On Saturday Fermanagh Writers hosted the Getting Published workshop, taught by Susan and Paul Feldstein who run the Feldstein Literary Agency. In the workshop they covered everything from what to include in a synopsis and covering letter to send to an agent or publisher, to what happens during the period between getting an agent and signing a publishing contract, to things to consider if you decide to self-publish. There was lots of very valuable information crammed into a day that passed too quickly. Susan and Paul presented the material in an informal but very knowledgeable manner.

Susan and Paul Feldstein

Workshop participants travelled from as far away as Downpatrick and Lisburn and towns and villages dotted around Counties Cavan, Leitrim and Fermanagh. Everyone was full of questions which the workshop leaders ably answered. There was a buzz of chatter as participants left at the end of the day, still discussing what they had learned.

Tony Brady, FW Chair emailed these comments to the Feldsteins after the workshop: “Thank you for your most stimulating, educative and motivating Presentation today at Fermanagh House in Enniskillen…My initial soundings over lunchtime [of workshop participants] were of positive appreciation of you both and definite value obtained from subscribing to the event.”

John James, another FW member said: “Before the workshop I was somewhat lost in terms of getting my work published, I thought I knew what I was doing – but I guess I really did not.  They really put us all in the picture and I feel I can now go forward with my plans with greater insight, competence and confidence. In sum, the workshop was invaluable for anyone considering getting their work published in whatever way they choose.”

Lorna Milligan, a workshop participant said: “It was a very enjoyable day – Paul and Susan were great hosts – informative, encouraging and their dynamics as a couple - a joy to behold! The Enniskillen group sure sounds like it is an encouraging place to bring work – and all members I met seem to have a bright flame of inspiration, the stories around the table sounded wonderful.” 

During our AGM last night Chair Tony Viney congratulated Fermanagh Writers on our achievements during the past year: We launched our first anthology, Tuesdays at Charlie’s, and we are already selling copies of its second print run; we hosted workshops with poets Paul Muldoon and Maria McManus and writer Patricia O’Reilly and we have read our stories and poems as part of Fermanagh Live Festival, National Poetry Day and Enniskillen’s first Beckett Festival, Happy Days. Our 2013 committee is: Chair: Tony Brady Vice-chair: Ken Ramsey Treasurer: Peter Byrne Secretary: Dianne Trimble Members without portfolio: Tony Viney, John James

Congratulations to our members Teresa Kane, John D. Kelly, Dermot Maguire, Angela McCabe and Mary McElroy. Each of them has had one of their poems selected to be included in the new anthology, Moment, which will be launched at The Black Box, Belfast on Sunday, 24th March, 2.30pm .The Community Arts Partnership compiled the anthology and they have this to say about it: “The poetic anthology is a collection of glimpses into other lives. They snatch snapshots of our existence and common experience. Through the intricate detailing of the personal, the universal is exposed. These moments are those that make homes, families, love affairs and memories. These are our struggles and celebrations, reflections and regrets. These moments pose questions and offer answers. Here is sadness, mourning and melancholy juxtaposed with happier or humorous times, past, present and future. Together, these are the moments that combine to build our histories and connect us through collective understanding. Many of the poems were collected via public submission; many others were conceived in writing workshops conducted by Community Arts Partnership’s poet facilitators Annemarie Mullan, Brenda Liddy, Chelley McLear, Deirdre Cartmill, Ellen Factor and Maria McManus. Moment is a Poetry in Motion for Community project, Community Arts Partnership’s programme encouraging engagement with creative writing and promoting local poets and writers.”

Yesterday author, tutor and editor, Patricia O’Reilly, taught a workshop for our members about how to successfully edit your work. Before the workshop I think many of us thought that editing was only correcting spelling mistakes and adding punctuation. But we learned that it is as important to look at the structure of any piece of work and whether the characters and setting are believable as it is to correct grammar. We left with many things to think about. Are we showing or telling? Is our dialogue used effectively? Are we making use of all five senses in our writing? Are our sentences dynamic?

Patricia provided us with valuable guidance to help us improve our work. Now it’s up to us to make use of the knowledge we gained.

One of our members, Anna James, of Irvinestown, recently won the prize for the Co. Fermanagh section of the inaugural national poetry competition organised by the Funeral Service of Northern Ireland.

