Writers Forum #99 January 2010

HEADLINES
DREAM COMES TRUE FOR OXFORD STORY MUSEUM PROJECT
A
new story museum is team behind the project now
planned for Oxford after hope to raise £11m to transform
an anonymous donation of £2.5 the site in time for Oxford’s bid
million from a ‘fairy godmother’. to become Unesco’s World Book
Launched in 2003, the Oxford Capital in 2014.
Story Museum is an ambitious Director Kim Pickin said:
project to encourage reading and ‘Dreams do come true: we are
storytelling, with patrons includ- absolutely delighted to have a
ing Phillip Pullman, Jacqueline real home at last. The site has its
Wilson and Michael Morpurgo. roots in the Victorian era when
But so far the museum has Oxford became the focus of a
existed only online. golden era in children’s literature.
Now the museum will get a Lewis Carroll himself would have
real home in a former postal known the building.’
sorting ofﬁ ce – a stone’s throw Phillip Pullman said: ‘The Story
away from Christ Church and Museum will be a wonderful gift
its famous links with Alice in from Oxford, where so many sto-
Wonderland and Harry Potter. The ries have begun.’
Kickstart the comps in 2010
CHANCES FOR CHOCOHOLICS
T
he New Year is upon us so ‘The theme is “‘Lost Love” and
ties in with that moment of nostal- L
ook out for WF regular Sue chocolate identity, but it would be
kickstart 2010 by entering Moorcroft’s new novel, Starting a Mars Bar. She does sometimes
your ﬁ rst competition – and keep- gia we all feel at the end of the old Over, published by Choc Lit (www. seem to be on another planet!’
ing up the momentum as the year year and the beginning of the new. choc-lit.co.uk), whose unusual Sue’s next novel, All That
progresses. Every experience holds the seed slogan is: ‘Where heroes are like Mullarkey, is scheduled for publica-
The seventh Write Space com- of a story and it’s up to you to chocolate – irresistible!’ tion with Choc Lit later. For news,
petition closes on 31 January 2010 craft it into an entertaining, touch- Sue says: ‘Choc Lit asks authors visit www.suemoorcroft.com
– just enough time to get down to ing and readable piece of work.’ to liken their heroes to chocolate.
writing and submitting an entry Entry is £5 with an optional cri- Starting Over’s Miles Rattenbury
following the Christmas festivities. tique costing a further £5. (Ratty) is a Lion Bar – a bit spiky,
The competition will be judged For more information visit multi-layered and can snarl when
by Writers’ Forum columnists Vanda www.writespace.co.uk or email he needs to. Nobody has asked
Inman and Linda Lewis. Vanda says: vanda@writespace.co.uk me to give Tess, the heroine, a
A book for crime authors to savour
H
ere’s a tasty little book for tried to kill his
crime writers. In Poison and wife by poison-
Poisoning: A Compendium of Cases, ing her gin and
Catastrophes and Crimes, retired blaming it on
pharmacist Celia Kellett explains Safeway’s tonic.
how all the different poisons work, Crime author
with gory details of how, by acci- Katherine John
dent or design, they have led to says: ‘This is an
the demise of so many people. excellent, read-
Did you know, for example, that able and fully
Napoleon died after being poi- comprehensive guide – what every
Hugh Scott is a
soned by his wallpaper? Or that crime writer needs to know.’
ODD SPOT BY HUGH SCOTT
the Green Mamba’s venom can kill
within 30 minutes? • To order your copy of Poison and
The book contains an A-Z of Poisoning at the special 25 per cent
Whitbread-winning author
poisons and catalogues classic discount price of £7.49 (plus £1.95
poisoners from history, includ- p&p) call 01443 710930 and
ing Dr Crippen and the case of a quote code WF25. Or order online at
Scottish chemistry lecturer who www.accentpress.co.uk
£10 workshops in the Wirral
. He wr
ites and illustr
Writing coach Lizzie Gates is running a series of work-
shops starting in January at The Conservatory in
Heswall, Wirral. A course of ten Short Story workshops
ates f
will run on Thursday evenings from 21 January and ten
workshops designed to help you write the perfect book
or
The P
proposal will run on Wednesday afternoons from 20
January. The cost is £10 per two-hour workshop and
ar
k Free Press
places are limited to 10 per session. Call 0151 342 3877
or email elizabeth@lonelyfurrowcompany.com Derek felt that his reaction on discovering that a comma
had been inserted into his MS was fully justiﬁ ed.
Writers
’
FORUM #99 5
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