The Manchester Writing School at MMU is pleased to present its end of year student poetry reading and open mic night. The first half will be a showcase of poets in their first year of the MA in Creative Writing. The second half consists of an open mic night for any alumni, current students (whether doing the MA or an undergraduate degree) and friends. You do not need to register for the open mic, just turn up and bring a poem. This is a great chance to hear new talent and meet old colleagues, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Date: Thursday 5th June 2013

Time: 7pm

Venue: International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY

FREE event – no need to book in advance

Queries: 0161 235 0776; eve...@anthonyburgess.org

The Rosamond Prize is the Manchester Writing School’s annual collaborative project with the Royal Northern College of Music and is named for the street that runs between the two institutions. The Prize brings together MMU’s poetry students with the RNCM’s composers (the College boasts one of the strongest composition departments in Europe), in the hope that collaborative partnerships will be formed.
Partnerships formed at a showcase in January each year work towards producing a short collaborative piece to be completed by May, when all completed pieces are performed at a concert and one piece is awarded the Rosamond Prize for that year. Past years have produced some very fine work, and some of the partnerships have gone on to produce further pieces beyond the competition.

If you have any queries about the event, please contact the RNCM on 0161 907 5200.

Professor Michael Symmons Roberts, Academic Director of the Manchester Writing School at MMU

**UPDATE** We are sorry to announce that Les Murray has had to return to Australia due to unforeseen circumstances, and will no longer be visiting the UK at this time. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. The event will continue with Michael reading from and talking about his work. - Carcanet Press

The Manchester Writing School at MMU, in association with the International Anthony Burgess Foundation and Carcanet, is proud to present two internationally acclaimed poets in this very special event.

When Michael Symmons Roberts published his first poetry collection Soft Keys it was Les Murray, Australia’s leading poet, who heralded him as ‘a poet for the new, chastened, unenforcing age of faith that has just dawned.’

Tonight’s event marks the launch of Drysalter, Michael’s sixth and most ambitious collection to date, and we are delighted to be bringing together both poets in Manchester to celebrate, to read from and to discuss their work. All welcome. This is event is free and there is no need to book.

Thursday 9th May 2013, 7pm

International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY (0161 235 0776)

Manchester's much-loved Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy

Under the creative direction of Poet Laureate Professor Carol Ann Duffy, the Manchester Writing School at MMU is pleased to announce three short courses that will be running in the summer term of 2013: Journalism Skills for Creative Writers, Teaching Creative Writing Workshop and Reading and Writing Crime Fiction. For further details, or to apply, please contact James Draper on +44 (0) 161 247 1787 or j.draper@mmu.ac.uk.

Journalism Skills for Creative Writers: 16^th, 17^th and 18^th April 2013

Journalism Skills for Creative Writers is suitable for writers wishing to enhance their understanding of journalism and the potential  links to their creative work as well as how to promote their writing.

Practitioner-led workshops will introduce you to the connections between journalism and creative writing. Students will consider aspects of journalistic creative writing, such as narrative structure and descriptive techniques, and the art of review writing. They will be introduced to core concepts in journalism, such as news angles, truth, research and privacy while exploring the links between journalism and creative writing.

Participants will be introduced to the skills of features journalism, including real-life stories to develop creative writing using interviews as inspiration. They will learn about research techniques useful to both creative writers and journalists. They will gain knowledge of journalism practices and the impact and influence on your creative writing, including review-writing. They will also develop an understanding of how journalism works in terms of gaining commissions and self-promotion.

Course content includes: self-promotion and social media; commissioning and working as a freelance; biographical writing; research skills; presentation skills; how to research and write narrative features; broadsheet and general book review writing and interview skills. Participants will collect a portfolio of ideas and materials relevant to their work and writing ambitions.

The next course will run at MMU’s Manchester campus over three days: Tuesday 16th, Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th April 2013. The cost of attending is £300.

http://www2.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/english/continuing-professional-development-courses/journalism-skills-for-creative-writers/

 Teaching Creative Writing Workshop: 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th April 2013

Teaching Creative Writing Workshop is suitable for teachers of English wishing to enhance their creative writing teaching skills, and freelance writers interested in sharing their creative writing experience with schools, or in community settings. Practitioner-led workshops explore creative writing teaching ideas for prose, poetry, journalism and drama and demonstrate ideas that can easily be adapted to suit individual teaching situations and styles. Participants will collect a portfolio of ideas and materials and will begin to develop their own original lesson plans.

Writers gain valuable insight into working in schools and say that the workshops have helped develop their own writing. Teachers enjoy the creative aspects of the course but say that the ultimate gain is for pupils. Previous participants have said: “I could try out new workshop ideas and build my skills and CV in a very low-risk environment,” and, “Without Teaching Creative Writing Workshop I wouldn’t have found the confidence to get involved in new projects - the course was invaluable”. This course may be of particular interest to teachers who will be involved in delivering the new A-Level in Creative Writing.

The next Teaching Creative Writing Workshop will run as an intensive three-day course at Manchester Metropolitan University on Tuesday 23rd, Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th April 2013. The cost of taking the course is £300 for those who wish to attend the three days, or £500* for those who wish to go on to complete assessed work (with one-to-one tutorial support) and gain 20 Master’s-level credits (*£500 for home/EU students; £1,390 for international students). A follow-up course, Enabling New Writing, is also available to those who successfully complete Teaching Creative Writing Workshop.

http://www2.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/english/continuing-professional-development-courses/teaching-creative-writing-workshop/

 Reading and Writing Crime Fiction: 28^th, 29^th and 30^th May 2013

 This is a creative writing course that investigates the popular genre of crime fiction and gives students the opportunity to study, discuss and write crime stories.