The competition was inspired by the famous rendition of ‘Stop all the clocks’ by W H Auden, performed by renowned Scottish actor John Hannah in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

The competition had hundreds of entries from across Northern Ireland and a winner from each county was selected and invited to attend a special reception in the Long Gallery at Stormont, where the overall winner was announced.  Sadly, Anna did not win the overall prize but her poem received great praise from fellow winners, supporters and competition organisers and she took away £100 in Co-op vouchers. Anna said that the vouchers will come in handy for her Christmas shop.

Her achievement is all the more remarkable, as it is the first poetry competition that she has ever entered.  Anna said, “I would never have dreamt of entering such a prestigious competition, if it had not been for the constructive critiquing, generous support and encouragement from my fellow scribes in Fermanagh Writers”.

As the taxi ferrying her to Stormont turned into the gates and she looked up at the historic Parliament Buildings, she whispered. “Not bad for a Valleys girl!” (She hails from the South Wales Valleys).

Anna’s winning poem:

Remembrance of Stars

I remember my grandfather pointing up into the night-sky

Showing me the Great Bear, Orion the Hunter, Milky Way

My little-girl’s eyes sparkled in awe and wondrous joy

And when he was no longer there, I recited their names

Like a litany, to remember the good times that we shared

And when my beloved step-father followed after him

I imagined them both in the Heavens, amongst the stars

 

Then, when Carl Sagan said that we are the stuff of stars

It struck such a resonant chord within my very being

I looked up into the night-sky remembering them anew

 

Now, many years have passed and many friends have left

I look up, wonder when I will join them amongst the stars

To be with those beloved acquaintances once more

Congratulations to our member, Anna James, for winning the Co Fermanagh section of the Northern Ireland Funeral Service’s poetry contest with her poem, Remembrance of Stars. She and her son, John, attended the award ceremony at Stormont last week.

Our member, Angela McCabe, was in the running for the Co Tyrone section of the contest but she was unable to attend the prize-giving so her entry could not be considered. Better luck next time, Angela!

On behalf of Fermanagh Writers, Dianne Trimble bids farewell to Marie Connor:

I first met Marie Connor when she called into the office where I work to arrange catering for the book launch of a writers’ organisation she belonged to. As a result of this chance meeting she introduced me to the organisation and I joined it. Through a convoluted series of events I eventually ended up also as a member of Fermanagh Writers and the secretary for both organisations. And it’s all down to my first contact with Marie.

Marie Connor

Marie and her husband, Bill, are leaving Enniskillen this month and moving to the sunnier south of England and I will miss her. And so will the other members of Fermanagh Writers. She has made a great contribution to our group.

Marie has an outgoing personality. She encourages and draws the best from group members and charms shop owners into stocking our first book. She’s our best saleswoman and she has always been a great ambassador for the group. She also provides sound advice, based on her experiences, about writing and getting published to our members.

She’s been a prolific writer for many years and her stories and reminiscences have been published in Ireland’s Own and The People’s Friend as well as numerous writers’ groups’ anthologies and local newspapers around the world. Her varied experiences in many countries have fuelled her pen.

John James reads to Marie

At Marie’s farewell dinner this week members of our group read poems they had written in her honour and she was touched by them. Maybe she has also sparked the beginnings of our next anthology?….

Fermanagh Writers wish Marie and Bill the best of luck as they move across the sea. We’re also hoping she finds a home in a new writers’ group soon – we plan to visit her….

Tony Brady presents Marie with flowers

 

Last week was a busy one for Fermanagh Writers. We had no sooner performed at Erneside Shopping Centre, reading our poetry as part of All Ireland Poetry Day, then we were in the spotlight again.

Tony Viney

On Saturday, 6^th October we hosted an afternoon of readings at Enniskillen Library as part of FLive. During the Fermanagh Arts Festival’s mini-fest a couple years ago we hosted an Open Mic afternoon but this is the first time we have participated in the main festival. We were delighted by the response of the audience and the festival organisers to our writings.

We had an attentive audience in the library foyer and we also piqued the interest of everyone who slipped past us into the library. Before the end of the afternoon all the seats were filled and people were standing at the back listening to us.

Marie Connor

Marie Connor, one of our committee members, gave her last reading with our group before she and her husband move to warmer climes in the south of England. She enchanted the audience with a gentle tale reminiscent of the stories she writes for Ireland’s Own and The People’s Friend.

Gordon Williams gave a very animated reading. Books flew across the table and around the room as he shared his thoughts about some of the tomes in his personal collection.

