Tuesday June 5th, 19.30 - 23.00, Wharf Chambers (23-25 Wharf Street), Leeds. £3 entryWelcome to another engaging evening of thoughts and ideas, of discussion and inebriation, and of getting drunk and pretending it counts as 'being cultured'.Our invited speakers at 'Riot' are:Benjamin Judge Writer of short, very short and very very short stories, and the 'brains' behind Stegorcrater Press.Jenny Oliver recently-published GRIST anthologist telling true tales of a life lived in Chapeltown against a backdrop of the '81 riots The band are Radio Partizan, 'anger fuelled political rampage with the use of non-standard English'.
This event will incorporate the first ever Fictions: Word Soup. At Word Soup you'll bring tiny morsels of fiction to put into somebody else's mouth. Short pieces of 60 words or under will be drawn quick-fire out of a raffle, and read by volunteers from the audience. It's a chance for you to share your work without the additional fear of reading it out yourself. Please come willing to contribute to Word Soup with your words and your voice.
Wharf Chambers Co-operative Club is a members’ club, and you need to be a member, or a guest of a member, in order to attend. To join, please visit wharfchambers.org. Membership costs £1 and requires a minimum of 48 hours to take effect.
Fictions of Every Kind is a writer-run writers' social night aimed at providing support and socialisation for anyone engaged in the lonely act of writing. This event is free, but donations are welcomed. All monies you donate will go directly to our invited speakers.
Our invited speakers at 'Hope' are:
IRNA QURESHI Irna writes about British Asian heritage. Her books include ‘Coming of Age: 21 Years of Mela in the UK’ and ‘The Grand Trunk Road: From Delhi to the Khyber Pass’. She blogs at www.bollywoodinbritain.wordpress.com.
ADAM LOWE Adam Lowe is an award-winning publisher, writer and live artist with an international profile. His plays have been staged at the Royal Exchange, Theatre-in-the-Mill, Stage @ Leeds and West Yorkshire Playhouse, and his fiction and poetry has appeared in magazines in both the UK and USA. He blogs at adam-lowe.com.
Music this month comes from Gary Stewart, Scottish songwriter of folky tunes. Big Paul Simon fan. Also plays drums for Hope&Social and guitar for Rosie Doonan. New E.P 'Year and a Day' out in March/April. For more info visit www.garystewart.tumblr.comAs ever there'll be a writer's open mic. True stories, flash fiction, and read poetry all welcomed. Please keep your contributions at 7 minutes or under. + also the Fictions of Every Kind independent press stall, featuring a range of independently published lit mags, short story chapbooks, and anthologies.
Today I had an interesting conversation with a couple of friends about DIY - and not the sort that involves drill-bits and rawl plugs. It got me thinking about the DIY nature of Fictions of Every Kind. When Sam & I started Fictions of Every Kind in September 2010, I don't think it occurred to either of us to try and run it in anything other than a 100% DIY way.
"Do It Yourself" culture is hot these days. Everybody wants a bit of it, from bloody-minded diehards like me, to big business. A lot of people seeking careers in creative industries like to misuse the DIY label as a means of getting a 'foot on the ladder' upwards into their chosen career, whatever that might be. It's a much-overused and frequently misused term, and I'm not here to try and write the rule-book on what it is and isn't. All I can tell you is what first interested me in DIY, and why I think it's important.
Back in the late 90s, there was a very active emotional hardcore & punk scene in Leeds. Much of it centred around the LS6 area, where there were a lot of interesting bands. The scene was lively and diverse: gigs in basements and living rooms, sold-out all-dayers in 300-capacity rooms in Joseph's Well, as well as 3 or 4 busy gigs a week in tiny upstairs rooms in The Packhorse. There was always something to do, and you could lose a couple of decibels of your hearing every night of the week in one place or another.
What was really interesting about a lot of these gigs was the way they were organised. They were never run for profit. Promoters put shows together because they wanted to see the bands; they wanted to bring a band from Europe or the US, and they'd bring them to Leeds as part of a tour, pairing them with local bands. The bands weren't trying to make their living from it - they would usually be happy to get their petrol money, and an even split of the door take. The promoter usually took nothing, and nobody went home feeling aggrieved that they'd been ripped off.
Neither were the gigs arranged for career gain. Many of the bands (though not all) were committed to the DIY ethic of putting out their own records, organising their own tours, and of staying firmly in the underground. The reason a lot of bands did this is because staying DIY allowed them to play whatever music they liked. It meant they could work towards making their own sound without worrying about whether it would 'sell', and in the process be truly in control of what they did. It allowed bands to create the sort of innovative music that could never possibly have existed under the corporate interference of a major record label.
