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Short Courses So You Want to Write a Novel There are still places available on this Time Out recommended course. Each session is a self-contained module on a different topic of how to approach writing a novel. Creative Writing: Fact or Fiction Fiction Masterclass Intensive
Creative Writing in the City Weekend Courses Starting to Write Write Now! in Portugal Details soon Release the Writer in You Rembrandt Hotel 11 Thurloe Place London, SW7, UK Autumn 2012 Details to follow
Courses Abroad Novel Intensive in Catalonia La Torre de Dalt Camós, Spain 8 - 15 Jun 2012
From January to March there will be a 10-week "So You Want to Write a Novel" course to kick off the New Year. This course is suitable for complete beginners to published writers. In mid-January there asa be a 2-day London workshop hosted by Alternatives, St James' Church, Piccadilly. This non-residential course, "Release the Writer in You", was sold out in October 2011 and in January 2012. To meet demand, another is being planned in the autumn. From March to April there will be an exciting 6-week "Creative Writing for Fact or Fiction" at the Helios Centre for novelists, short story writers, playrights or memoirists who wanted to use work created in class to expand their manuscripts, explore possible themes or just have fun writing. Towards the end of May, a London weekend course, "Starting to Write", will be held at the North London Buddhist Centre. It will give new writers the opportunity to get their pens going and flowing. In June a 7-day novel writing course and retreat will be held in an amazing baronial country house in Catalonia with fabulous food, a fiesta and a swimming pool. A second 2012 workshop in collaboration with Alternatives, St James' Church, Piccadilly, is being planned for the fall, dates to be confirmed. A course will be held the last weekend in October in iPortugal. The venue will be the Holiday Inn Algarve which overlooks the Atlantic and a spectacular beach. Due to its popularity, this workshop will be held at the same location in 2012. November will mark a 2-day workshop, "Fiction Masterclass Intensive". This hands-on course will help students to craft their work and begin to see it with new eyes. Watch this space for more course news.
These pictures were taken during the launch party of The Double Happiness Company at the Free Word Centre in London on 27 January 2011.
The front and back cover illustrations were taken by ace photographers Kurt Nimmo and Marcus Bastel / Millennium Images. The novel was expertly designed and typeset by Word-Design. Photos: Steve Mullins
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For a thumbnail description of courses offered in 2012, scroll down Column 1. You can look or book by clicking the link for the course you're interested in.
iIn June 2012 Anne will be leading a 7-day writing retreat in Spain in the countryside outside Girona. This "So You Want to Write a Novel Intensive", in collaboration with 7DayWonder, has working workshops, afternoon 1-2-1 turotials and evening sessions to showcase your work and receive constructive criticism on your writing.. Join us for an idyllic holiday in a beautifully restored 17th-century country house with a swimming pool. The fee is inclusive of group and 1-2-1 tuition, full board and accommodation in single en suite rooms with no single supplement. And if you book by Valentine's Day, you are eligible for an"Early Bird" discount! For full details, click here.
You can see a range of short workshop clips on YouTube. They range from the launch party of my latest novel to a writing retreat in Catalonia, student testimonials and two short film tributes to George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway.
I am honoured to have been asked to judge the Peter Barry Short Story Competition. Entries are being accepted until midnight, 12 December. First prize is £750. For submission guidelines, click here.
Denise Chávez is one of the leading Chicana playwrights and novelists of the US Southwest. Her books include The Last of the Menu Girls, Face of an Angel, Loving Pedro Infante and A Taco Testimony. In an interview with William Clark of Publisher’s Weekly Chávez said, ‘Writing for me is a healing, therapeutic, invigorating . . .
Wondering what special gift you might give to someone who writes or wants to? Why not give a place on one of the 8 writing courses on offer in 2011? There are a wide variety of workshops for all levels of ability, from beginners to published authors. More and more, courses are being gifted and none of the lucky recipients has complained yet! Go to the Gift Certificates page to see what you need to do to delight that special writer in your life.
