Exeter Writers

Exeter Writers' Elizabeth Ducie has two reasons for celebration at the moment. She has just completed the NaNoWriMo challenge at the third time of trying, writing more than 50K words during November. Her resulting 20+ short stories are in draft form and will be edited and submitted to magazines or competitions from January 2014. At the same time, she has published her third anthology which grew out of a writing challenge she set herself earlier this year. Parcels in the Rain and Other Writing is a collection of thirty-one short stories, travel writing and childhood memories which was produced in just one month. Elizabeth chose 10th April — her late parents’ wedding anniversary — as the e-publication date. By 31st March, the anthology was completed and on 10th April, Elizabeth held a virtual launch party for the ebook (her fourth). Now, just in time for Christmas, the book has been brought out in print form. Parcels in the Rain and Other Writing is out now and will be availabl...

Daniel Knibb writes: 25th November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. At Cardiff's Chapter Arts Centre last week, Cardiff Women's Aid held an event to celebrate their inaugural short story and poetry competitions. I was delighted to be asked to attend and read my winning story, 'Soft Tissue', to an audience of writers, people working with survivors of violence, and Cardiff's Assembly Minister Julie Morgan who presented me with this lovely trophy and a copy of the competition anthology. The theme of the competition was 'domestic violence'. It was sobering to be confronted with so many different accounts of abuse, control and (sometimes) survival. The work collected in the anthology is funny, sad, moving and well worth seeking out. Cardiff Women's Aid Creative Writing Competition 2013 , ISBN 9781291615722, available from Lulu.com.

The Exeter Writers Short Story Competition 2014 is now open for entries. Due to the success of the 2013 competition, this year we are able to offer a First Prize of £500, Second Prize of £250, and Third Prize of £100 - and there is an additional prize of £100 for a writer living in Devon See the Competition page for the rules and entry details.

Clare Girvan's take on the problems of the legendary Three Wise Monkeys for the Gi60 International One-Minute Play Festival .

Exeter Writers members Margaret James and Su Bristow Cathie Hartigan writes: There’s something about the word ‘conference’ that sounds very dull to my mind. I immediately think of business suits, lanyards, flipcharts and graphs. But the Romantic Novelists’ Association annual conference is a very jolly affair. This year was my third. I went with my fellow Exeter Writers: Margaret James, a long-standing member of the RNA with a string of very successful novels behind her and Su Bristow, a first-timer. Su and I were on a mission. We wanted to interest a publisher in our novels. Apart from the fun of the conference, the squeals and smiles, the frocks and the photos, there is a very serious side to it. For a whole weekend, authors and publishers come together. The industry is discussed. How is it doing? What succeeded and what didn’t? Where to next? Who will be the next Dan Brown or E.L James? I imagine that commissioning editors dream of such a find, but they’re too canny to rela...

Short Story Competition 2012 – The Results The stories have been read and the judging is completed. We thank all of you who entered and commiserate with those who were not placed. There were four prizes this year – the usual first, second and third prizes, plus the Devon Prize; we congratulate you all. First prize The Right Time to Fly , by Shirley Golden from Hampshire Second prize I Am My Brother's Keeper , by Michael Powell from London Third prize The Incident on the Number Thirty-Six , by Ceri Lowe-Petraske from Bristol Devon Prize Saving the Goss , by Ian Chamberlain from Teignmouth Runners-up: (in alphabetical order) See no Evil by Christian Cook Icarus and the Cautious Man by Paul Green Miles from Home by Sue Hoffmann Poetman by Neil Howell Sofa by Harriet Kline Sisters by S.G. Norris Jellyfish and Rice by Tracey S Rosenberg

Registered Charity No. 313869 Exeter Writers has made a donation of £100 to Book Aid International . This is a ‘reverse book club’ which uses donations to buy and send books to readers of all ages in Africa and beyond. They have told us that they can buy around 50 books with our donation and send them to some of the poorest communities in the world. For more information go to www.bookaid.org .