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Showing posts from 2019

Notes from the Lost.

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Exeter Writer member Cathie Hartigan has just published her second novel, Notes from the Lost , set in WW2 Italy and Exeter in 2000. Amazon reviews: ‘The days of the war ended but the repercussions of events were still rippling through to the year 2000. Get the tissues out because boy will you need them. I was so very involved with the past as it unfolded and loved how things were developing in present day. Ros didn’t just hold her own future in her hands she held the destiny of the people that she now knew as friends. What an incredible story. I loved the songs, felt like I could hear the music and adored the ending. Truly a wonderful read.’ ‘ The characters are vivid and compelling - Alfie is utterly lovable. I could not put it down and now my book club are all reading it and loving it too!’ Q: Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell us about your writing journey? I was a hobby writer for a long time, but I took a creative writ

Exeter Literary Festival 2019

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 Write Hub 2019  After the success of last year's networking event, Exeter Writers are hosting another WriteHub as part of the Exeter Literary Festival. Please join us for a free afternoon of writerly chat and networking at the Exeter Custom House on Friday 8th November from 2pm til 5pm. Spaces are limited, so please book your free ticket here!  Among the many events in the programme , Exeter Writers also have these dates for your diary: Friday 8th November at 12.45pm, Angela Wooldridge will help you to decide what to do with your short stories. Saturday 9th November at 10.30am, Elizabeth Ducie talks about using professional experience in you writing. Saturday 9th November at 2.45pm, Cherry Gilchrist talks about memoir writing. Saturday 9th November at 3.30pm join Su Bristow as she discusses Myth, Fantasy and imagination. Saturday 9th November at 5.15pm, Lizzie Lovell is on a romantic comedy panel. Sunday 10th November at 2pm, Cathie Hartigan and

Short Story Competition 2020

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Our short story competition for 2020 is now open for entries! We still have a whopping 1st prize of £700 2nd prize - £250 3rd prize £100 and a special prize of £100 for the best story from a writer living in Devon. Closing date is midnight 28th February 2020. Please see our competition page for the rules and to read last year's fantastic winning stories to give you an idea of what we're looking for. Then go to our NEW entry page with a form designed to make the process smoother for you. Good luck, and we're looking forward to reading your stories!    Tweet

Local Events

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The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that we now have a 'local events' tab on our menu. This enables you to subscribe to our mailing list so that we can let you know about the many literary events happening in the Devon and Exeter area, such as the upcoming Novel Nights at the Phoenix in October and our WriteHub afternoon on November 8th (save the date!) as part of the Exeter Literary Festival .

Results of the 2019 Short Story Competition

The Winning Entries For 2019 Exeter Writers are delighted to announce the winners of the 2018/19 Exeter Writers Short Story Competition. We received many fantastic entries, and thank all our entrants for their efforts. We can now reveal the winning stories and their authors.  Congratulations, everyone! We hope to see you next year. 1.   The Woman in Pieces   by Jenny Pierpoint, Torquay, Devon 2.   Wave after Wave  by  Brigid McConville, Pilton, Somerset 3.     The Real Thing   by  Tracy Fells, Ashington, West Sussex. The winning entry from Devon is:   Seeing to Mrs Hickmott   by David Bonnett, Exeter, Devon.

Novel Nights

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A new event to support writers, is coming to Exeter this autumn.     We chatted to the founder of Novel Nights, Grace Palmer.  What’s in the programme?  Debut novelist and creative writing lecturer, Ben Smith is our first guest author on October 21st at Exeter Phoenix. He’ll discuss how writers can use landscape and setting in fiction so it’s more than a mere backdrop to plot. Ben’s debut novel, Doggerland, is a compelling tale of loneliness and survival, archaeological remains and rusting turbines, set against the backdrop of a water-filled landscape. Ben lectures in creative writing at Plymouth University specialising in environmental literature.  How can writers get involved?   

