The reading and talk from Blake Morrison was delightful. It was a great experience to see such a well-respected author and hear his advice on writing.
He started with a reading from his novel Last Weekend. The humour had the audience laughing along but Blake explained how he also wanted to create a sense of claustrophobia - an almost gothic feel mixed with male rivalry. Mentioning it was set in East Anglia made me feel childishly happy, knowing that's where I come from. A really nice man and an excellent author!
Attending the 60x60 concert this morning with an open mind, I was astounded by the sheer quality of the classical mix with electronic aspects. A lover of classical music, I found the music right up my street. There were aspects of water, voices, bells, etc. that really set the tone of the musical pieces. They all told separate stories in 60 seconds, which is amazing. All you can do is close your eyes and absorb the atmosphere the composers create. It was all very atmospheric, and I especially liked Pellman's piece.
A truly wonderful experience, and I will be definitely checking out some of the composers in the future!
Leonie Sturmam
Showing posts with label Leonie Sturman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leonie Sturman. Show all posts
Monday, 7 March 2011
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Postgraduate Spectacular
Five students combined prose and poetry in a small reading that had a big impact on its audience.
I speak for the whole of the audience when I say the perfomances were riveting, satirical and promising. Not only was the quality of writing at a professional standard but the readings were executed in a confident way that captured the audience immediately.
We were warned at the start that there would be strong language and adult themes. And oh boy, there were but all played out in a highly amusing way.
A man with a 'wiggle' in his trousers, cross-dressing, gore, sexual fantasies, stalkers and 'floppy' stories are just glimpses of what the Postgraduates had in store for us. Humour - the trickiest technique for a writer to grasp - was integrated superbly.
The climax of the event was topped with stories of a seventy-five year old with the body of a Greek God, funny bedroom noises, the 'Prince of Fantasies' and the wonders of enjoying a relationship over the phone. All these came from a single story that gave rise to fits of laughter and stunned expressions.
Excellent event, definitely people I would look out for in the future. Not only were the pieces imaginative and fun, they were of a high standard and their dedication to the art shone through.
Right, better be off! Now going to see Maggie O'Sullivan and Sean Bonney perform!
Leonie Sturman
I speak for the whole of the audience when I say the perfomances were riveting, satirical and promising. Not only was the quality of writing at a professional standard but the readings were executed in a confident way that captured the audience immediately.
We were warned at the start that there would be strong language and adult themes. And oh boy, there were but all played out in a highly amusing way.
A man with a 'wiggle' in his trousers, cross-dressing, gore, sexual fantasies, stalkers and 'floppy' stories are just glimpses of what the Postgraduates had in store for us. Humour - the trickiest technique for a writer to grasp - was integrated superbly.
The climax of the event was topped with stories of a seventy-five year old with the body of a Greek God, funny bedroom noises, the 'Prince of Fantasies' and the wonders of enjoying a relationship over the phone. All these came from a single story that gave rise to fits of laughter and stunned expressions.
Excellent event, definitely people I would look out for in the future. Not only were the pieces imaginative and fun, they were of a high standard and their dedication to the art shone through.
Right, better be off! Now going to see Maggie O'Sullivan and Sean Bonney perform!
Leonie Sturman
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Day Two - and looking ahead
So, it's finally here, Cultural Exchanges week, Day Two. I'm excited about tomorrow, listening to the Postgraduate Creative Writing students. Cannot wait to see the quality of the work, and just how they perform their work.
At night, the poets Maggie O'Sullivan and Sean Bonney are performing at 6pm. Looking up their live performances on YouTube has given me great insight to their work and level of perfomance skills. Should be very interesting to watch!
Thursday is the Demon Crew, and I'm looking forward to going to see the students showcase their work. It will be great to see what sort of work I will be doing in the next two years whilst at De Montfort. I also know a couple of students in higher years, so can't wait to see them perform!
Again, another night performance with the author Blake Morrison. I was on the train this weekend reading Clockwork Orange when I realised he had written the introduction to the novel! A pleasant surprise, I'm very much looking forward to hearing excerpts from his own novels.
Friday is the 60x60 concert, which is very different from the other events I booked. 60 composers from around the world, each having 60 seconds for their piece with classic works. I'ma sucker for classical music so this should be interesting to see it played in a new, different way.
An exciting week ahead! I hope to see new and familiar faces joining me in these events!
Leonie Sturman
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