The atmosphere at these gigs was often very different from that at mainstream gigs. There was often a feeling that everyone had a 'stake' in the night; the audience were as important at the night as were the bands. It made everyone feel included. Put simply, DIY at those gigs meant doing something for love, not money; for fun, not career. It meant inclusion and community.
The ethics Sam & I learned in those late-90s days in the basements of LS6 are the ones we carried over into the way we organise Fictions of Every Kind. We do it because we care about it, and we will always try to organise our nights in a fair way. We are:
Not for profit Everyone who organises Fictions of Every Kind - myself, Mason, and Ian (no longer Sam, sadly, as he's moved away to London) is a volunteer. We don't make money from it, and we don't ever intend to.
Not careerist Everybody involved in the organising party is a writer. We started the night because we know how lonely it can be, and we wanted to give writers the chance to socialise. Literary events aren't always organised by writers - many are organised by 'arts professionals', whose job it is to organise 'arts events'. We run Fictions of Every Kind because we love it and because we care about it; we don't do it because it's 'part of our job', and it's not intended as a stepping stone to greater things for any of us.
Affordable and for the benefit of the community We keep our costs low by seeking out affordable venue hire, and by not selling tickets. Where there's a door charge, people pay on the door. When we do have fliers and posters, they're photocopied or letterpressed as they're needed. We keep our door prices low because we want Fictions of Every Kind to be accessible. Sometimes we do have to charge on the door, and when we do charge it is always either to pay for the cost of venue hire, or to pay the invited speakers or sound engineer.
Inclusive and fun Dammit, we started this because we were fed up of having nobody to talk to about our work, and we were sure that there were writers all over the city who felt the same way. We don't want our invited speakers to be a bunch of middle-class, overly-educated white guys, because life isn't all about middle-class, overly-educated white guys, and we don't want to perpetuate the idea that it is. In fact, we're almost aggressively inclusive. We want you to feel at home. We're the anti-clique.
Being DIY is integral to Fictions of Every Kind. It means that we can operate in a way that we think is fair and ethical, and be completely non-corporately driven. We always strive to put on good, entertaining nights, and do our best to treat everybody well. If you clicky this link here, it'll take you to a nut-and-bolts blog post on how we organise things. (You're welcome).
Thanks for reading, and I'll meet you over by the self-tapping screws in B & Q.
Thanks to everyone who came out for The Haunting last night! We were treated to some real spine-tinglers from our featured readers, Claire Massey and Matt Bellwood. Claire, who has 2 chapbooks coming out through Nightjar Press next year, read two of her own stories; and Matt read an Edith Nesbit tale, which had us giggling and shivering in fear by turns.
The music came from spooky folk terrorists The Roman Empire. They brought their 'squeak-ordian', a 50-year old wooden drying rack from their bassist's mum & dad's house, and 'Mac' (a glockenspiel in a plastic yellow case).
We're planning ahead for 2012. Fictions.... is going to move into the city centre! We'll be going quarterly with events in March, June, September, and November / December. Fictions of Every Kind: Hope will be on Monday 19th March 2012. More details on that to follow. Watch this space!
Monday December 5th, 19.30 - 23.00, The Victoria pub (Great George Street, Leeds), free entry (donations accepted)
Get ready for an evening of spine-tingling ghost stories and horror at the door. This is also Fictions' first birthday party, so expect cake and gifts!
Our guest speakers this month are: MATTHEW BELLWOOD once described by the Brighton Argus as "the kind of man who has a favourite acorn", Matthew is a writer and storyteller based in Leeds. Over the last few years, he has worked everywhere from the Canadian Fringe to the International Shakespeare Conference in New Zealand and most recently, the Edinburgh Festival. Along the way, he has performed in schools, libraries, theatres and pop-up museums, at DIY rock gigs and, on one memorable occasion, to an audience of 1,200 girl-guides in a tent.CLAIRE MASSEY Claire Massey’s short stories have appeared online and in print in an assortment of publications including Flax, Cabinet des Fées, Patricide, A cappella Zoo, The Best British Short Stories 2011 and Murmurations: an Anthology of Uncanny Stories About Birds. Two of her stories will be published as chapbooks by Nightjar Press in 2012. Claire is the co-editor of Paraxis and she keeps a blog called Gathering Scraps. She lives in Lancashire with her two young sons. Music this month is from The Roman Empire. Not content with over 1000 years of invasion and subjugation, The Roman Empire have reformed to win the hearts and minds of the good people of the earth with songs of truth, stupidity, death and disaster - all wrapped up in a multi-instrumental showdown of humour and sadness.
