Inspiration comes with free juice

When I tell people my degree is in Creative Writing I can tell from their expressions (and words) that they imagine us all sitting around on beanbags, flowers in our hair, talking about how totally deep our poems are, man. They have no idea how much craft, research and painstaking editing goes into the work we do. 

How I wish I could have taken all of these doubters to see the work of third year and postgraduate Creative Writing students at today’s Demon Crew event and the Postgraduate Creative Writing Showcase earlier this week. 

The talent I saw made me more proud of my degree than ever. Seeing where I could be in a few short years was as inspiring as it was daunting.

The postgraduate work was of an insanely high standard, my favourite piece was a hilarious, enthusiastically-read extract from story that reminded me a little of Hunter S Thompson’s work. There was also funny and thought-provoking poetry at a standard I'm certain I could never reach. 

The Demon Crew event was a presentation of third year publications – small books, websites, vlogs and audio drama were among the creative ideas showcased. Many of which got a lot of laughs. (There was also free juice and crisps!)

These events have inspired me to push myself so much harder in the hopes that soon I will be up there reading out my work for some poor first year to write an inadequate blog about.

Hannah Maggs

Poems. stories and more

As soon as I walked the familiar lecture theatre, there was a buzz in the atmosphere; everyone who wanted to be there was there. My fellow-students weren't texting under the desk but fully attentive to the postgraduates' work.  The witty, charismatic individuals in front of us gave us an insight into what we could achieve.

Their work showed me that, at a reading, it's not just what you write, but how you perform it that is the key to success. My favourite moment was the ending of the poem based upon fictional prison baths. The line "you shouldn't believe everything we read" led everyone to break out in laughter.

I thoroughly enjoyed work from all seven writers, and look forward to hearing more from them soon.

Veenali Shah

Expectations met

Even before the event, I had high expectations of the work that was going to be presented to us. I expected creative pieces that illustrated the individual’s distinct style of writing and a great expression of ideas.

I am happy to say that those expectations were met. Pieces of work became performances as James G. Laws combined word with movement in one of his poems, making the work both effective and memorable. 

Laurie Cusack read the opening of a short story, giving a sense of identity to his characters through his strong accent, the words spoken and changes in dynamics, allowing us to glimpse of their personalities. 

I thought the joint performance of Richard Byrt and Graham Norman rather smart. It played on the idea of a reliable and an unreliable narrator - and also demonstrated that poetry doesn’t have to be a writing process for just one, but can be a collaborative effort for two. 

Other pieces were just as good. I mustn't forget Hannah Stevens' reading of her short story, 'A Man Under', about the immediate after-effects of a suicide. 

All in all, it was delightful to see such a variety of pieces and range of voices.  I hope the authors enjoyed the occasion as much as the audience did.

Dayle Corbin

Calm confidence, and a roar of applause

During this hour long showcase of original literary pieces, I was struck by how calm and confident all of the readers presented themselves whilst expressing their own work. It takes a lot of will power to share something that you have created, pouring hours of time into each individual piece, and even more so in front of an audience of strangers.

Works ranging from poems about the ridiculous and the fantastic to stories dealing with rage, frustration and empathy were showcased.  One performer even strolled up the steps to interact with the audience. It felt as if the personalities and personae of each individual author/poet were carried through into the delivery of their pieces, making their stories feel that much more engaging.

Even though the event took place in a raked lecture theatre, seats were filled from front to back, adding to the atmosphere.  It was wonderful to be part of an experience where writers and readers could come together and silently bounce off of each other while performing or listening. Every person in that room genuinely wanted to be engaged within the story-telling and, judging by the roar of applause at the end, that was exactly what happened.

The dark comedic final poem: ‘I didn’t mean to...’ was a personal highlight. At the final words, the entire room erupted into laughter.

Great Job to all seven writers!

Graeme Tait

Conjuring words

“I'm tall, quiet and logical, so my poetry is short, loud and nonsense.”

In pink tinted glasses and bohemian beanie, James G. Laws has a vivacious stage presence as he strolls confidently up and down, eyeing the audience and addressing its members directly. His poetry is powerful and I enjoy the way his words flow freely as though effortlessly conjured in an instant.

In the next moment, a short story begins with such a strong character presence that its author, Laurie Cusack, becomes the protagonist, yelling words like “Bring it on” and “bastards” with so much vivacity I almost believe he's a recounting a personal event instead of offering us a work of fiction. He impersonates each character, even embodying the not-so-perfect nun as she enters the tale. His tone of his voice varies to convey the shifts in mood and character.

