Wednesday 25 December 2013

Happy seasonally effected!

Happy Christmas!

Holly

We have a special delivery from Santa for all you good people out there, a double helping of the seasonally effected podcast.This includes the two latest open mics, from November and December 2013.

I love the variety on offer, and wonder how much the words change according to the season we hear them. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Follow the link to the seasonal stories here...


Monday 9 December 2013

Playella - Jam Tomorrow


Can you tell a story through 12 lines of dialogue?

The Descent theatre think you can - they are showcasing playellas - 12 lines of dialogue each - on their blog

Credit: Gregoria Gregoriou Crowe fine art and creative photography.

 My piece - Jam Tomorrow - was published 8th December and can be found on their blog here http://descenttheatre.co.uk/2013/12/08/playella-jam-tomorrow-by-sm-jenkin/

 Let me know what you think....




Sunday 24 November 2013

City without a head - floating in the air

In the run-up to Christmas, are you feeling lost? Hassled? Do you feel like you are running about like a headless chicken?

The ME4Writers have the solution for you - you are no longer alone! Come and join us in the City without a head, floating on the airwaves. 

Yes indeed, the ME4Writers will be sailing by on Radio Sunlight on Monday, 25 November from 8.30pm. We shall share some of our work with the effervescent Fizzer. And you too, I hope!

What is the city without a head? It is our attempt to define, confuse, capture, expound, tangle, twist, label, and generally riff on life in cities. Entries range from story fragments, poems, faux-definitions, found writing to short stories. Will you enjoy it? Who can tell....

The only way to find out of course, is to join us at Fizzer's radio show - online here  or tune in at 106.6FM

Be seeing you.....?

[EDIT] You can listen to the show again on Fizzer's blog here. The ME4Writers kick in at 41 minutes into the show. Enjoy!

Wednesday 20 November 2013

17% - Bad Signal

So, the next piece I produced for 17% was called Bad Signal.

The theme for the month was International, and what triggered the story was the TV. The box opens up to different worlds, so that you don't even have to leave your sofa... so how many of us are trapped on the sofa letting life pass us by?

picture of a old fashioned TV set


It got me to thinking, how do we decide to fly? What stops us, if the world is more accessible than ever before. Does travel always broaden the mind - if you have decided your opinions before your journey do you have the capacity to let what you see change your mind?

And I dare anyone to make sense of the instructions that come with any new piece of equipment (ever), they are invented to make honest fools of us all... if life came with an instruction book, who would have written it, I wonder....

Bad Signal can be viewed on youtube here

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Playella - a play in 12 lines

There's an interesting opportunity coming up from Descent theatre. They are offering people the chance to write a play in 12 lines, or less, of dialogue.

Is this possible? There are some examples on the Descent Blog

My favourite so far is I'd Rather You Didn't by Emma Franieczek. It reflects a common enough experience, and it's good to see the story told.

What do you think - how much do you need to tell a story? Can a story really be this simple, without being oversimplified?

The next submissions window for shorts is 4-17 November, and their submission guidelines are available online here: http://descenttheatre.co.uk/get-involved/submission-guidelines/

Saturday 12 October 2013

Short play - At the Beginning

So, near the end of the first Rochester literature festival I feel the need to return to a beginning. I'm not too fond of endings, but that is a story for another time.So, let me share with you my first short play given by the 17% treatment. Appropriately enough it's called...

At the beginning

Did you see what I did there? :-) The process of the piece surprised me, as it started as one thing and ended up being about something else entirely. One of the characters wouldn't be contained, and it led me to ask how free are we to express what we want? How far do we tramp down on our own thoughts, hungers, to be seen as acceptable? Hunger is still a taboo subject for some, after all.

It was originally performed on 6th July 2012 as part of the Lounge on the farm festival, and again at the Horsebridge arts centre in Whitstable on 18 July 2012.

Cheers!

Shall we skip to the main course...?

Friday 4 October 2013

Phew!

What a relief.

I've seen my piece added to the other worlds, other voices exhibition being shown in Rochester. It's in keeping with the theme, and in context not nearly as flamboyant as I worried about.

Re-reading the piece, yes, the Irish is simple. But it states everything I need to say, and I don't need to say anything more. That will come later, with practice - for now, this is enough. I have little Irish, but what little I have I own. I can be patient enough to go through the baby steps, and I have faith that one day I will look back and wonder why I worried so much. Learning a language, like any skill including poetry, is an apprenticeship after all.

