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Slate New Writing
Slate New Writing
STOP PRESS
On November 17, at Neo’s Bookshop Cafe Gallery, SLATE NEW WRITING is launching two debut poetry pamphlets by Cumbrian poets Lois Howard and Hugh Thompson.
Slate is proud to bring to the world’s attention two mature poets who have lived full and interesting lives…The sense of the life experienced is clear in the work of both writers.
Lois Howard learnt her writing craft as a sub editor in London, says she has written for as long as she can remember but only in recent years has she concentrated on poetry, with publications in small magazines and broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 and Radio Cumbria.
Of Lois Howard’s A Sparrows Flight, poet Clare Crossman commented: ‘The lyric
poems… are conjured with a lightness of touch and a wry sense of humour’. Keswick poet and award winning translator Chris Pilling said of her work: ‘They have a real depth of feeling… there’s something special about her writing.’
Hugh Thomson had an international career as a financial consultant. His love of poetry, which begun at Oxford, flowered into writing when he found a new role as Trustee and Treasurer of Maryport’s Senhouse Musuem, and the renewal of interest in the great classical writers...
Cumbrian poet and novelist Angela Locke found that Hugh Thompson’s Rough Music ‘reveals a voice of startling singularity, breathtaking in its originality.’
Taking inspiration from the poetry, the elegant pamphlets have been individually designed in an unusual landscape format by Cockermouth’s Smith+Bell Design (www.smithplusbell.com).
SLATE NEW WRITING is an imprint of Slate and is supported by Arts Council England (North West).The pamphlets will be on sale at Neo’s in Market Place Cockermouth at £6 each or £9 for the two and can be purchased at the shop after 17 November or ordered via this on-line bookshop.
About Slate
Slate is a voluntary arts group based in Cockermouth made up of local literary enthusiasts, including writers, with the aim of bringing high quality new writing to West Cumbria in the form of readings, workshops and other participative events. We are currently supported by the Arts Council of England, but have had funding support from Cumbria Cultural Skills Partnership and Cumbria Arts in Education.
Since its establishment in 2002 by Michael Baron and Elizabeth Stott, Slate has organised events in Cockermouth and Keswick. We have involved many writers, including novelists, short story writers and poets. Slate has always operated with the principle of partnering big names with up and coming local writers at performances. We are based in Neo’s in Market Place, where we hold meetings, and are very grateful for the support given by Debbie Taylor. In an attempt to broaden audiences, we are developing the ‘café style’ theme with less formal readings, and had an extremely successful informal Christmas event at Neo’s in 2006.
Slate has worked in collaboration with other organisations and has members on the Advisory Committee for the Keswick ‘Words by the Water’ literary festival. Slate has sponsored events as part of the festival, attempting to promote something outwith those things sponsored by the big publishing organisations, whilst also including writers from Cumbria. Spin-offs from this have allowed us to send prominent international writers into local schools, with support from Cumbria Arts in Education. We have also worked with the National Trust with readings and poetry writing at Wordsworth House, and on an outdoor writing workshop in Holme Wood. We held an ‘environmental’ event at Cockermouth School’s new Eco-Centre, which drew a large audience. Slate hopes to move forward with innovative events.
Our latest venture is to publish two local poets in the form of small collections of poetry that we intend to launch this autumn – watch this space! Our current team consists of (in alphabetical order): Michael Baron (Secretary) Debbie Davies Bill Dufton (Treasurer) Ryan Griffiths Lois Howard Jeremy Over Elizabeth Stott (Chair) Christopher Burns is not a formal committee member, but kindly acts as literary advisor. We work as a cooperative, designating project groups to organise events. We aim to rotate the organisation of meetings to spread the admin between members. We are looking for some extra personpower from enthusiastic and imaginative individuals!
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