February 2008
On February 3rd, we were proud to present a wonderful line up of writers.
Bernard MacLaverty, Andy Croft, Christy Ducker and Nicola White.
Before the evening's main event we will be presenting Bernard MacLaverty In Conversation. Bernard will be reading extracts from his acclaimed literary collection, talking about the process of writing, and inviting the audience to participate in an informal question and answer discussion. An ideal event for those who appreciate outstanding writing from a contemporary master. Bernard will also read from his work during the course of the evening's usual main event which takes between 8 -10:30 pm.
'MacLaverty is an exhilirating, tender, humorous writer... who can set a scene and create a character with Chekhovian delicacy and economy... He reminds us that although life is a dangerous, painful business, we should never despair.' Sunday Telegraph.
'MacLaverty writes with a forensic acuity... (He) produces some of the finest writing being published today. Like Chekhov's, his writing is admirably simple, his stories so easy to read that you are sometimes fooled into thinking they must have been easy to write, too.' Literary Review.
Bernard MacLaverty In Conversation: 5:30 - 7:30. Tickets for this event will be priced at £10 and will include admission to the evening's main event.
Bernard MacLaverty was born in Belfast and lived there until 1975 when he moved to Scotland. He has been a Medical Laboratory Technician, a mature student, a teacher of English and, for two years in the mid eighties, Writer-in-Residence at the University of Aberdeen. After living for a time in Edinburgh and the Isle of Islay he now lives in Glasgow. He is a member of Aosdana in Ireland and is Visiting Writer/Professor at the University of Strathclyde. Currently he is employed as a teacher of creative writing on a postgraduate course in prose fiction run by the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen. In October 2007 he was Writer in Residence to the Celtic Studies Programme at St Michael's College in the University of Toronto.
He has published five collections of short stories and four novels. He has written versions of his fiction for other media - radio plays, television plays, screenplays. Recently he wrote and directed a short film ‘Bye-Child'. Currently writing the libretto ‘The King's Conjecture' with composer Gareth Williams for a fifteen minute opera for Scottish Opera.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Secrets & Other Stories
Lamb [a novel]
A Time to Dance & Other Stories
Cal [a novel]
The Great Profundo & Other Stories
Walking the Dog & Other Stories
Grace notes [a novel]
The Anatomy School [a novel]
Matters of Life & Death & Other Stories
SCREENPLAYS
Cal Enigma (1984)
Lamb Flickers (1985)
The Dawning Lawson Productions(1988)
The Cone-Gatherers Saltire Pictures (in development)
Bye-Child Poetry in Motion (short film 2003)
Andy Croft lives in Middlesborough, where he has been active in community-writing projects for many years.
Among his books are Red Letter Days, Out of the Old Earth, Selected Poems of Randall Swingler, A Weapon in the Struggle, Comrade Heart, Holme and Away and thirty-four books for teenagers, mostly about football.
His books of poetry include Nowhere Special, Gaps Between Hills (with Mark Robinson), Headland, Just as Blue, Great North, Comrade Laughter and Ghost Writer. He has edited several anthologies of poetry, including Red Sky at Night (with Adrian Mitchell), North by North East (with Cynthia Fuller) and Not Just a Game (with Sue Dymoke).
He has given poetry readings in many places, including Potsdam, Sofia, Moscow, Novosibirsk and London's Poetry International. He writes a monthly poetry column in the Morning Star and edits Smokestack Books.
Nicola White grew up among writers in Dublin and New York. This should have been very encouraging, but somehow had the opposite effect and she has spent many years avoiding writing while making a living doing things that were not a million miles away ¬– making exhibitions, radio programmes and films. Last year she finally gave in and made a start. With a bit of a push, her first book will be finished by spring.
Christy Ducker Lives in Northumberland. She received the 2007 Andrew Waterhouse Award and is currently working on her first collection. A graduate of the MA in creative writing at Newcastle University, she has had her work published in a wide range of magazines. She runs creative writing workshops in the community.
Music from Gem Andrews