Which brings the question, why was I so worried? If someone judges the piece, they are only engaging with my thoughts, with my words, not me. Aren't they? Isn't that how it always works? (Well, no, not really. Not always)

How do you feel before you release a piece of art or poetry into the public realm? Are you happy? Excited? Worried? Is it only the work itself you worry about?Why such a barrier when letting a piece go public, after all? For some artists, of course, through bitter experience they find that they are the news not their art.

But sometimes, like for someone invisible like me, the thrill is in releasing something new. It's new to me. Artists are pioneers, after all. Even the baby steps - what new place did you visit this week?

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Other worlds, other voices - ach dhá dhomhain difriúil?

Disaster!

I wanted to write something about the feel of the languages, the world that Irish evokes. How the feeling... feels. And compare it to English. Because of I have learned anything (and sometimes it feels like I haven't) at all it's that the words describe two different worlds....

.... and the feelings I have cannot be described in the Irish I have. Yes, the words can be found but it's the life behind them, the idioms, the feeling that I cannot understand, never mind convey.

Despair
I am beginning to wonder at what I have written. But it's too late, I'm bringing it in tomorrow. I don't know.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

The Skywatcher - coming soon

Strange things have been happening in Rochester: Unexplained lights in the sky, bizarre disappearances, and what is that odd sound? The Bureau for Unexplained Crisis, Knowledge and Extraterrestrial-ism or ‘B.U.C.K.E.T.’ is set to investigate as part of the Other Worlds, Other Voices festival.

Join us for an afternoon of interactive story gaming, examining the unlikely side of Rochester. The game will be followed by a final performance at an undisclosed location. Can you discover what’s been happening? The truth is out there, somewhere…

We are raising funds for this investigation using an unusual site called indiegogo. It’s important we get the right tools to locate the alien disturbances (or at least to make them from semi convincing items we can lay our hands on!)


The Skywatcher is an interactive story game that will take place on Sunday, October 6th during the Rochester Literature Festival.  The starting point for the event will be the coFWD coworking space at 161 High Street, Rochester. Tickets are £6 and need to be booked in advance via the Eventbrite page here. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Keep your eyes on the skies and ask yourself, what do you believe?

Friday 13 September 2013

Medway is beautiful

                                     Have you ever heard of Darnet island?

It exists, and its part of the beautiful Medway estuary. It's full of history, a beautiful place and until this year, I hadn't even known it existed.If it weren't for the wonderful Creatabot, I'd be just as ignorant today.

Dave Wise and spent six weeks on the isle of beauty during the summer of 2012, living alone and exploring the island. Most of the legacy there is part of the industrial-military heritage of the area, but the island also housed a pub. And there are owls, and seals, edible plants and how did I not know it was there?

I wonder at my own ignorance, sometimes, about the place where I was born and have spent the majority of my life. How is it possible, that I don't know this place exists?

Habit, for the most part. Ignorance. It's s easy to take the place you live in for granted after all. And all it takes is a shift in perspective to see the beauty again - from a stranger. From someone who has been away. Not much...

Friday 6 September 2013

A tingle in my fingers ...: Rochester literature festival

A tingle in my fingers ...: Wordless Wednesday

I'm very excited about the programme of events coming up next month during the first ever Rochester literature festival.

Art exhibitions, poetrymon, plays, the heroes journey, poetry readings and work shops... and many more surprises to come.

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Women in music month - in Medway!

So, this month the wonderful people at pinup payback are running Medway's first women in music month.  I am massively excited about this - Medway has had an internationally recognised thriving music scene for quite some time, but has it always been a welcoming, incusive space? How easy is it to get a chance to have a go at the fun stuff?

This month, pinup payback are running a series of free workshops, film screenings and gigs to raise the profile of women’s contribution to Medway music and widen access for girls finding their path to self expression.

So, who are pinup payback? Find out here, here and here 
 

Friday 30 August 2013

RIP Seamus Heaney

But I've no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I'll dig with it.

"Digging" by Seamus Heaney. Hear (and see!) Seamus read it on youtube here

Seamus Heaney passed away. A sad loss to his family and to the people who admired his work.

I count myself as one of them - I've reading started to read his work, not expecting to find much to interest me. It surprised me, how the beauty of the poems touched me. That someone finds Ireland, the bogs of Ireland beautiful still feels like a strange thing. Why is this, I wonder?

