Writers Fight The publishing Giants with Free Event At DMU

Around 40 regional writers including award-winning children’s authors, poets, and nationally renowned novelists will be reading from their work at a free public event promoting independent publishing at De Montfort University in Leicester next month.

Children’s writers Berlie Doherty (twice winner of the Carnegie Award) and Leicester-based Chris D’Lacey (Icefire series), novelists Anthony Cartwright (Heartland, recently read on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime) and Rod Madocks (shortlisted for the ITV Crime and Thriller Awards) as well as poets Gregory Woods and Deborah Tyler-Bennett are among the writers who’ll be taking part.

There will be stalls run by dozens of independent publishers, workshops, readings and book launches by writers at the event in DMU’s Clephan Building, De Montfort University, Bonners Lane, Leicester, from 10.30am – 4.30pm, on Saturday 20 March.

For more information see: www.statesofindependence.co.uk

Organised by Five Leaves Publications, Nottingham, and the Creative Writing Team at DMU, the event is open to all and free of charge, the ‘States of Independence’ event celebrates the flourishing independent publishing sector.

Ross Bradshaw, of Five Leaves, said: “A lot of people are now turning away from chain stores towards independents, from conglomerates to traders that are part of the local economy and community. This is also the case in publishing where many readers are fed up seeing piles of celebrity biographies and the same books in every bookshop.

“Independent publishing is in rude health and this day is a great opportunity to meet with publishers and to hear what writers from independent presses are saying. I hope lots of readers will turn up to browse through the bookstalls or to attend some of the events.”

Five Leaves Publications is the region’s “biggest small press”, run by Ross Bradshaw for the last 15 years. He also jointly organises Lowdham Book Festival in Nottinghamshire, currently the East Midlands’ biggest book event.

Dr Philip Cox, Head of the Department of English and Creative Writing at DMU, said: “The Faculty of Humanities is delighted to be a partner in this exciting collaboration with the independent presses that play such an important role in maintaining the cultural and creative vitality of the region and the country as a whole.

“Creative Writing at De Montfort University has always sought to engage with the enormous diversity of contemporary literature, a diversity that is fully captured in the wide-ranging programme offered by this event.”

The event will see the Leicester launch of the first novel by Maria Allen, Loughborough-based former journalist, as well as the launch of a new international poetry magazine, Cleaves.

There will also be talks on independent football magazines, the 1984 Miners’ Strike and well known phrases and sayings.

Independent press editors taking part include Iron Press’s Peter Mortimer on his “40 years before the mast” as a publisher, and Lynne Patrick from Crème de la Crime, probably the only female crime fiction publisher in the UK.

Publishers, groups and magazines from the East and West Midlands and the North East in particular will be represented.

Tindal Street, one of the most significant independent regional presses (based in Birmingham), will also take part in the event. They are publishers of the first novel by Will Buckingham, another Creative Writing lecturer at DMU. http://www.tindalstreet.co.uk/ .

Crystal Clear Creators (www.crystalclearcreators.org.uk), an arts organisation and not-for-profit company which records, publishes, produces and promotes new writing, particularly for radio, which will be taking part. DMU lecturer Jonathan Taylor is co-founder and co-director of Crystal Clear and himself a successful author

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