The British Library works closely with leading UK institutions to collect and permanently preserve the UK web, developing programmes to keep the websites permanently accessible, both as hardware and software, remaining available to researchers in the future. The archive can be found here.
“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.” Ursula Le Guin
I am thrilled to report that the first review of my new novel has appeared in Dance Europe. To read a copy of their rave review, click here.
My new novel, The Double Happiness Company, was published in January 2011 by BareBone Books. There has been huge interest already from the dance and literature worlds. To hear Chapter 4, "Acrobat of God", click here. For some readers' comments about the book, click here. The new video book trailer can been seen here. To order a copy, click here. The price is £9.99, inclusive of free P&P.
We are pleased to announce that two of our videos, "Postcard from Paradise", about the isle of Mljet and "The Double Happiness Launch Party" has been chosen as Featured Videos by YouTube. As one of the highest-traffic sites on the Internet, this is a huge honour as it showcases a massive amount of user-submitted video content from all around the world. A spot in the Featured Category is coveted by both novice and professional video-makers alike. As of January 2010, novelists (or short story writers working towards a collection) have the opportunity to submit a chapter (or story) at Anne's discretion for a one-page critique by the Christine Green literary agency. To be eligible, students must be enrolled in a CWC workshop and have manuscripts that are at an advanced stage of development.
Ernst & Young October 2011 will mark the fifth year of "Creative Writing in the City" at Ernst & Young. This 6-month course meets monthly and welcomes new members from within the organisation. The idea for the course came from a PA in the firm, Lavinia Osborne-Njoda, who wanted to share the joy and self-discovery of writing with her co-workers. If your organisation is interested in hosting a course in the City of London, click here to contact the Administrator for more info. Photo: Steve Mullins
Gerald Macdonald's first novel, The Prisoner's Wife, is to be published in the United States by St Martin's Press. As I watched the manuscript of this book progress through various drafts, I couldn't be more thrilled to announce that a major publisher has snapped it up. Watch this space to see when The Prisoner's Wife will be on sale. This taut, exciting story of a former CIA operative trying to find the whereabouts of a "frequent flyer" is definitely one for the book shelf.
I'm delighted to announce the publication of a student who attended one of my creative writing classes. The First Time by Kate Monro was published on 4 May 2011 by Icon Books. This non-fiction book is about the loss of virginity. Kate spent 5 years interviewing men and women, old and young, gay and straight, Christian and Muslim, about how they lost their virginity. It is a book told with raw honesty and candour. To read more an Evening Standard article about it, click here. To see Kate's video on the Icon website, click here. Congratulations, Kate!!!
Thiis beautifully-written non-fiction book is about Robin''s quest to discover the part his great-grandfather, Arthur Greenhalgh, had played in the Mexican Revolution (and maybe even find the stash of silver Arturo had, according to family history, hidden before his flight back to Lancashire). To say anything more about this not-to-be-put-downable book would be a spoiler! A high five to Robin who asked me to post this: "When I first met Anne I had a great story, but I didn't have a book. If it weren't for her wisdom, insight, belief and patience, the book might never have been finished, and it certainly would not have been accepted for publication." To read more about Robin's book, click here.
In Celebration of Cecil Collins is a compilation of reminiscences by almost 100 contributors, including colleagues, friends, curators and collectors of this visionary artist and teacher. This book. edited by Nomi Rowe, is fully illustrated in colour and is available at the extremely reasonable price of £30. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the creative process. This FoolsCap art book is distributed by Paul Holberton Publishing. To order, click here.