Heaney's work is heavily rooted in the soil, especially his poems about the people found in the bog (Bog Queen springs to mind). But it wasn't just that, his poems examine his connection to, his love for his family. There's almost a guilt about not following in his fathers footsteps, but surely that's what we as human beings must do. Find our own way to own our traditions, sometimes that means stepping away from what our parents made us. Times change, and our lives need to change with them. but that doesn't mean we don't love our roots - does it?

And in honour of the man, please enjoy this reading of "the rain stick"
 

Botanic gardens

Sunday 18 August 2013

Baile an Fheirtéaraigh Iúil 2013

Sign saying Baile an Fheirtéaraigh
Welcome to the gaeltacht!
Image credit: SM Jenkin
So, I visited the Irish speaking area in Dingle last month. I attended the one week (post beginners) course run by Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne. It was a most interesting experience overall, as it dealt with more than the words, they were placed in context. Their audience is clearly international, so there was a series of cultural events. A céilí, a quiz, a baking class in Irish at the excellent museum, other visits too including one to the Blasket islands.

However, the teaching. The teacher was lovely, approachable, personable but ... there was more evidence of teaching than of learning. I appreciate that teaching a class of post beginners must be awkward, but the purpose of learning is to practise rather than to listen. It took several days before this was addressed and for me this tarnished the experience. Eventually we were able to practise some dialogue with the other students in the class, but it was a hard slog getting there and then it was time to leave.

This isn't the first time I have experienced this style of teaching either - do you think this may be contributing to the overall malaise about language learning? It's hard enough for adults to put aside the time (and money) to learn. What other barriers do you think contribute? After all, isn't it easier to listen to a CD and practice by yourself?

However, despite the problems I've mentioned I would recommended, as the course overall covered far more than the language, it was all about the context. And the sun shone on us all, so it wasn't all bad....

Tuesday 9 July 2013

The sun... is doing what?

The sun is shining....? Bull!
 
Tá an ghrian ag taitneamh


The sun is.... pleasuring. Or do I mean enjoy? Enjoying? Taitneamh certainly doesn't mean shining

I love translations, they're always so... flexible. What a strange way of phrasing it. Do I mean strange, or very forward? This is why I choose to learn Irish, it has a constant capacity to surprise me. Especially when I think, I should know this. Frequently I should, frequently I don't.

But there's more to a language than the words. Are you keeping count of how often I say that? ;-)

For those trying to practice their Irish, there's a fun weather game to try, you match the Irish phrase with the picture. It's online here It's part of a website called http://www.jcspraoi.com/, put together by two students. It's fun!

Monday 1 July 2013

Irish language weekend - arrrggghhh!!!

So, my first (and last?) Immersion in the Irish language, was the annual gathering of Colaiste na nGael (Irish college) at Aylesford priory
Some days you're the bear...
The tutors were excellent, but as expected the tutoring was all in Irish. For someone who is barely making headway into verbs (being able to translate "Dúirt póg mo thóin" into English or vice versa was one of my proudest moments) being confronted by teaching in Irish blew my mind. I was lucky if I got one in four words.

But this is the question, how do you expand your limits and understanding without stepping beyond them? And have I actually learned anything useful in my ignorance, or simply wasted my time surrounded by people whose language I don't speak yet....

How do you feel when you try something new... and how do you find the right balance when learning between exposure to the new and plain exposure?

Monday 10 June 2013

Ar an Luan - On the Monday



Today is Monday, so a little about how to say Monday in Irish

Ar an Luan - on the Monday

Dé Luan - the day of Monday


Oíche dé Luain / Oíche Luain - the night of Monday

Dé Luain comes from the Latin "luna" for Moon. So Dé Luain means  Moon Day


Monday 3 June 2013

Star Trek - into Darkness

Space, the final frontier...?

I'm aware that not everyone has seen the new Star Trek, so I'll keep spoilers to a minimum.

But after seeing the new film, I have to ask. Do you really think that the writers are capable of creating a new universe, and to make us care about them in 2 hours, and to deliver all the whizz bang pyrotechnics at the same time?

For me, the answer is no. It was a good enough popcorn movie, but neither it nor the characters in it were smart. Who was able to think their way out of a situation, instead of punching through? The unique thing about Trek, or was at the time the series were released, was that the characters outsmarted their opponents. There was the thrill of the new, new races, new situations. This film played it safe, and it bored me.