As ever, there'll be a writers' open mic. Flash fiction, short fiction, read poetry, and true stories with literary merit, are all welcomed. Please keep your contributions at 7 minutes or under. There will also be the fictions... independent press stall, selling zines and chapbooks of independently published new writing and literary criticism.Entry is free but donations are welcomed. The Victoria pub is a lovely old pub that sells lots of lovely real ale. They are happy to give you little 'tasters' (just like being at a fancy wine tasting, but with beer) if you can't make up your mind which to try.
Photos from the open mic & invited speakers at Fictions of Every Kind... Secret Lives, Hidden Identities in October 2011. Invited speakers at this events were Rachel Connor, launching her novel Sisterwives, and poet Zodwa Nyoni. The band were Pifco.
Secret parts of the self are sometimes concealed for convenience or convention... we lead double lives, fearing that the seedy sides of ourselves could mean ostracization by those around us, or disgust the ones we love. Showing the world things that are meant to stay hidden is a dangerous business...Guest speakers in October are:ZODWA NYONI Zimbabwean-born performance poet & playwright. Awarded BBC poet-in-residence (2006)RACHEL CONNOR Rachel’s writing journey probably began in Leeds, when she was briefly a reporter for Leeds Student. These days she writes fiction and radio drama. Sisterwives is published in October by Crocus Books. It’s a story about desire and duty, secrets and spiritual journeys and, frankly, she’s relieved to have finished it. Rachel lives in Hebden Bridge and works for the Arvon Foundation, where, every week, she witnesses writers on residential courses being inspired and transformed.Music this month is from poetry reading veterans PIFCO. Mangling punk rock through a filter of raggedly hummable tunes and lab jackets, PIFCO will rock your world with their wonky style. They can be pretty loud, so bring your earplugs. As ever, there'll be a writers' open mic; get down early to sign up. Please keep your contributions at around 6 minutes or under: stories, flash fiction, essays with literary merit, true stories with literary merit, and read poetry are all welcomed. There will also be a small stall of independent press magazines & fanzines at this event, comprising magazines of new writing, short story chapbooks, independently published literary discourse, and short story 'zines. There will be some good reading to be had there, bring a bit of extra money if you want something to take home with you! (A full catalogue of items is to follow). Entry is £3 and the event will run from 19.30 - 22.30.
Tuesday 20th September, 8.30, Hyde Park Picture House, LS6:
Empire of the Sun + Mr Bradley, Mr Martin, Hear Us Through the Whole In Thin Air
Big JG Ballard fans, us. We love him so much - so much - we named our night after one of his papers. One of the British speculative and literary heavyweights of the 20th Century, Ballard is mainly known as a writer of dystopian futures. The majority of his work concerns itself (and us) with the pressing issues of the modern day: war, ecological destruction, consumerism, and a disassociation of humans from the natural world. In collaboration with the Hyde Park Picture House, we're excited to present a showing of an adaptation of Ballard's breakthrough novel, Empire of the Sun. Often believed to be largely autobiographical, the novel is narrated by a growing boy spending his childhood in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during the second world war. The film, which stars Christian Bale in an early role, centres on the boy's struggle to retain his spirit amidst the horrors of war.
The film will be paired with the short film Mr Bradley, Mr Martin, Hear Us Through the Whole in Thin Air. The work of local film-maker Greig Johnson, this short film ses the words of William S Burroughs, combined with visuals from home movies and sci-fi visuals to create a celebration of Burroughs' work.
Over the past few weeks, several regulars from the Fictions... crew have been working on pieces for the theme 'Outside'. These were to be performed at the Beacons Festival in Skipton, which we've just heard has been sadly cancelled, due to site flooding. (And I'd only just bought my wellies, as well).
We can't stop the rain, but we have relocated our show in response. Fictions of Every Kind: Outside will now take place on Burley Model Allotments, LS4. It's easy to find: get the number 49, 49a, 50 or 50a bus to Burley, and get off outside the One Stop Shop. Walk down St Michael's Lane and turn right, down Stanmore Hill, when you reach the Yorkshire Post corner shop. Entry will be by the top gate on Stanmore Hill. The gate will be locked but one of us will be manning it to let guests in.
This event will be taking place on a kindly-lent allotment so we do ask that you be very respectful of the site when you arrive. Stick to the paths and don't go on any of the other allotments, and particularly don't pinch anybody's fruit or veg! (no matter how tasty it may look.)
Writers working to the theme will be:
Sam Francis a Leeds based academic and writer, Sam has been involved in the city's DIY scene for many years both as a musician and organiser, and was involved in setting up Fictions of Every Kind. His monograph on the works of JG Ballard will shortly be published by Continuum Books.
Nasser Hussain a lecturer in creative writing and a decidedly rhythmic and thoughtful poet, Nasser's work has appeared in various journals and anthologies since 2001.
