The Old Events Buzz...

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for lack of posting lately - busy lately on a number of fronts, but determined to make up for it with a jam-packed post today.

We're approaching a busy run of events, with plenty going on for both Alt.Fiction and my own devices between now and the end of June and indeed on into July. Personally we've got an author event with Adam Creed taking place in Derby on the 25th May, and with three weeks to go things are taking shape nicely. On top of that I've got a busy teaching schedule, which has really been one of the unexpected bonuses of going freelance. So far I've been teaching at QUAD (a venue I have enthused about many times before) and this year will eventually see me taking 8 separate courses, including four of my current From idea to Publication run, 2 of the new First Steps as an Author and a third course that I can't divulge just yet. I've been thoroughly enjoying that side of things so far, and hopefully will have the opportunity to take those courses elsewhere based on their success in Derby.

Alt.Fiction will be busying up nicely too, with next week seeing the first events of our Summer Series at Lincoln Book Festival. It's been great working with Sharon and everyone else involved, and their seems to be a fantastic energy and framework about the whole festival. The media in Lincoln are well behind it, and there are some absolutely great authors taking apart. Makes me nostalgic for Derby's Festival of Words, for those with reasonably long memories...

Our first event will be The World of Comics, which I'll be chairing with a two-person panel of publisher Terry Martin and artist Neil Roberts. I'll be staying in Lincoln overnight ready for the next day, when Trudi Canavan will be visiting the city. I' really excited about that one, as it'll be Alt.Fiction's first overseas author. Trudi has quickly built a reputation as a huge name in the field, and I'm sure this'll be a great event. Finally we're involved in the Children's Fest on the 14th May, with authors Alex Bell and Cathy Brett. Alex has attended Alt.Fiction before, and Cathy has just been selected for the Richard and Judy Children's Book Club, so looking forward to that one too.

The weekend following will see the Spring Writing Weekend, which has a very limited time available to book your residential space. We'll also be selling day rates right up to the event, so whether you'd like to join us for the whole event or just swing by for a day it should be excellent. Simon Clark and Tony Ballantyne are both great writers who both run strong workshops, and I'm really pleased with the range of activities over the weekend as well.

Into June, I'm again really chuffed to be hosting Iain M Banks at Leicester Phoenix - Iain was at Alt.Fiction back in 2007 and was a fantastic closing slot, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in action again. And who of course could forget the pinnacle of it all, Alt.Fiction 2011, at Derby's very own QUAD arts venue. It's our first weekend, which will be a big (and exciting) change to proceedings, and the author line-up is really strong as well. If you're serious about you writing and reading in the field, I'd say Alt.Fiction is definitely an event you should attend.

So you can expect lots of updates, reports, news and tidbits to follow over the next month or two as things take place. Should be a great time to be involved, although I might need the whole of July off (I wish...)

All the event details are up at http://altfiction.co.uk/theprogramme, or of course just email me at bfsalex@hotmail.co.uk for more info.

Cheers!

Alex

Schedule for Alt.Fiction Spring Writing Weekend

Hi Guys,

Here's the latest news on the Alt.Fiction Spring Writing Weekend, which takes place this May. We've just managed to confirm the schedule, which looks really exciting and is crammed with feedback time, workshops and talks that will be hugely useful to everyone attending.

So here it is - if you haven't booked your place yet, tickets are just £180 including all food and accomodation and can be booked at http://altfiction.co.uk/the-programme

Cheers

Alex

Alt.Fiction Spring Writing Weekend – schedule
All events in the Chatsworth Room unless otherwise stated

Friday 20th May

4pm onwards Arrival time
7pm-9pm Dinner (Legacy Chesterfield Hotel restaurant)
Saturday 21st May

8am-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-10:00am Opening session – writing aims and ambitions
10:00am-10:45am Opening talk by Alex Davis – Literary Agents
10:45am-11am Break
11am-12pm Discussion session – plotting and planning
12pm-12:15pm Break
12:15pm-1pm Feedback session – bring some work with you
1pm-2pm Lunch
2pm-3pm Workshop with guest author Tony Ballantyne
3pm-3:15pm Break
3:15pm-4:15pm Interview/Q+A with guest author Tony Ballantyne
4:15pm-4:30pm Break
4:30pm-5:00pm Day one summary and plenary
5:00pm-7pm Free time (including free writing time in Chatsworth Room)
7:00pm-9:00pm Dinner (Legacy Chesterfield Hotel restaurant)

Sunday 22nd May
8am-9:30am Breakfast
9:30am-10:30am Inside Publishing talk and Q+A with Alex Davis
10:30am-10:45am Break
10:45am-11:30am Feedback session 2 – bring some work with you
11:30am-12:00pm Discussion session – the genre book market 1
2pm-12:15pm Break 12:15pm-1pm Workshop with guest author Simon Clark
1pm-2pm Lunch
2pm-3pm Interview/Q+A with guest author Simon Clark
3pm-3:15pm Break
3:15pm-4pm Feedback session 3 – bring some work with you
4pm-4:30pm Day two summary and plenary

Events are go...