I knew exactly what was going to happen. It didn't help that I saw a massive spoiler about who the main antagonist was. But the one thing that really irked me was how retrograde the whole thing was. Yes, Uhura got more to do. As the "girlfriend". Yes, she ran around with a gun, for a bit. But ask yourself this - whose story were we being told?

Does Uhura's empowerment negate sexism in Star Trek? An interesting, if spoilerific article is available to read here Another article (again spoilers) asks where are the women? Star Trek the next generation and star trek deep space nine tackled this so well, I am disappointed that the NuTrek is taking such a retrograde step.

To wipe the taste out of your mouth, I recommend you try Screamlet's AU fanfic, exploring what would happen if Amanda Grayson survived the first film and not her husband. It's called An upbeat sort of dirge, and it has a good selection of characters.


Tuesday 28 May 2013

Peter Cushing - happy 100th Birthday!

I spent a splendid time in Whitstable making a dalek with my friends EMMa and Steve. We did it to celebrate Peter Cushing's 100th birthday.By all accounts, he was a talented and nice man.

Here are the fruits of our labours - enjoy!
Budget cuts at the BBC
Image credit: SM Jenkin

And if that isn't too much fun for you, how about a little a little ditty from the Jellybots?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deTGYinacYg The pub is the Old Neptune

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Drawing a straight line .... Failure. Who cares?

OK, overwhelmed by an excess of enthusiasm, red wine and sunshine I actually drew some stuff. Yes, it has taken me a whole blasted week of being here in Italy to work up the courage to break out my pencil. But what exactly was I waiting for? Permission?

So I found a nice little place, a shady spot in the Giardino di Boboli and I just did it. I had to do a few, because to be quite honest the first was childish, awful with no respect for perspective.

Image credit: Wallyir
But you know what? The sun was shining, and I was in Florence and I probably will never get back here again. And it felt so nice just generally draweing, and shading and looking. I felt like I really connected...

... and no one could see what I was drawing so they don't know how naive the style was (yes I am going with that rather than with could not be bothered to spend more than 10 minutes at a time doing stuff)

But you know what? I really enjoyed it. The question is .... why have I waited so long to do this, simply for fun? What are you not allowing yourself to do, simply because you will not allow yourself to be rubbish... naive.... a beginner....?
_________________________
image sourced from morguefile

Tuesday 7 May 2013

Sweeps Festival 2013 - 6 Bealtaine

Three brave Morris dancers and "Jack in the Green"
Image credit: SM Jenkin

Happy Beltane! The festival to mark the spring time leading into summer felt like a breath of fresh air this year. The winter has overstayed it's welcome, and I was beginning to think that the better weather was never going to come.

I love the sweeps festival, as it's a celebration of new life, dancing, good music and good beer. In the closing ceremony, it was mentioned that this festival has the largest grouping of morris sides in Europe (and therefore probably the world).

Back to Beltane - Bealtaine. Bealtaine is the irish word for May. To get the pronunciation right though, check out the guide on Forvo, it has a selection of dialects all spoken by native Irish speakers here

I hope the spring stays sunny and may the sun shine on you today and every day!

Monday 29 April 2013

Seasonally effected - 24 April

Dublin or Baile Atha Cliath?
I'm really quite excited, the podcast from this month's seasonally effected is already available to hear. Do you want to listen? There's an eclectic mix of poetry, history, sound experiments, animation and surreal fantasy. You can download it here

My piece explored the history around the 24th April, 1916. It's an important date in history for me, and for many Irish people as that is the date that Pádraig Pearse read out the declaration of the Irish republic on the steps of the General Post office in Dublin.The Easter rising ended 6 days later on 29th April 1916 - Pádraig Pearse had given the order to surrender.The aftermath was as bloody as the fighting.

I read out a couple of poems I had written about the Irish women who were present, the women who seem to have dropped off the face of the earth as far as a lot of historians are concerned (if you hear about anyone it's usually Constance Markievicz, the first women ever to be elected as a British M.P.) So just to spite them I wrote a poem. That'll show them!

So, the next Seasonally effected will be on 29th May 630pm-9pm. Will you be there?

Friday 26 April 2013

Should I go back? Back where?

Where's my pot of gold, then?
I haven't been back home back to Ireland since 1998. And here the difficulty begins. How long ago was it, really? I count back through the weddings I didn't attend. Was it really 1998, or am I remembering someone else's trip? It was my first (and only so far) visit to Galway, and I loved it. The more I think about it, the nice the place gets and was there really music around every street corner, or am I adding that retrospectively?