The works that follow bring different cultures to life. In Zeandrick Oliver's wonderful South-African accent, the rhymes fall in a new and appealing manner. A trip to Uganda is told using the dialect of its people by Emma Conway in her tartan skirt and round rimmed glasses. I love that I can understand words she uses - and the broken manner of her poetry illustrates perfectly the struggle of speaking an unfamiliar language.

To close, we’re treated to a rather morbid, but highly amusing piece by Richard Byrt.  The poem plays on rhymes, becomes fairly strange and ends simply with: “I didn't mean to kill you”, leaving the audience applauding between fits of laughter. 

May Ouma

Badger and bathhouse

A good first event to see at Cultural exchange week! The Creative Writing Postgrads started with an eccentric performance from James G. Laws, I wish I could go into specifics but unfortunately the works were untitled. Still the delivery was lively and energetic, the performer wandering around the room while he spoke, declaring his work 'nonsense.' While the rest of the readings were more reserved, they were just as effective.

The next performance was in sharp contrast from the first and the most chilling: a short story of a fedora-clad man who jumps in front of a train and reflections on his death. Hannah Stevens' description of the man's cup of hot chocolate still warm after his death stayed with me for the rest of the day. 

Steve McCurry,Old Delhi, 1983

Richard Byrt and Graham Norman read a poem in two voices about prison bathhouses, an unusual topic: "Only half a bar of soap between one bathhouse..." seemed strange to start off with but became more humorous towards the climax of the poem as the voice (possibly a prison guard or warden) insists that the writing of poetry about the bathhouses is strictly prohibited.

 

Graham Norman's extended poem 'Badger' was about a (presumably) homeless/wandering man, who recalls snippets of his life up to the time of death. 'Badger' was cold in its motif and atmosphere; the image used of 'cold tongues' springs to mind in reference to the gypsies that Badger encountered. The language was brutal while at the same time effective with its simplicity. 

 

Some of the audience found the poem too long but in my opinion that was part of its success. While this performance did lack the energy of the first recital, it needed to be quiet and concrete.

In all, I enjoyed the Postgraduate writing a lot more than I had anticipated, and I'm looking forward to hearing Andrew Davies and Alan Garner tomorrow!

Kimberley Brett

A sadistic conclusion

I was really looking forward to attending the Postgraduate Creative Writing Showcase, and to experience the kinds of writing that have developed from the very same place in which I find myself. I knew dozens of other students felt the same as seats quickly filled in the small lecture theatre.

It certainly didn’t disappoint. Seven authors performed a great variety of works; poems, short stories and extracts from longer ones; each piece unique, each with a strong voice, wonderful plots and strange, engaging characters.

We heard the fast-paced chaos of the self-proclaimed ‘nonsense’ poems, the formal monotone voice of Warden in the prison bath rules poem, a beautifully constructed poem conveying a charming tale of first meetings in Africa, the short tale of a sorrowful man, and the brash, powerful screams of a violent criminal in an extract from a story. Each author made the work come to life and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing them. What really struck me was how each speaker conveyed the tone of their writing perfectly in their recital, sometimes becoming their characters before us. They really got into it, and we benefited because of it.

It was exciting to hear all these writers reading their precious work, and a wonderful event to attend, but for me, the highlight of the event came right at the end, with a hilarious poem which ended with the sadistic line ‘I didn’t mean to kill you’. The whole audience erupted into both laughter and applause.

 

J.Wedgbury

Six talents

On Tuesday 29th February, De Montfort was treated to a reading by six highly-talented creative writers.

First was Daniel O'Donnell-Smith, who completed his MA in Contemporay Poetry at DMU in 2010. The language of O'Donnell-Smith's poems, with successions of evocative words such as 'shot, sparrow, shiver' suggested he placed even more importance on sound than on meaning.

Next came Claire Baldwin, a DMU graduate with an MA in Creative Writing by Independent Study. Her short story 'Frank' uses repetition and surprising shifts in content. She read only the first half, leaving the audience more than a little anxious about the speaker's actions and state of mind.

After this there was Richard Byrt, a postgraduate student of Creative Writing by Independent Study. The three poems he read included the comical 'Dear Professor Auden' and 'Typical Bloke in a Woolly Hat,' which ended with Byrt pulling woolly hats from his own bag.