Hi Guys, A week or so since I last posted, which I can only put down to being busy both with social stuff and decorating, although I have to admit I didn't get my hands all that dirty... :-) But things are picking up very nicely under the banner of Alt.Fiction - obviously we're not all that far away from our Spring Writing Weekend, with some places still available for that. The schedule of events will be going live soon, and I think everyone will be really impressed when they see the level and quality of activity going on. Then of course we've been lucky enough to make two big announcements since then, first and foremost all the details of our flagship Alt.Fiction 2011 event, taking place on 25th and 26th June. Our Guests of Honour for this year are huge SF author Alastair Reynolds and top comic book writer and novelist Dan Abnett, who will both be joined by a stellar cast of authors throughout the weekend. I'm so excited about the expansion to two days and all that can offer, so it should be a fantastic year. But wait, there's more... as we've also been able to snag an event with the legendary Iain M Banks at Leicester's Phoenix Square on the 3rd June. Anyone who has seen Iain before will tell you how entertaining a speaker he is, and he was a real star turn at Alt.Fiction back in 2007. I'd love to say more, because that's far from all we have in the pipeline, but some things are still cranking their way through ths system before becoming official. But rest assured we won't be taking too much time off after the June weekend, and we'll be back in full swing throughout September and October. That's all for now... signing off for lunch! Thanks a lot Alex

Busy busy...

Afternoon all,

Just a quick stop in for the weekend - things have been pretty busy, so apologies for lack of a recent posting!

I am pleased to say, however, that we now have all the details for Alt.Fiction 2011 - it's great to be back for a fifth year, and our Guests of Honour for this year are Alastair Reynolds and Dan Abnett, who form part of a fantastic line-up of speakers.

All the details are below anyway - hopefully will see many of you there!

Cheers

Alex




Alt.Fiction 20112
5th-26th June, at QUAD, Derby

Saturday 25th June, 10.00am - Midnight
Sunday 26th June, 10.00am - 5.00pm

Weekend pass £45
Saturday pass £30
Sunday pass £20

Alt.Fiction marks its fifth year with a fantastic weekend for readers and writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Bringing together some of the UK's leading talent in the genre, Alt.Fiction presents a full programme of readings, panels, workshops, podcasts and much more over two days, giving you the chance to hear from your favourite authors, find out more about the world of publishing and learn more about the writing process.

Alt.Fiction is a weekend not to be missed for book lovers and budding writers.

This year's Guests of Honour are bestselling science fiction author Alastair Reynolds and acclaimed comic book writer and novelist Dan Abnett. They will joined by speakers Tony Ballantyne, Cathy Brett, Keith Brooke, Mark Chadbourn, Peter Crowther, Stephen Deas, Paul Finch, John Jarrold, Juliet McKenna, Mark Morris, Graham McNeill, Adam Nevill, Mark Charan Newton, Sarah Pinborough, Robert Shearman, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Ian Whates, Conrad Williams, Chris Wooding and many more.

Tickets from either http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/altfiction or from QUAD Box Office on 01332
290606

Alt.Fiction is a trading name of Writing East Midlands - for more information visit www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk

Incoming...

Hi Everyone,

More events coming up on the horizon, which is something I love being able to say! I can give the full details of a crime event upcoming in Derby, as well as passing you on a date for the return of an old favourite event in the city.

So first of all, we've got crime author Adam Creed joining us at Sadlergate's Bar Lisi for an evening reading and Q+A session. I always try and have a nice realxed atmosphere at events, and Bar Lisi is absolutely perfect for that. Here's the full story anyway...


ADAM CREED - Author Event
Wednesday 25th May
7pm, Bar Lisi, Sadlergate, Derby
Tickets £3

Join us for a reading and Q+A with crime writer and creative writing tutor Adam Creed. Adam is the author of the D.I Staffe novels, starting with Suffer the Children and Willing Flesh. His latest title, Pain of Death, is released in April 2011.

A great informal evening in a comfortable setting with a rising star of the crime scene, and a valuable chance to find out more about writing and the life of an author.

To book your place, call Alex on 07896 228367 or email at alexdavisevents@hotmail.co.uk

I'm also very pleased to give you a heads-up the Eat Your Words will be returning to Derby - the night combines author readings and Q+A with a fantastic three-course meal, and the evening is always a great experience. I can only give you a date for the diary for now -15th June - but plenty more details to follow.

That's all for today - see you next week.

Thanks a lot

Alex

Mighty busy...

Afternoon all,

Friday afternoon and I've finally gotten around to putting together a blog. Things have been seriously busy, both on the Alt.Fiction front as well as on my own work, so pretty excited about what looks like a packed summer.

