the writer is a lonely hunter

writing by Gail Aldwin and other authors

Jan 28

Holocaust Memorial Day 2018, Dorchester

by gailaldwin
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artefacts on display

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books on display

There was a very successful Holocaust Memorial Day event on Friday 26 January 2018 at the Corn Exchange hosted by the South West Dorset Multicultural Network. The event was supported by schools and community members on the theme of The Power of Words. Other opportunities to mark Holocaust Memorial Day  in Dorchester include a poetry workshop on Wednesday 31 January 2018 at Dorchester Library. You are invited by library staff to read, write and share poetry from 10:30 to noon. You can also see artefacts in a special display at Dorset County Museum which record events from the life of Harry Grenville who joined Kinderstransport to find refuge in the West Country. Read more about Harry here, in an interview I conducted for this blog.

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Jan 27

Fine dining in Dorchester at Sienna

by gailaldwin

When our daughter returned home from university, she worked as restaurant manager at Sienna. Although she is now employed elsewhere, we continue to treat ourselves to a meal there on special occasions. However, with the new choice of reasonably priced tasting menus we may very well go more often. The restaurant has been spruced up with new, modern decor and Chef Marcus Wilcox creates wonderfully diverse dishes which use West Country produce.

Click on the photo to find out what we ate last night!

Amuse-bouche with amazing crispy chicken skin
Beef Cheek: Malt – Parsley – Apple
Salmon: Cucumber – Hazelnut – Sultana
Duck: Carrot – Orange – Fennel
White Chocolate: Cream Cheese – Lemon – Pumpkin
Vale of Camelot Blue – Roasted Pear

Sienna is well worth visiting. Tasting menus are available evenings, Tuesday to Saturday and lunchtimes, Wednesday to Saturday.

 

 

Dorset

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Jan 15

Max Gate, Thomas Hardy’s home

by gailaldwin

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Thomas Hardy designed and lived in Max Gate, situated on the outskirts of Dorchester, from 1885 until his death in 1928. When we first moved to the county town, the house was occupied by tenants and you could only access two of the ground floor rooms. Over time, the National Trust have opened more of the rooms including the attic rooms where Emma, Hardy’s first wife withdrew to.

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Emma’s boudoir in the attic at Max Gate

Emma started to use the rooms as a daytime retreat, but by 1899 she decided to move her bedroom up there, too. She described her space as a ‘sweet refuge and solace’. It’s strange to think of Hardy working at this desk directly beneath Emma’s rooms.

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Thomas Hardy’s first floor study

In his study at the house, Hardy wrote Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge and much of his poetry.

Very little of the furniture in the house belonged to Hardy because his second wife, Florence, sold everything upon his death. Therefore, the contents of each room is there to recreate the atmosphere that might have existed. As such, this is one of the few National Trust properties I’ve been to where visitors are encouraged to take a seat and enjoy the warmth of the fire in the lounge.

Use of the toilet, however, is not allowed (although there are loos for public use).

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Max Gate is well worth visiting for anyone staying in or passing through Dorchester.

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Jan 10

Never Give Up

by gailaldwin

 

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Cover Image for ‘Paisley Shirt’ photo credit: menswear market

I’ve read lots of post about How I Got Published and although I know how deeply maddening it can be to hear about another’s success, I feel obliged after all the pitfalls to share my experience with you.

I have four novels sitting in a drawer, two of which are completely unpublishable while the others may see the light of day when I get around to re-writing. I have been on my writing journey for eight years: writing regularly, attending writing festivals, having one-to-ones, keeping the feelers out, updating my blog and becoming a whizz on social media. I must have entered hundreds of competitions, and enjoyed a couple of notable wins (my name was listed in Elle magazine once). I briefly enjoyed representation but that was until my agent took maternity leave and decided not to return to work.

One of the upsides of enduring so much failure is that I resorted to seeking professional help by joining a writing course that led to a qualification. After four years of part time study I am now on the verge of changing my title to Doctor and I am looking forward to graduating in the summer! This has also enabled me to seek employment with a university where I will work with students of creative writing.

The novel written as part of my studies is still seeking a home, but in the meantime, I have signed a contract with a small independent publisher to have a collection of my flash fiction published. Paisley Shirt contains 27 stories with characters and situations to offer a range of perspectives on what it is like to live in our world.

It is wonderful to have a publisher who believes in my work and a thrill to think I will have a published book at last. It won’t bring me riches, but it is acknowledgement of the progress I’ve made. The mantra remains: never give up.