“When I am working on a book or story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there. You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day you hit it again.” Ernest Hemingway |
Anne Aylor is a professional writer and teacher who has had short stories and poems published by the Arts Council of Great Britain, The Literary Review, London Magazine and Stand Magazine. In addition to being a runner-up in a Radio 3 competition, a number of her stories have been broadcast on BBC Radio. In 2008 she was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize. She was shortlisted for the 2011 Fish Short Story Prize. Her novel, No Angel Hotel, was published by HarperCollins, Grafton Books and St Martin’s Press (US title: Angel Hotel). Her second novel, The Double Happiness Company, was published in January 2011 by BareBone Books. She is 90,000 words into her third. Her stage play, Children of the Dust, won a playwrighting competition and was co-produced by the Soho Theatre and Theatre Warehouse, Croydon. She worked in post-war Bosnia where she practised Chinese medicine and taught ballet. She teaches at Morley College in London and is a member of PEN. In 2007 she was a shortlist judge for the story competition held by the Wimbledon Book Fest and in 2010 she was asked to lead a workshop at the Redbridge Book and Media Festival. If you'd like to see a sample of her work, click here for a 500-word short story, click here to hear/see her YouTube poem, "Weather Report", with colour photography by Emiliano Moro. For her story that was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, you can click on the link below.
In 2008 I received news that my short story, "The Speed of Dark", had been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize 2008. As there were over 10,000 entries of poems and short stories this year, I felt honoured. Helen Simpson and David Harsent were the judges. To read the story which is an extract from my novel-in-progress with the same name, click here.
Anne has been interviewed recently about her new book, The Double Happiness Company. To listen, click on the logo above to take you to a page to hear interviews on Radio Talk Europe, Manx Radio and BBC Radio Solent.
To listen to Anne on Radio London, click here. This interview was broadcast in January 2008 and includes tips on creative writing.
To hear one of Anne's stories broadcast on Radio 3, click on the logo, then go to the bottom of the page.
More wonderful news items to report in December 2011. One of the most prestigious literary agents, Peters, Fraser & Dunlop are now representing Lezanne Clannachan. She's been on many courses, including the "So You Want to Write a Novel: workshops. She is working to a February deadline with her first book, Jellybird. A high five to Lezanne on her well-deserved success!
I am delighted to announce that Francesca Polini who attended a workshop a few years ago has had her non-fiction book, Mexican Takeaway published. This touching human drama is a story about the difficulties she and her husband faced in their struggle to adopt a baby girl. It has a forward by Sir Bruce Oldfield and deserves a wide readership. In December 2011 Francesca was interviewed by Myleene Klass on Babies, Bumps and Beyond. To see the interview, click here. Conngratulations, Francesca!
On December 8 Michael Drysdale had his thriller published. The Banker is an extremely topical book as its main character is a ruthless banker who has caused a Russian oligarch to lose millions and has to be given a secret identity. To find out what happens, order it from Amazon here. Waterstone's in Richmond will be hosting a book signing for The Banker in the near future where you can meet the author. I am thrilled to announce that a short story by Hekate Papadaki was shortlisted for the prestigious Bridport Prize 2010. The competition is fierce so it is a huge achievement. A high five to Hekate! Clare Jacob has signed a publishing deal for her first novel, Ophelia in Pieces. It will be published by Short Books in June 2011. The rights have also been bought for an audio book edition. Congratulations, Clare! Tom Hill was commissioned to write a monolologue, "Come to Where I'm From", which you can hear on the Paines Plough website. To hear his superb 15-minute podcast, click here. Tom also had an excerpt from his new stage play, South, performed at the Soho Theatre on 23 & 24 November 2010. Seven writers were featured on the main stage in a workshop performance. Thiis programme is part of the National Film and Television School funded by the UK Film Council. I am pleased to post that Lezanne Clannachan, who's been on a number of courses, including several "Workshop Your Fiction", was shortlisted in Writing Magazine in May 2010 for her short story, "Monster Under the Bed". A high five to her! Narelle Hill had one of her wonderful stories shortlisted in the 2010 Fish Short Story Prize. Good on you, Narelle! In the bookstore or online, look out for Robin Bayley's The Mango Orchard which he worked on in a "So You Want to Write a Novel Intensive" and several "Workshop Your Fiction" courses. You can order a copy by going to "Books to Buy" in the middle column. Peter Lambrou's Topazvian has been nominated in the "Best Novel" category in the 2010 British Fantasy Society awards, as has Justin Carroll's "Careful What You Wish For" in the "Best Story" category. Good luck to them both! I am thrilled to announce that Elaine Mason who did a session at Ernst & Young "Creative Writing in the City" and the first "Comedy Writing for Beginners" has had her work broadcast on radio. Course tutor, Griff Phillips, encouraged his students to write for BBC Radio 7's Newsjack and Elaine's sketches were chosen. A coup for them both! Congratulations to R S Mann who has had her short story, "Rosie", published in the Jan/Feb issue of The New Writer (No 100). This is the second story Rachel has had in print and she's also just completed the first draft of her novel. Peter Lambrou who did a "Workshop Your Fiction" and "So You Want to Write a Novel" course has had his first book, Topavzian, published. If you're a fan of adventure/fantasy, click here to order Peter's book. His protagonist, Zak Strange, is guided by a mysterious stranger and the ghost of the ancient Greek warrior, Achilles. Time is running out . . .