Do I call Ireland home, now? I used to, when I went back with my family. When are you going home to visit, my cousins asked? My mum easily said it, but I can't. Quite. Even thinking about how long it's been is strange, like a reconstruction. Am I remembering things that really happened or reimagining it? Is it all becoming a Robert Flaherty documentary in my head? I haven't quite got to remebering the time I went fishing for basking sharks, but give it time...

When I go back of course, things will be different. Buildings, families, even the road signs.

Ireland becomes Éire
Dublin becomes Baile Átha Cliath
County Galway becomes Contae na Gaillimhe

It will be a different country altogether. Or will it be me?

Sunday 21 April 2013

Seasonally Effected Open Mic

If I were to call Seasonally Effected an open mic, it wouldn't even begin to do the concept justice.

Hold on, Mike...

The Seasonally Effected evening is an open house of creativity. A place for people to share ideas in whatever form they'd like to: music, poetry, art, comedy, writing, history, film, photography...

Fancy giving it a go? As you can guess from the name, you can do anything you want so long as it's connected to "the time of year". This can be interpreted in any way you like. No two evenings will be the same. You can book 10 minute spots by emailing: seasonallyeffected@gmail.com

I am going to do something at the next gig, at the Dot Cafe in Rochester on Wednesday, 24th April. It starts at 6.30pm and runs until about 9. See you there.....?


Friday 19 April 2013

St Patrick day parade - first meeting



So, it's our first planning meeting for the proposed parade tomorrow. We'll be meeting up at the St. Mary's social club from 7pm.

There are a lot of ideas, and a lot of people interested but it's a question of 1) where we will be allowed to go - will it be accessible to everyone? 2) How many people will be prepared to help with the boring admin work? and 3) Who will turn up?

I'm massively excited though.... the first of its kind in Medway...

Wednesday 10 April 2013

oiche dé chéadaoin - Wednesday night

Wednesday night, where the fun starts - Oiche dé chéadaoin

dé chéadaoin, Wednesday
an chéadaoin, the Wednesday
Ar an gChéadaoin, on a Wednesday (gotta love those eclipses)

Céad-aoin is the first fast day of the week, in Irish tradition. Why the need for two fast days, was this entirely due to faith or more to do with the hard times people lived through?

So then we get onto pronunciation. Is it "Duh kay-dene" or "Jeh key-yahtheene"? or something else altogether...

OK......?

Friday 5 April 2013

Louis Brennan - inventor extraordinaire

Brass plaque showing one of Louis Brennan's inventions, Sapper's walk, Gillingham
Image credit: SM Jenkin
I wonder how many people who live in Gillingham know about Louis Brennan? He was a brilliant inventor who was born in Castlebar, and eventually moved to Gillingham (via Australia) to do his work.

His inventions included the dirigible torpedo, a monorail and a helicopter. Apparantly some of the money from his most famous invention paid for the alterpiece at St Mary's RC church in Ingram Road, Gillingham

I'll be investigating the information held at the Royal Engineers museum, maybe they'll have some information about his factory, that was apparantly near pier road.

Mayo libraries have an interesting  write-up about him here

Monday 25 March 2013

Tá sásta orm - Manchester Turf

Turf, fresh from the Manchester fields ;-)
Image credit: SM Jenkin
Tá sásta orm - I am happy (The happiness is on me if you want to be more literal about it)

I managed to get away to Manchester for their St Patrick's day parade last weekend. Their celebration was out of this world; a full two weeks of music, literature and culture culminating in a parade that stopped traffic in Manchester city central.

Many of the people up in Manchester originated in the wild west of Éire, county Maigh eo (Mayo to all you Sasanach out there!) are you enjoying the view of the lovely turf to the right there? Someone was selling it as incense at Albert square... there were many tractors on display that day

It got me thinking, how happy I was to be there. Proud about my Irish heritage yes, but also proud of my English heritage that could celebrate the Irish language and culture with us. I love how the happiness is "on" me, rather than me being the emotion. It's a recognition that the feeling won't be me, won't last forever. And on that thought..... slán!

Sunday 10 March 2013

International women's day

So in Medway had not one, but two events to celebrate International women's day. The first a talk with Scarlett Thomas, and the second involving a motivational speaker (Sam Hall from 17percent - a social enterprise that champions and encourages the work of female playwrights)

The theme this year was the gender agenda - maintaining momentum. My aim for the events was to give women a space to share our words and our stories, as the only way to move forward is to understand what is happening now, to record what happened to our mothers and grandmothers. Otherwise, those with an agenda will find it easier to lie to us, to our daughters.

