his first book and over 4,000 of his sequel – The Wolf and The Raven. He also makes use of other services such as Createspace, which allows authors to produce hard copies of their work. At the click of a mouse the books are printed on demand, there isn’t a warehouse full of them.

His books are also available in the Kindle Owners Lending Library, available for Amazon Prime customers, whereby Kindle readers can borrow one book per month, and via the Audiobook Creation Exchange, where a voiceover artist records the novel so that it can be released as an audio book.

While Steven McKay still has to read meters, he is a published author who supplements his income from his craft. His books are published under the name Steven A McKay.

Thinking outside the box is clearly worth doing.

Maggie

Telegraph Harville Secker Crime Writing Competition

15 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by ninevoices in Maggie

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

competitions, News

The Telegraph has joined forces with Harville Secker to launch a crime writing competition which offers a £5,000 book deal.

Would-be crime writers must submit the first 5,000 words of their novel, along with a two-page detailed synopsis of how the rest of the book unfolds, including the ending. The book does not have to be finished, but must include an international element of some kind.

Harville Secker will offer the winner a publishing deal and non-returnable advance of £5,000. An extract will also be published in The Telegraph. There is an administrative charge of £5.

In addition, The Telegraph will publish a number of master classes written by crime writers on its website – the first being from Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo and available to read NOW at telegraph.co.uk/crimecomp.

Something for Elizabeth and Ed?

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