 

 

 

 

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Dec 31

Triumphs and Challenges of 2017

by gailaldwin

Click on the pictures to find out what I’ve been up to!

co-written play performed in Brighton
with my very tall family in Vienna
Salisbury half completed
writing published
group meeting with Amal Al-Agroobi
Edinburgh book fest
digital stories course at Bournemouth
residency at Brisons Veor
PhD submission and viva pass
acquiring (and losing) literary representation for The String Games
flash fiction collection accepted for publication

 

 

 

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Dec 25

Park Run: great way to start Christmas Day

by gailaldwin

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Although we weren’t wearing Santa suits, David and I completed parkrun in Weymouth on Christmas morning. This was a splendid way to start the day: up before our guest and back home before all but two had risen. The Weymouth 5km route is mainly flat and today I completed the course in 31:20 (although this is a whole minute slower than my personal best)! Parkrun has been an absolute revelation to me. I never thought I would enjoy running but now I’m completely hooked and I love getting up on Saturday mornings to celebrate the weekend with a run.

Even away from home, I’ve managed to complete parkruns in Edinburgh, Cambridge, Nonsuch Park, Richmond Park and Lanhydrock in Cornwall. If you’ve never thought about running before, do consider giving parkrun a go. Each parkrun is organised on a weekly basis, free of charge. The 5km runs are open to everyone and are safe and easy to join. Events take place in pleasant parkland from recreational grounds to historic surroundings in National Trust properties.

The next run is on Saturday 30 December so don’t miss out!

Dorset

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Dec 21

Good things come in threes, too!

by gailaldwin

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I’ve had three anthologies drop through my letterbox this week. It’s always a thrill to see my creative writing appear in print and this time I have two pieces of short fiction and one poem to celebrate.

Flash Fiction Festival One is an anthology of stories inspired by input at the first Flash Fiction Festival held in Bath during the summer 2017. Thank you to Jude Higgins as the director of this wonderful event and her team who have brought together flash fiction stories written by workshop presenters and participants. My story “Where There’s a Rick” draws upon a clash of events and memories and is told in just over 200 words.

Glit-er-ary is the annual anthology published by Bridge House. It is a glittery collection of glit-er-ary tales that will add some sparkle to your reading. My story titled “Brighter Than Jewels” is set in Australia and draws upon the relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter.

Under is a collection of poetry published by Miriam Dokotliver and David Ross Linklater. Within the enigmatic cover are poems in a range of forms and styles which make for great reading.

So, good things come in threes, too!

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Dec 14

Brisons Veor, a writing residency

by gailaldwin

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I am enjoying the last couple of days of a two-week writing residency at the wonderful Brisons Veor, in St Just in Cornwall. This is made possible by the trust which accepts applications from anyone working in the arts to enjoy a period of respite from the distractions of daily life to focus on creative projects. The house is part of the brick building beyond the white houses. Constructed as a boiler house for the Cape Cornwall Tin Mine, it was converted by an architect in 1978 and purchased by Tracy O’Kates, the benefactor of Brisons Veor. It is believed to be the westernmost dwelling on the English mainland. You can also see the 138 year-old chimney stack of the mine which forms the highest point of the Cape.

Brisons Veor is situated at a point where Atlantic currents divide, moving south to the English Channel and north to the Irish Sea. In 1987 the Cape was purchased for the nation by Heinz, and given into the care of the National Trust. This unique location provides a rich environment for ideas and creativity to flourish.

 

It has been a wonderful fortnight of solitude, isolation and the elements. The wind is fabulous: it turns the sea into a rucked white apron that spreads over the blue. When the sun is out, warmth floods through an open doorway into the first floor workshop. The sound of the Ocean sucking, clawing and whooshing is a constant accompaniment. Inside at night when the wind blasts the walls, Brisons Veor embraces the occupant, safe and warm.

What a privilege to spend time at Brisons Veor, such a remarkable location. During the fortnight I have written poetry and started my next novel, this time using a six-year-old boy as the narrator of ‘That’s What I Know’.

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Dec 5

Writers & Artists conference in Dorset

by gailaldwin

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Writers & Artists have teamed up with Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) to bring a How To Get Published conference to Dorset on 28 April 2018. The aim of the day is to provide tips and practicalities for getting to grips with writing.

The conference will take place at AUB where there is plenty of free parking.  The day will include: a writing workshop of your choice with Natasha Pulley for fiction, Nelle Andrews for non-fiction and Kayo Chingonyi for poetry; panel discussion with leading editors and publishing experts and the chance to hear from leading literary agents Emma Paterson and Therese Coen who are always on the lookout for debut authors to add to their lists. The programme provides information and advice about the writing and publishing process to help progress your book.

For all local writers there is an exclusive discount code to save £30 upon booking, and secure a ticket for just £65 (RRP £95) with lunch included. Simply enter AUBWRITE18 at the checkout to unlock your saving. You can find full details of the conference and booking information here.

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Nov 30

Gliterary: a glittery collection of tales

by gailaldwin

 

Here is a video to promote the newly published anthology Gliterary. This is a glittery collection of glit-er-ary tales that will add sparkle to your life. It includes a story by me titled “Brighter than Jewels”. You can purchase a copy here or if you would like to receive a mobi-file or pdf to enable you to review the anthology on Goodreads or Amazon, please let me know by making contact here.

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