Kathryn Glass & Catherine Stones regulars to the open mic since Fictions began in November 2010, Kathryn & Catherine perform short interweaving pieces that are imaginative and thought-provoking, and challenge the listener to see the world in new ways.
Sarah Bradley is the instigator and curator of Fictions of Every Kind, and has been active in the city's DIY scene for many years both as a musician and organiser. She has been published in various anthologies, and was most recently touted as a 'new voice' in Unpublished Books magazine.
Music will come from These Men, an all-male barbershop quintet who performed earlier on in the year at Fictions of Every Kind: Hungover & Underwhelmed, in January.
Our appointment book is bulging, readers. Life rarely stands still in the world of Fictions, and we are a set of busy little bees. As the saying goes, "They're worker bees, not shirker bees." We like to think this phrase can correctly be applied to us.
Here's a little run-down of what we have planned between now and the end of the year:
Fictions of Every Kind: Outside
Saturday 13th August, 3pm, Into The Woods Tent, Beacons Festival
Compered by Sarah Bradley, with spoken word sets from:
Sam Francis: a Leeds-based academic and writer, Sam has been involved in the city's DIY scene for years, both as an organiser and musician. He has been involved in organising Fictions of Every Kind since it began in November 2010, and his monograph on the life & work of JG Ballard is shortly to be published by Continuum Books.
Kathryn Glass & Catherine Stone, whose work challenges the listener to think about the world in new ways, will read a collaboration of interweaving pieces on the theme.
Nasser Hussein, a rhythmic but not hip-hop poet, and a firm Fictions... favourite, is a lecturer in literature and creative writing in Yorkshire. He has published his poems and short stories in a number of journals and anthologies since 2001.
Music at this event will be from These Men, who are an all-male barbershop harmony quintet. In a Beach-Boys style surf-accapella, they captivate audiences with their wit and playfulness. Delivering stories from the local press as mournful cautionary ballads, and re-readings of known songs in their own inimitable style, they blend vocal interplay with a deadpan performance to create a truly original act.
Fictions of Every Kind: Secret Lives, Hidden Identities
Tuesday October 18th, 7.30 pm, The Library Pub, Leeds, £3 entry
Spoken word sets from:
Zodwa Nyoni, Zimbabwean-born performance poet and playwright.Awarded Poet-in-Residence for BBC Radio Leeds (2006)
Rachel Connor: Rachel’s writing journey probably began in Leeds, when she was briefly a reporter for Leeds Student. These days she writes fiction and radio drama. Sisterwives is published in October by Crocus Books. It’s a story about desire and duty, secrets and spiritual journeys and, frankly, she’s relieved to have finished it. Rachel lives in Hebden Bridge and works for the Arvon Foundation, where, every week, she witnesses writers on residential courses being inspired and transformed.
Fictions of Every Kind: The Haunting
Monday December 5th, Wharf Chambers' Members Club*, Leeds, Entry £3
Fictions' first birthday party!
Spoken word sets from:
Matthew Bellwood a writer and storyteller based in Leeds. Over the last few years, he has worked everywhere from the Canadian Fringe to the International Shakespeare Conference in New Zealand. Along the way, he has performed in schools, libraries, theatres and pop-up museums, at DIY rock gigs and, on one memorable occasion, to an audience of 1,200 girl-guides in a tent... as a writer, he is particularly interested in the beauty of the everyday, the futility of silence, the arrogance of the shy and the endless possibilities that life offers us to change ourselves, our lives and the lives of those around us.
Claire Massey Claire's short stories, poems and articles have appeared online and in print in an assortment of places includingThe Best British Short Stories 2011, Patricide, Cabinet des Fées,Enchanted Conversation, Flax, The Adirondack Review and Brittle Star. She has read at events including the Lancaster Literature Festival, the Didsbury Arts Festival and the Manchester Independent Book Market, and was winner of the Manchester Oxfam Short Story Competition in 2010. She is co-editor of Paraxis and founding editor of New Fairy Tales.
Music will come from The Roman Empire, who do this rather marvellous version of The Ghostbusters theme tune:
& Writers' open mic from 7.30: contributions of flash fiction, fiction, read poetry, essays with literary connections, and true stories with literary merit, are all welcomed. Please keep your contributions at around 6-7 minutes or under.
& The Fictions of Every Kind independent press stall carrying fanzines and chapbooks of new writing and literary criticism.
*Wharf Chambers is where The Common Place used to be, on 25-27 Wharf Street, in the City Centre. Wharf Chambers CC is a members' club, so you either need to be a member or a guest of a member to attend. To become a member go to Wharfchambers.org or there are forms in the building you can fill in. Membership costs £1 and takes a minimum of 48 hours to take effect.
