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We Hear All About Global Wordsmiths, the Inclusive Community Project Empowering Their Writers
Sat 08 Apr 2023Meet Victoria Villasenor and Nicci Robinson. In 2014, the couple first met at a literature event at Waterstones on Bridlesmith Gate. The two ended up connecting and went on to work on community projects together; they had a passion for mentoring authors in the beginning stages of their careers. They took these values and focused them on Global Wordsmiths - a community interest company Victoria established in 2012 that seeks to help writers realise their dreams. Our own writer (and creative behind Queer Notts) Jade Bramley sits down with Victoria and Nicci at the very same Waterstones where they met almost a decade prior, to discuss the work they do in the literature world and how they incorporate queer activism into it…
Author Julie Malone Talks Us Through Middleway Words Festival
Fri 04 Nov 2022Middleway Words is a new festival with ambitions to share Midlands authors with the world. A mix of online and live events, the jewel in Middleway’s crown is a celebration at Waterstones for Nottingham’s literary talents. Ahead of the event, LeftLion talks to Julie Malone, one of the festival organisers, about her personal journey to authordom…
Diana Ali Opens Up on Studying at Nottingham Trent, Being On TV and Wanting a Word With the Government
Fri 16 Sept 2022Since moving to study Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University, Diana Ali has established herself as a key figure in the city’s art scene - and has also featured in TV shows including the BBC’s Big Painting Challenge and Inside Museums, which she wrote and presented. We hear from the artist, curator, lecturer and mentor about her time at Trent, promoting the arts on TV, and why she’s hoping to have a strong word with the Government…
Word Up: Young Creatives Do Poetry at Bluecoat Academy
Mon 08 Nov 2021Young Creatives Nottingham has teamed up with local poet (and former LeftLion Editor) Bridie Squires to deliver a series of poetry workshops with young people at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy...
Words for Wellbeing Coach Samantha Gray on Her Work With Nottingham Writers’ Studio and Why You Should Get a Journal
Wed 03 Nov 2021Writing can be a transformative experience. For this month’s Wellness Section, we chat with Words for Wellbeing coach Samantha Gray about therapeutic writing, her work with Nottingham Writers’ Studio, and why you should get a journal…
Preview: Middleway Words Book Festival
Sun 05 Sept 2021Churning out authors like Alan Sillitoe and D.H. Lawrence, the Midlands has a long history with literature. It’s therefore unsurprising (but still exciting) that we have a Midlands book festival to look forward to this September.
GOBS: Notts Spoken-Word Collective set for Live Digital Showcase
Thu 25 Mar 2021The dynamic collective of twenty spoken-word artists will be joined by Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey this Saturday...
Spoken Word Poet Bridie Squires on Her Upcoming One-Woman Show, Casino Zero
Wed 19 Feb 2020Bridie Squires has certainly been keeping herself busy since stepping down as our Editor last year. Not only was she Nottingham Trent University’s first ever Writer in Residence, but she’s been quietly working away on a one-woman show based on her experiences as a croupier. With a performance scheduled for later this month, she told us what to expect from Casino Zero…
Left Brian: Don't Mention the 'P' Word
Sat 29 Sept 2018It’s difficult to describe how exciting the summer transfer window was for Nottingham Forest fans. Usually, if you want to see grown men in matching shirts getting this animated about potential transactions in a window, you’d need to be on a stag weekend in Amsterdam.
Film Review: Pope Francis: A Man of His Word
Sat 11 Aug 2018There's bad films, there's terrible films, and then there's this pile of cack...
Exploring Technology, Spoken Word and Writing our Roots at WEM’s The Writers’ Conference
Thu 08 Mar 2018Last week, Nottingham’s literati gathered on a snowy Saturday to do some listening, learning and creating at The Writers’ Conference, all hosted by Writing East Midlands. We got down to check out some of the talks and workshops…
Magic Moments: An Afternoon with Global Wordsmiths at Defining Moments Launch
Mon 26 Feb 2018One of the fresher faces on Nottingham's publishing scene, Global Wordsmiths have made a name for themselves of late by working with writers from all walks of life. Their latest publication, Defining Moments: Stories from a Place of Recovery, is a collaboration with local addiction support charity Double Impact. We sent our Chloe Campbell down to the launch event for the book to get the low-down on the book, and the remarkable people who have contributed to it.
Poetry, Persecution and Protest at Amicus ALJ Spoken Word Night
Sun 11 Feb 2018Last Monday saw a collection of young poets take to the stage in protest of one of the most controversial topics discussed in the twenty-first century: The death penalty. We decided to head to Jam Café to see the University of Nottingham’s Poetry and Spoken Word Society in action.
Word War III: Poetry by First Story Students at Farnborough Academy
Thu 04 Jan 2018Local author Paula Rawsthorne treats us to a selection of writings from her First Story students at Farnborough Academy, published in their anthology Word War III...
Exhibition Review: Collected Words at Nottingham Lakeside Arts
Wed 15 Nov 2017A celebration of Nottingham’s literary wares, past and present...
Sex, Drugs, and Rolling On: An evening with Lee Stuart Evans
Mon 13 Nov 2017With a novel under his belt and years of TV experience to his name, comedic heavy-hitter Lee Stuart Evans is fast becoming a staple of Nottingham's literature scene. We decided to pop down to Five Leaves Bookshop for a reading of his latest novel Words Best Sung, and were treated to a night of rock and roll and rampant laughs.
A Word With the Beasts Behind Wild Boar Books
Sat 12 Aug 2017New pigs on the block, Lincolnshire-based indie press Wild Boar Books, boast some proper weird, proper original releases. We thought we’d hit up our neighbours, and snorted in the direction of founders and editors Guy and Richard about the Midlands lit scene, gold star awards, and anti-establishment, porcine publishing...
Detonate Festival 2017 in Words and Photos
Wed 14 Jun 2017Our Lucy and Tom got down to Colwick Park to skank out to some right good tunes, write a few words, and take a few snaps...
Write Your Own Videogame with Hello Words at the NVA
Tue 09 May 2017Writing for computer games is more than just up, down, left, right, jump. There are multiple worlds and narratives to consider, as well as which media platform to use. Fortunately, Nottingham’s very own videogame writer, Lynda Clark, has helped form a writing group – Hello Words – at The NVA, to offer a bit of support for those who don’t know their Twine from their Inkle…
Comedy Writer Lee Stuart Evans Talks Debut Novel Words Best Sung
Tue 28 Mar 2017You may not instantly recognise his name, but Lee Stuart Evans has left his mark all over our telly boxes. Having written for shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, A League of Their Own, Live at the Apollo and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, he’s now turned his hand to novel writing. We spoke to him about his Nottingham-based debut, Words Best Sung…
Poet Leanne Moden on Spoken Word in Nottingham
Fri 24 Mar 2017Who’d have thought there was such a wealth of spoken word events and culture going on in our fair city? Founder of the spoken word night Crosswords and former-East Anglian, Leanne Moden couldn’t believe it either. She explains why poetry’s proper poppin’ off in Notts…
7 Wordy Endeavours for National Poetry Day in Nottingham
Wed 05 Oct 2016There's loads of stuff to be getting up to, reading, and listening in on for National Poetry Day in Nottingham