The Family Is Complete

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Exeter Writer Treasurer, Elizabeth Ducie, has been very busy lately. She has finally finished her series of manuals on business skills for writers. Elizabeth strongly believes anyone who writes professionally needs the skills to run a small business in addition to their creative abilities. 

Grumpy Old Gods

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Exeter writer, Angela Wooldridge , has a story in the latest Grumpy Old Gods anthology, which launches on Friday 9th August. 

Louisa Adjoa Parker, QuayWords writer-in-residence

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Photo by Robert Golden This week we welcome Louisa Adjoa Parker to the blog. Louisa is the first QuayWords writer-in-residence based at the Customs House on the Quay this summer, and we've asked her to tell us a bit about herself and what she has planned for her residency.

Quay Words

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Writers' Salon Saturday 6th July. This summer, Literature Works is exploring the potential for the Exeter Customs House to become a literary hub with their Quay Words programme of events.

Short Story Competition Winners!

The winning entries 1.   The Woman in Pieces by Jenny Pierpoint, Torquay, Devon 2.   Wave after Wave by Brigid McConville, Pilton, Somerset 3.   The Real Thing   by Tracy Fells, Ashington, West Sussex. The winning entry from Devon is:   Seeing to Mrs Hickmott   by David Bonnett, Exeter, Devon Click on the stories' names to read the winning entries!

1st Prize (2018/19) - The Woman in Pieces by Jenny Pierpoint

The Woman in Pieces   by Jenny Pierpoint Angie rested her head against the mirror, waiting for the tumult of the morning to break in her ears. For a minute, there was only her breath, misting the glass in front of her. The tasks of the day tumbled through her head. William would be awake soon, again. He slept in fits and starts, even now, eight years after his traumatic birth. Broken nights were part of Angie’s routine.  “Mum!” Her daughter’s voice called. “Can you be quick? I need to wash my hair. I’m walking with Eddie. We’ve got band practice before classes start today.”   “I’ll be ten minutes, okay? Can you give me that much?” 

2nd Prize (2018/19) - Wave After Wave by Brigid McConville

Wave after wave   by  Brigid McConville                                ‘Effing blinding effing MEN’  shouted Rebecca at the windscreen, thumping the steering wheel with the heel of her left hand, causing her car to veer alarmingly across the narrow coastal road. It was enough of a shock to slow her down, while her left hand came up to dash tears away, just in time for the sign to come into focus:    BLACK ROCK BEACH - CAR PARK

3rd Prize (2018/19) - The Real Thing by Tracy Fells

The Real Thing  by Tracey Fells We haven’t seen another vehicle in over seventy miles. The road ahead shimmers, the glowing orange hills float on the horizon but don’t get any closer, taunting us as we drive further into the desert. My eyelids droop. When my head falls forward I jolt awake, but only for a second and then I’m falling again. The car’s interior is cool, locking out the blistering heat of the midday sun. As I slip into sleep I wonder why anyone would choose to live out here. And why my firm insisted I take the pool car when they could have organised a flight and saved me two days of this moonscape hell.

Devon Prize (2018/19) - Seeing to Mrs Hickmott by David Bonnett

Seeing to Mrs. Hickmott  by David Bonnett  Mrs. Hickmott needs seeing to.  And sooner rather than later.  This morning’s telephone call has made that clear.      Meanwhile, Norris could use a drink.   It’s early, but time of day has never come into it.     “Thank you for explaining things so clearly,” Norris says into the telephone on his desk.  Keen to end the call he adds, “Goodbye,” rather too quickly for politeness, but it must do.

Dare you face the Chudleigh Dragons?

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On Wednesday 10th July, Chudleigh will be invaded by Dragons! Back by popular demand after its successful first appearance in 2018, Face the Chudleigh Dragons will be part of the Chudleigh Literary Festival again this year. 

The Short List

The Short List! The wait has come to an end!  The shortlist is here. Congratulations to all those writers who have made it to the shortlist. The competition was fierce. All those writers who made it to the long list, or even were brave enough to put their writing out into the big wide world and enter our competition in the first place, should feel proud.