incorporating writing Issue 3 Vol 3 FESTIVALS Festival season is upon us again: Save us from WI groups and apathy Debbie Taylor - Michael Ondaatje - Jeffrey Archer Exclusive Incorporating Writing Contents (ISSN 1743-0380) Editorial Team Page Editorial Managing Editor Festival Highs and Lows 3 Bixby Monk Fiona Ferguson digs in for the Festival season. Guest Editor Chaz Brenchley Interviews The Queen of Literature 13 Articles Editor Rebecca Moor talks with the novelist and Fiona Ferguson founder of Mslexia, Debbie Taylor Interviews Editor Michael Ondaatje 21 Andrew Oldham Felix Cheong talks to the author of The English Patient Reviews Editor G.P.Kennedy Jeffrey Archer 27 From disgraced peer to best selling Columnists novelist of 2006, we get behind the man Andrew ODonnell and the author. George Wallace Dave Wood Articles Sharon Sadle Bigger than cheese, us! 7 G. P. Kennedy has a wry and somewhat sly Contributors squint at the fiction factory of UK literary Rebecca Moor, Felix Cheong, Sam Festivals. Morris, Clare Reddaway, Mark Cantrell, Linda Benninghoff, Helen Shay, Caroline Drennan The Right Man 30 Sam Morris returns with an intriguing Design parallel between rap and and SF Marsh Thomas Novelist, A. E. Van Vogt Contact Details Columns http://www.incwriters.com Degrees Of Freedom 11 George Wallace gate crashes a Incorporating Writing is an imprint of The Incwriters Society (UK). The magazine is managed Nick Johnson reading. by an editorial team independent of The Societys Constitution. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without permission of Cubicle Escapee 25 the publishers. We cannot accept responsibility for Sharon Sadle reports from unsolicited manuscripts, reproduction of articles, somewhere in the USA. photographs or content. Incorporating Writing has endeavoured to ensure that all information inside the magazine is correct, however prices and details are subject to change. Individual contributors Reviews 35 indemnify Incorporating Writing, The Incwriters Society (UK) against copyright claims, monetary claims, tax payments / NI contributions, or any Competition 45 other claims. This magazine is produced in the UK. © The Incwriters Society (UK) 2005 News and Opportunities 49 3 incorporating writing Festival Highs and Lows Editorial by Fiona Ferguson audience, to see and hear writing; catapulting us back in time to writings archaic oral origins. Like a rather confusing game of charades, the book finds itself centre stage. Originally hailing from Liverpool, where everyone is a performer, I have always taken it for granted that words are not just to be read, but to be heard, spoken, acted out, or sung. As demonstrated by Liverpools recent Writing on the Walls Festival, the performance element is still It was, of course, a deliberate, calculated very strong here: the spoken word slam, decision on my part to join the featuring rap and interactive poetry from Incorporating Writing editorial team in local artists was absolutely electric and time for festival season. Hey- everybody the film extravaganza proved to be a likes a good party. And that is what massively successful event this year. festivals ultimately are: a collective, Writers, even the most well-known, are public celebration and mingling of all perhaps the most hidden of the creatives, things literary: books, scripts, stories, so propelling them into the public arena, poems, plays, people, ideas, debate, as festivals do, can be a most intriguing discussion and words, words, words. circumstance. Anyone who has been to Festivals are exciting as they give us a the glorious Hay will be familiar with this chance to experience the many strange phenomenon as the place dimensions of writing; thrusting it from suddenly crawls with literary heavy- the silent page of the sole reader into weights, emerging from under the wholly different arenas; readings, reassuring thick covers of their latest performance, poetry recitals, drama, hardbacks and blinking in the limelight, music, slamming, jamming, story-telling, like a gang of celebrity moles on the with the last few years increasingly annual outing. It is particularly showing an emphasis on film; writing for extraordinary and inspirational to witness both the big and the small screen. literary giants reading their latest opus: Festivals allow us, as a collective Ian McEwan sending shivers down my incorporating writing 4 spine reading from a then unpublished beyond the shores of the UK, but perhaps Saturday at last years Hay, and if I play my cards right here, Ill be able witnessing a first reading of On Beauty to blag a few Press passes to Bologna, or from Zadie Smith (whom I later splashed Montreal All in the name of professional with Stella Artois in the beer tent, by way development and research, of course. of expressing my appreciation. But then, Incorporating Writing is, in essence, a