Creative Writing Competition

As part of its Common Values campaign and to mark international Human Rights Day on 10 December 2010, Liberty has launched a Liberty Schools Creative Writing Competition: Write Human Rights.

Why the Human Rights Act? Although the Human Rights Act is often misquoted and maligned in adult society, the rights and values it defends – fairness, equality, privacy, dignity and respect – often mirror those we look to encourage in our children. Liberty hopes that providing an opportunity for real engagement and understanding of the content and meaning of the Act will broaden respect for the essential rights and freedoms it upholds and protects, and what these mean for every one of us. For an interactive guide to the articles of the Human Rights Act and what they mean in plain English, visit www.love.commonvalues.org.uk

Entrants are being asked to write a short piece of poetry or prose inspired by any or all of the articles within the Act. An entry could be as much as the word-limit (150 – 250 words depending on age category) or as little as a sentence.

The winners will be announced in early July 2011. Entries will be judged by a panel of literary experts, including best-selling author and twice Booker-prize nominated author Ali Smith, best-selling children’s author Georgia Byng, author of best-selling teen superspy series Anthony Horowitz and publisher Simon Prosser. The winning entry will receive up to £500 to spend on books for their school and the chance to read their winning entry at a prestigious award ceremony in 2011.

Write Human Rights is open to any student that is a resident of Great Britain and aged between 4-16yrs. There are two categories for entry: ages 4-10 yrs and 11-16 years. Entries must be submitted by a Teacher, Tutor, Mentor, Youth Club Organiser or Parent/Guardian (if home educated) on behalf of their students. Teachers normally submit entries as part of a whole-class activity.

To register your school to take part in the competition please email a contact name, the name of your school, a contact email address and postal address to mailto://schools@liberty-human-rights.org.uk

Registration will close, and the competition will open for entries from Monday 28 February. The deadline for submissions will be 27 May 2011.

DREAMER’S GUIDE TO THE CITY

Artist, poet, writer and dreamer, Jonathan Tooke has just published “Asleep in their Form”, the first in a series of seven volumes under the heading “Dreamer’s Guide to the City”.

An exquisite psychogeographical text, beautifully illustrated with prints, this first limited edition volume, hand bound and printed on letterpress, must be a collector’s item! For more information, email to ormolupress@live.co.uk

Quill meets next week

Quill creative writing group meets next week on Wednesday 15th July at 1.30pm until 3.30pm. At the Newtown Methodist church hall in Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth. New members are welcome. We have a guest speaker on this day, namely Rupert Mallin, who will be talking to us about writing plays.

There is a small charge of 50p for tea or coffee and a yearly subscription of £5.

The group has been active since 1999 and at present has 14 members of mixed ages. Our purpose for meeting up is to motivate each other in writing poetry, prose, short stories, monologues and plays.

And sharing them with the group. For further information please phone the secretary on 01493 857956