On the personal work front, I'll be running four creative writing courses here in Derby (yes, that's four) after the great success of the first and second courses at QUAD, which have both booked out. I've also booked in for a follow-up course, which is something I'm really looking forward to. I'm also pretty pleased to be running an event with local crime author Adam Creed at Sadlergate's Bar Lisi (full details to follow) and resurrect Eat Your Words, a food and reading evening I used to run several years ago. Again, more details to follow... what an awful tease I am.

The summer for Alt.Fiction is absolutely jam packed, including the main thing I wanted to mention today - our Spring Writing Weekend. These writing weekends are a hugely valuable experience for writers, and for me have really helped me forge a lot of long-term friendships to boot. We're running at the Legacy Chesterfield Hotel, which is a stone's throw from the train station and have two fantastic guests in the shape of horror supremo Simon Clark and SF star and workshopper extraordinaire Tony Ballantyne. So if you're interested in writing in the field, this is the best chance you'll get at a weekend made just for you.

Full details all below anyway, and next week will be even more announcements on AF events for May, June and July.

Cheers!

Alex


Spring Writing Weekend, 20th-22nd May

Guest Speakers:
Simon Clark – acclaimed horror novelist and author of The Night of the Triffids
Tony Ballantyne – science fiction writer of the Recursion Trilogy and the Penrose Series

Venue: Legacy Chesterfield Hotel, Malkin Street, Chesterfield, S41 7UA
With a convenient location next to Chesterfield rail station and a wide range of leisure facilities, the Legacy Chesterfield Hotel is a great place to work and relax.

www.legacy-hotels.co.uk/legacy-chesterfield/

The Spring Writing Weekend costs just £180, including two nights’ shared accommodation, all meals and hot drinks, plus a full programme of writing activities throughout Saturday and Sunday featuring two guest authors.

To book your place, or for any enquiries, email alt.fiction@writingeastmidlands.co.uk
or call Alex on 07896 228367

A £90 deposit is required to confirm your place, with a further £90 to be paid at least one week
before the event. Deposits are non-refundable except in case of event cancellation. No refunds will be given in case of any changes to guest authors, or in the event of participants being unable to attend for any reason. Please note, the deadline for booking your place is 13 May 2011.

Alt.Fiction is a trading name of Writing East Midlands

The joy of film

Afternoon all,

Back for another blog on another topic that has been rattling around my brain of late, namely that of films. I've done a lot of programming in literature down the years, and it's a field I absolutely love. Hearing a really interesting discussion or a fantastic reading is always great, and I've been lucky enough to be there for some great ones.

But of course literature isn't my only interest, not by any means, and film is something I've always been really keen on. I may not have the broadest of taste, or be of any use at the monthly film quiz, but I'm a fan of genre films and cult films and foreign cinema, so I have my little patch anyway. But what I've been wanting to do for a while now - and have only seriously been looking at this week - is how you go about sourcing films for screenings. I've been able to get advice from a lot of people with an involvement in film, which has been a huge help. And to be honest, even since Wednesday when I first started making tentative phone calls, I've learned a lot about the process.

And boy, is it a tricky one.

Well, it is and it isn't. There's no intrinsic reason for it to be difficult - call the rights holder, tell them what you want to do, pay them a fee and then boom, you're ready to screen. The process in itself is simple, but what was particularly interesting to me, as an absolute novice, was how different it was trying to get hold of certain rights when compared to others. I'm not going to sit here and name studios or films, but some things were perfectly easy to get a hold of. Some you could even just play your own DVD without having to bring in a 35ml print or source anything from the distributor. Then other times it could be a long, exhaustive process involving shipping prints from the US or elsewhere overseas. Then there are differences in some cases for the size of the audience, the size of the screen, whether the audience is paying...

So while you have certain principles in general, there are a lot of differences in each individual case. Which made me realise just how tough a job the guys at cinemas, and particularly independent cinemas, have to do. They have to weigh up not only whether they can get the rights, and then cross the proverbial minefield that ensure, but whether what they pay for the rights will recoup itself at the box office. Sure, it's cheaper to bring in an old classic than it is something brand new on release, but then do people want to see it when they can just pick it up on DVD, in many cases for less than the price of a cinema ticket? Then if you're splashing out for a new film, is it going to draw enough audience and be popular enough to justify its outlay? I remember being thoroughly annoyed when I couldn't find a local cinema showing Pandorum when that was released, but having seen it since I can better understand why it would perhaps have been a risk - it's hardly safe ground like an action film or a romcom after all.

As I noted a few days ago, the process behind things has always interested me, and it's been a buzz to have the chance to explore this new process. Hopefully the fruits of all these phone calls and emails will be seen soon enough, and I'll be able to expand my programming horizons a bit into this new area. As I've always said, it never hurts to have another string to your bow (says the event organiser/tutor/proofer/copyeditor/writer...)

So that's been the joy of film for me this week. Be sure to stop by next week, as I should be able to announce some very exciting gigs for the first time...

Cheers!

Alex