Bhagwant Kaur, who has moved from her 1st class degree to M.A. studies, amused the audience, which included many students of creative writing, with her short story 'Reasons For Divorce.' The narrator's second reason was summed up in the sentence, 'He's a writer'.

Penultimately, Pam Thompson, one of the organizers of Word!, read a collection of short poems taking a fim about Leicester as their inspiration. All were dark in theme.

Finally, Alexandros Plasatis, a co-editor of the third volume of literacy magazine, Hearing Voices, gave us a story about a young Greek man seeking friendship with Egyptians working in Greece. His Greek accent provided a short cut to the heart of the story.

The six writers set a high standard which many of us in the audience plan to attain.

Grant Cole

A passion for writing

There were six readings at the postgraduate showcase, and each explored a different approach to writing. Among the range of styles, two stood out for me: Richard Byrt and Bhagwant Kaur. I found the way they engaged in their work showed true passion for the art of writing.

Richard Byrt had a wonderful presence as a person andalso conveyed it through his words. His last reading in particular, the poem 'Typical bloke in a woolly hat,' drew the audience in.

Bhagwant Kaur seemed utterly at home within the showcase. She was confident and composed. Her work, 'Reasons for Divorce' was brilliant. Her comedic timing was first class. She performed her work with such passion that it was clear how much enjoyment Bhagwant finds in creative writing.

I hope this is an annual event should be shown every year, as it gives fellow students a rare glimpse of what to expect from their creative writing course.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole showcase and hope to be part of the postgraduate event in the future.


Debbie Tinsley

An exploration of creativity

This presentation gave postgraduate students at DMU and opportunity to showcase some of their latest work. The prose and poetry performed were excellent pieces, displaying the talent that was cultivated in the Creative Writing course.

The speakers were Daniel O’Donnell-Smith (poet/musician), Claire Baldwin (writer/poetry blogger), Richard Byrt (retired lecturer/mental health nurse), Bhagwant Kaur (writer), Pam Thompson (poet/performer) and Alexandros Plasatis (editor/writer/performer).

The presentation displayed a wide array of compositions to appeal to all tastes. This ranged from unusual and vivid poetry, a short fiction which imaginatively used repetition and explores identity, an amusing poem assisted with crowd-pleasing props, an elaborate joke narrated in fictional form, a powerful description of city nightlife and a deep insight into the conversations between hashish smokers.

Each reader's work demonstrated that time spent in creative writing at DMU was far from wasted.


S. M. Knight

A look to the future

I was given a look into the future today as I attended a reading postgraduate creative writers at De Montfort. Three of the six readers were previously members of the undergraduate Demon Crew, who decided to pursue their writing further at M.A. and Ph.D. level.

The six speakers shared work which was varied stylistically, yet all pieces were of a high standard. I particularly enjoyed the poetry of Richard Byrt, who combined humour with linguistic vibrancy, and fiction from both Bhagwant Kaur and Claire Baldwin, with the latter creating a narrative voice which was strikingly fresh and unique.

As well as inspiring the undergraduates in attendance, there was plenty of entertainment for the rest of the audience.

I hope to be in the position of those writers in just a couple of years' time, and also hope that their work will be visible on a much wider scale in the very near future.


Jack Arkell

Woolly hats - and Reasons for Divorce

This was my first event for Cultural eXchanges at De Montfort University, and I went in thinking it would be a boring lecture-type talk. I was prepared to zone out in the first 10 minutes.

However, as a first-year student studying Creative Writing, I was taken aback by the confidence with which these postgraduates read from their unique pieces of work.

I particularly appreciated two writers. When Richard Byrt read his poem ‘Typical Bloke in a Woolly Hat', he actually pulled out a bunch of woolly hats towards the end, claiming that if we bought one we would resemble the character in his poem. This made me see that when reading out poetry, a poet can actually ‘perform’ it, making it a more emotional or humorous experience for the audience.

I also enjoyed Bhagwant Kaur’s short story ‘Reasons for Divorce’. I heard her read a short ghost-story at the Demon Crew launch at the beginning of the year and liked her writing style. In this story I enjoyed the way she structured and unveiled the narrative, as well as the way she incorporated birds. She read in a lively and confident tone, which is something I aspire to develop.

Each readers had an individual style of writing and reading aloud - I was never the least bored or in danger of zoning out.
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Maryam Sameja