More details are available here: www.internationalwomensday.com/medway


Sunday 3 March 2013

St Patricks day - parade

So, it looks like the St Mary's social club might be interested in our parade idea...

Image credit: slezer44 (morguefile.com)
There's a hidden story to the Irish in Medway. When I say hidden, I mean untold. So we're going to start celebrating it, big time, starting from next year.

Wanna be in our parade?

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Redemption convention 2013

One for the Blake's 7 fans
Image credit: SM Jenkin
 So, it's been and gone in a blur of costumes, conversations and chaos. What am I talking about? The Redemption convention, of course!

This is one of the things I love most about fandom, the ability to meet up and have fun. Oh yeah, I could wax lyrical about how clever we all are, writing critiques of varius sci-fi ideas and shows; the science talks; the clever costuming. I could brag about how inclusive the event is, family friendly and open to all lifestyles.

But ya know what? I went to a few parties, played air guitar and took my bribe for Servalan to win ruler of the universe as well.

You want to get involved? Volunteer. Oh, and the convention raised £800 each for Asthma UK, the PDSA and the Woodland Trust.

Sunday 17 February 2013

The year of the snake

Celebrating the year of the Snake. Chatham High Street 17/2/13
Image credit: SM Jenkin
Happy new year!
So we are now entering the year of the snake, quite an interesting animal for a writer to relate to. There are so many myths and legends attached to this particular animal.

The second thing I think about is the myth of Saint Patrick, and his expulsion of all the snakes from Ireland (can you guess what my first reaction/ thought is? Exactly).

What I find it interesting is the story, did Patrick really get rid of all the snakes in Ireland? Or was he, as so many storyteller friends of mine assert, talking about the druids in the area?

When it comes to stories, myths and legends they always have strings attached. Whose translation do we use today? Whose ideas are weaved into a "plain story"? What's the real message here? This is something that angers me, when I am told that I'm "reading too much" into a story, all stories have assumptions. What is wrong with questioning them? Questioning and challenging, re-telling stories are the only way they stay interesting, the only way they speak to us.

Hence, the year of the snake. One thing I can admire is their ability to shed their skin, to let loose the constricting skin of last year. Do we want to start that now? What stories do you want to tell, in your own way?

Monday 4 February 2013

Poem - Bridget's kiss

Mists and rain anoint
bare branches; Bridget's kiss sets
loose the ice-bound heart

Sunday 27 January 2013

Literary festivals

I haven't been to a literary festival, but apparently they're taking over from music festivals as the go-to event. Or so Maggie Womersley says in her blog here

I'd love to go to one, but I'm not so sure I'd find it all that thrilling. What do people get from going to these things? Now conventions, I understand. I understand the thrill of meeting other people who enjoy the things you do. But it's the variety of responses that excites me, the people who are into cosplay, into the collecting, into fanfiction, into talking about the ideas. The gamers, the crafters, the dreamers and the party-goers.

Will I have all that at a literary festival? After some of the conventions I've been to (and some of them have been truly spectacular) wont they just be a let-down? I'm thinking particularly of the Redemption convention, run by and for volunteers. The whole range of events from book launches (yes, those too), to morris dancing, lectures about science, debates and the good old Blake's 7 drinking game

We're engaged with the process, not lectured or sold to. We have a real stake in what goes on. How many literary festivals can say that?

Friday 18 January 2013

Irish language - choosing words

Language is not a thing that comes easy to me. The specifics, I mean. I grasp for words sometimes, and the correct one to use. I can sense what the word feels like, maybe what it sounds like, but the exact word escapes me

This makes it difficult when trying to find the right Irish word for things. It's not just the words that have changed, but the order and meaning too.Take hunger, for example. If I want to eat some food, in English I'll say: I am hungry.

In Irish I would say, tá ocras orm. Is it the same thing? It means "the hunger is on me". So there are two different ways of experiencing the hunger, but two different ways of experiencing it.

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Hello coFWD

Hello!

And welcome to my first blog post. I am sitting at 161 High Street Rochester, in the exciting CoFWD workspace in Rochester. Can you guess what I'm doing here? I'm learning how to blog.

This is the customary "how to blog" learning post. It's all uphill from here! Or do I mean, upwards? Upstream?