it was a festival, after all. Rock and roll ) mini online festival in itself; a monthly Although celebrity-spotting at the Hay is textual exposition of writing in all its vari- a most diverting pastime, festivals are eties, so it gives me great pleasure to join not just the realm of the already famous, in with the celebration. I hope to bring to however, but also function as a brilliant its large and disparate audience an platform for new styles, new ideas and equally absorbing and singular display of new talent. In recent years, at Birming- features as grace the stages, tents and hams slick, modern Book Festival, I have workshops of our lit fests. There may be been dazzled by writing talent old and no spotlights, beer tents or thunderous new; particularly enjoying last years applause but I hope that the quality of Poetry Slam event, featuring the breath- writing and the insights offered within taking wordsmithery of Birminghams may earn a kind of silent, internal accla- Poet Laureate Dreadlockalien. A personal mation. And there are, still, the literary highlight from 2004 was the performance luminaries; in this issue Felix Cheong of two radio dramas from two amateur gains an audience with both Jeffrey writers, both being mentored through the Archer and Michael Ondaatje. Sam Mor- West Midlands writing agency Script. This ris exploration of the competitive and excites me as they are revealing new pugnacious nature of slam poetrys word- generations of writers. As GP Kennedy warfare. reveals in his article, the UK enjoys one As of this issue I will be taking over from of the worlds most prolific and colourful Andrew Oldham as Articles Editor. Andrew literary scenes; hosting more literary will now be solely concentrating on edit- festivals and events from John oGroats ing the Interviews section, so please feel to Lands End than you could shake a free to contact me for any article que- stick at (or I than can wax lyrical about in ries, ideas or pitches. The next issues are this editorial, or even begin to hope to Playwrights & Critics followed by The attend). Literary festivals are taking place American Beat Trail. Looking forward to across the planet, from Sydney to San- hearing from you! tiago, as perhaps the most engaging and collective way of experiencing writing. I [email protected] am yet to make it to a literary gathering [email protected] 5 incorporating writing 1 RedInk 1 RedInk Subscription Form Name Address Email Telephone I wish to subscribe for 1 Year £4.00 2 Years £7.00 Single Issue £2.00 Please note that all cheques must be payable to The Incwriters Society. Red Ink is governed by the The Societys constitution, further details can be found on The Societys homepage at www.incwriters.com.All cheques must be returned with subscription form to, Red Ink, c/o 10 Bottoms Fold Cottages, Micklehurst, Mossley, Lancashire OL5 9NH I understand that Red Ink is PDF magazine (electronic format) and that I will receive it via email twice a year (Summer and Winter), and that as such, I must keep Red Ink up to date with any changes in my email, this can be done so by emailing [email protected]. Neglecting to keep Red Ink up to date with my contact details and email will result in me not receiving the magazine. Signed Print Name Date All monies received go towards the running of the magazine and Aim and Objects of The Incwriters Society. 7 incorporating writing Bigger than cheese, us! Article by G. P. Kennedy Bath in December, one can indulge in a panoply of festivals the year round. Geographically the scope is no less broad, covering Orkney to St. Austell with many familiar and downright odd stops along the way (my favourites conveniently staged both in March; Wakefields International Festival of Mountaineering Literature, and Londons non- expectorating Spit-Lit). Other big beasts variously engaged in conversation, reading, answering questions, and generally oozing sagacity A quick Google search for UK Literary Visiting a lit fest gives one a rare Festivals will return an eye-straining opportunity to hear the great, the good 2,940,000 different results: a similar and the blandly average of the literary search for UK Music Festivals garners firmament, ask questions of them, the deafening roar of 35,700,000 interact with like-minded individuals and different results; while a third search perhaps even spot the ever-decorous along similar lines, for UK Cheese Hanif Kureishi (starring at this years Festivals offers the delectation of Guardian Hay Festival, 26 May 4 June) 2,190,000 different results. So, while it spill sponsors coffee down the front of his would be folly to suggest that UK literary crisp white shirt. Other big beasts festivals are the new rock n roll, they are variously engaged in conversation, certainly prevalent and well covered, and reading, answering questions, and most definitely bigger than cheese.