The short stories and poems were funny, poignant, exciting and nostalgic. Readings by

Catherine Vallely

our members are always a diverse affair. Pete Byrne took a humorous look at the complexities of Northern Irish society from an alien’s point of view, Tony Viney looked at modern life from a World War II veteran’s perspective and Dianne Trimble stepped into the realms of Mills & Boon fiction. The listener never knew what was coming next. But when we looked out at the faces in the audience it seemed that they were enjoying it.

Fermanagh Writers would like to thank Flive for inviting us to participate in the festival.

Gordon Williams

John D Kelly

John Llewellyn James recounts our experience of All Ireland Poetry Day: After surviving everything Fermanagh weather could throw at us at Portora Castle last year, we sought shelter this time for our Annual Poet’s Corner on All Ireland Poetry Day, sponsored by Poetry Ireland, in our local shopping mall, the Erneside Centre.  We felt somewhat alien in this high temple of capitalist trade, and wondered whether some monetary messiah was going to come over and kick over our table and jump up and down on our hymn sheets.

Seamas MacAnnaidh

Nevertheless, the leader of our band of brothers – and one sister – renowned Fermangh poet/writer Seamus MacAnnaidh stood up to brave the incessant muzak and deliver thoughtful verse on our historic local fortifications, that left one in the grip of thoughts of bygone ages and in the throes of thirst for more. He was followed by our canny wordsmith John D. Kelly, who carved intricate patterns of word play with gentle rhyme and no little reason.

Gordon WIlliams

Our good Doctor friend, Gordon Williams, was next and his patience (or should that be patients?) was tested by the throaty vocals of diva Bonnie Tyler, he prevailed and delivered a prescription of laughter with his pun-laden poetry. The Welsh songstress gave way for her fellow countryman John Llewelyn James, who performed a poignant peon for his mother.  Next up was our latest rising star Paul, who crammed more thought and feeling into one stanza, than one would find in many a contemporary novel.  Our roster was completed by Dianne Trimble, who stepped out from behind the camera to provide a gentle and thoughtful evocation.  We had survived the breach and emerged victorious with all our fingers intact. 

Dianne Trimble

Our sincerest thankst to Poetry Ireland for their continued support and our thanks to the staff and customers of Jamm who played tolerant hosts to our group. Also to our cheerleader Pete Byrne, who shied away from participating, but made every effort to support us and drum up business for our gig on Saturday as part of Fermanagh Live Arts Festival (more about that another time).

John James recounts our visit to the Big Smoke:

When it was first mooted, we all had our doubts. How would a local anthology fare up in the Big Smoke? Would anybody be interested in a bit of culchie culture in the rich tapestry of life and art, in the Bohemian student area of Botanic Avenue?  Nevertheless we saddled our horses and put the remaining copies of our first print run in our panniers.

No Alibis Bookshop provided a home away from home, a table and microphone set amongst shelves and shelves brimful of learned tomes, literature and poetry, artfully decorated with playful prints.

Our host and the owner of  No Alibis, David Torrans, was genial and made us feel welcome, as well providing competition in the wearing of fancy shirts.  We settled down to await our audience. At first we were nervous, as it was a case of one man and his dog and the mutt was outside sniffing the lamp-post.  However, when David introduced us and we peered anxiously around the corner, the aisles were full to the brim with punters.

Our Chair Tony Viney, began with a tale of criminal activity, appropriate for our venue, followed by John Kelly who reeled off a string of character-laden poetry.  Pete Byrne followed with a tale of his misspent Dublin childhood, another Dub Marie Connor, delighted us all with a piece of homespun whimsy.  John Llewelyn James got into his costume box, to tell a sentimental story in verse.  It was left to Fermanagh native son, Ken Ramsay, to present a childhood memoir of wit and nostalgia.  Tony rounded things off with a pithy haiku that will do wonders in the promotion of Fermanagh as a place to visit.

This played out to an appreciative crowd and camera-flashes that made us feel like movie-stars – though the latter was provided by our own Thomas McGovern.  We spoke to people after the event and sold some books, made useful contacts for developing future partnerships for our group.

Our sincere and grateful thanks to David, Claudia and Emma at No Alibis for providing the venue and selling our books without any charge or commission – all David asked for were donations to the Northern Ireland Hospice. We hope he raised lots of money for that worthy cause.  Our thanks also to Dianne Trimble for contacting David and organising the gig, which we all thoroughly enjoyed.