 Students will discuss novels from the reading list and look closely at aspects of the crime writer’s craft. Students may be asked to give short, informal presentations on one aspect of crime fiction that interests them – and all students will be expected to participate in tutor-led creative writing exercises. This course is particularly suitable for those who like reading widely, wish to expand their knowledge of various crime fiction sub-genres (including Nordic, inter-war and international crime fiction) - and would like to try writing their own short crime stories under the supervision of novelist Gregory Norminton and guest critics who’ve published on crime writing.

 The next course will run on an intensive, residential basis at MMU’s Manchester campus over three days in the summer term: Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th May 2013. The cost is £300 for those who wish to attend the sessions, or £1,000* for those who wish to complete and submit assessed coursework at the end, with additional one-to-one writing and tutorial support, to gain 40 Master’s-level credits – which can be taken into a full-length MA Creative Writing programme (*£1,000 for home/EU students; £2,778 for international students).

 http://www2.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/english/continuing-professional-development-courses/reading-and-writing-crime-fiction/

 
Join us for this very exciting joint reading: an opportunity to learn about the important creative collaboration between author and editor, and to hear two major novelists read from and talk about their work.

ALison Moore

In 2012 Alison Moore’s first novel, The Lighthouse, caused a literary sensation and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Alison’s editor was Nicholas Royle, whose seventh novel, First Novel, is published this month. The two writers will be in conversation with Gregory Norminton. Come and hear them read from and discuss their work.

This event is presented in partnership between the Manchester Writing School at MMU and the International Anthony Burgess Foundation.

Nicholas Royle is the author of seven novels, two novellas and a short story collection. He has edited sixteen anthologies of short stories. A senior lecturer in creative writing at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, he also runs Nightjar Press, publishing original short stories as signed, limited-edition chapbooks.

Alison Moore’s stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies including Best British Short Stories 2011.

Free. No need to book tickets.

Manchester's much-loved Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy

The Manchester Writing School at MMU is back at the Royal Exchange Theatre for a seventh series of special evenings of poetry and music hosted by Manchester’s much-loved Poet Laureate. Carol Ann will be reading from her own work and presenting some of the country’s best new emerging talent: students and graduates of the Manchester Writing School at MMU, led by House Poet Liz Venn. Each evening will also feature a guest appearance from a poet of national stature.

Monday 7^th January 2013 

Special guest: Sean O’Brien

with Colin Bancroft, Joseph Hobson and Rebecca Smith

Monday 4^th February 2013 

Special guest: Ian McMillan  

with Jennifer Bailey, Sarah Pepin and Christina Stenhoff

Monday 8^th April 2013 

Special guest: Ian Duhig  

with Janet Fisher, Anyonita Green and Liz Loxley

Start time: 7.00pm (music), 7.30pm (readings)

Venue: The Studio, Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, M2 7DH

Tickets: £12 (£10 concession); price includes £1 book token for use at a special Blackwell’s bookstall on the night – and there’ll be an opportunity to get copies signed in the interval, and at the end of the evening.

These events sell out fast so BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment!

Book online at www.royalexchange.co.uk or contact the box office: 0161 833 9833

Sponsored by The Midland Hotel, Manchester

www.qhotels.co.uk

Hotel Reservations: 0845 074 0060

Manchester's much-loved Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy

The Manchester Writing School at MMU is back at the Royal Exchange Theatre for a sixth series of special evenings of poetry and music hosted by Manchester’s much-loved Poet Laureate. Carol Ann will be reading from her own work and presenting some of the country’s best new emerging talent: students and graduates of the Manchester Writing School at MMU, led by House Poet David Tait. Each evening will also feature a guest appearance from a poet of national stature.

Monday 12^th November 2012

Special guest: Gillian Clarke

with Martin Kratz, Clive McWilliam and David Tait

Monday 19^th November 2012

Special guest: Liz Lochhead

with Michael Conley, Christopher Riesco and Liz Venn

Tuesday 4^th December 2012

Special guest: Jackie Kay

with Carley Hind, Charmain Leung and Kim Moore

Monday 7^th January 2013

Special guest: Sean O’Brien

Colin Bancroft, Joseph Hobson and Rebecca Smith

Start time: 7.00pm (music), 7.30pm (readings)

Venue: The Studio, Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, M2 7DH

Tickets: £12 (£10 concession); price includes £1 book token for use at a special Blackwell’s bookstall on the night – and there’ll be an opportunity to get copies signed in the interval, and at the end of the evening.

These events sell out fast so BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment!

Book online at www.royalexchangetheatre.co.uk or contact the box office: 0161 833 9833

Sponsored by The Midland Hotel, Manchester

www.qhotels.co.uk

Hotel Reservations: 0845 074 0060

Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th September  2012

Venue: Capitol Theatre, Mabel Tylecote Building, All Saints, Manchester

Seats available free on a first come first served basis.

For further information please contact j.wilkinson@mmu.ac.uk or go to www.newplaysnw.co.uk