Beatrice Sudsbury who was on several "Workshop Your Fiction" courses and "Learn to Edit Intensive" recently entered her book, A Half-Caste Shadow, for the Novel Pitch Competition run by Spread the Word. There were over 200 submissions. In the words of the programme coordinator, Beatrice "did extremely well to make it to the final 16."
Kylie Holmes who was on a "Learn to Edit Intensive" and a fiction workshop course, had her first book, Intuitive Children, published in February 2009. I'm also thrilled to report that she has signed a 3-book contract with O Books. I'm delighted to announce that Nomi Rowe who has studied with me 1-2-1 has had her first book, In Celebration of Cecil Collins, published by FoolsCap. This inspiring book of reminiscences about the visionary artist and teacher, Cecil Collins, is a must for every bookshelf. The Coast to Coast Writing Competition (held as part of the Liverpool Year of Culture) was won in October 2008 by Jennifer Pittam who's just completed a "So You Want to Write a Novel" course and is workshopping her manuscript in another course. She's entered competitions before, but this is her first win so a big congratulations to her for her short story, "I Remember Very Well". Hekate Papadaki and Robin Bayley who have done my "So You Want to Write a Novel" and several of my "Workshop Your Fiction" courses, were shortlisted by Kingston University Press for a Life-Writing competition. The results were announced in December 2007 and Hekate placed in the Top Ten. Judges included Hanif Kureishi, Kathryn Hughes and Rachel Cusk. Congratulations to them both on their huge achievement. There was stiff competition and a large number of entries. In October 2007 Naznene Sparrow & Malavika Nataraj won Second and Third Place in the Wimbledon Book Fest with their short stories, "The Bridge" and "Waiting". Naznene was also one of 7 Honourable Mentions with her poem, "Bowler Hat".
Their stories were recorded on CD as part of the Sandi Toksvig Writing Challenge. There was an awards ceremony, followed by a panel discussion with Mary Mount, Editorial Director of Viking Penguin and Peter Straus, literary agent at Rogers, Coleridge & White. A huge congratulations to them on their success! Tom Hill, who was on a Helios 2006 course, had his play, The Fox, produced in the "No Decor Plays 2007" series at the Arcola Theatre, London. A big congratulations to them on their great achievements!
If you want to know more about Anne Aylor Creative Writing Courses, click here. "Spread the Word" is an archive events and collaborations' page. Check it out!
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Actress Nicola Redmond read an excerpt from Chapter 3 to give the invited audience a taster of the book. 
I am honoured to announce the British Library has invited this website to participate in their web archiving programme. The British Library select and archive sites that, in their opinion, represent aspects of UK documentary heritage. 
I am delighted to report that The Mango Orchard by Robin Bayley was published on 5 March 2010 by Preface, a division of Random House. 
Naznene with Sandi Toksvig 
