TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR TOWN - COME AND MEET US ON SATURDAY 2 OCTOBER

 

ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL 2021 - ESSEX AUTHORS' DAY

 Despite travelling problems with delayed transport to Chelmsford on Saturday, many keen authors managed to attend our EBF traditional Essex Authors' Day, as always, in the Chelmsford Library.  This event was one of the last writing seminars in this year's great Essex Book Festival. 

I was looking forward to meeting the three lecturers listed on our EBF website, but was unable to meet the superb Lizzie Chantree. However, managed to be present for our other two writing professionals.  

As described in our current website and print catalogue, this was indeed a great opportunity for new (and older) aspiring writers and local authors to celebrate new ways of seeing their work published.  It was fascinating and delightful to meet Jonathan Crane and Simon Edge two experts from Lightning Books.   Each seminar covered a different topic, supporting local writers with advice and information. They covered the craft of writing, submissions and editing process, and how to market your book.   

Jonathan Crane

The importance of meeting like-minded writing enthusiasts is invaluable and those folk I met were delighted with the information and useful tips gleaned from Saturday's workshops. My small suggestion was that  by joining a local writers' circle (and these are numerous in Essex), much valuable help and friendship is available to help writers realise their dream of publication. 

Simon Edge

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS FOR THE BECONTREE ESTATE - COURTESY OF PENTOPRINT

LAST DAY OF READFEST 2021 AT DAGENHAM. 

Congratulations to Lena and Lisa for bringing such interesting authors to PENTOPRINT today. I enjoyed meeting two local authors Elaine Spires and Farzana Hakim and learning what each of them have experienced and taught in their fascinating lives. All of us could wax positively about our childhood and upbringing in our old town. 

By hosting workshops and inspiring and encouraging women writers in their own neighbourhood, the whole team at Dagenham are providing important and valuable support. I enjoyed the whole afternoon and hope my new friends Farzana and Elaine will be our guests on our writing fraternity Phoenix98fm radio show (Brentwood) and keep us in the loop with their upcoming literary successes. 

Last day of ReadFest 2021! What a fab 3 weeks

 

A PERFECT CHANCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TOWN - AT BILLERICAY LIBRARY COURTESY OF OUR COMMUNITY ARCHIVE GROUP

 Look forward to seeing you on 2 October

NEWS FROM KARIN RIDGERS AND THE VEGAN ORGANIC NETWORK

It  was lovely to hear from a good friend Karin Ridgers whose work over the last twenty years within her Mad Promotions company has created numerous wonderful projects that have helped so many people in this part of Essex.  As a vegan herself, she is closely linked to the Vegan Organic Network (VON) which is is an educational charity established 1996 and the only organisation in the UK solely working for food to be grown the veganic way.

Karin  brought me up to date with news of the super charity The Vegan Organic Network which has created two unusual  competitions which should intrigue and interest people of all ages. 

The first is a Video Competition open to the general public, with a top prize of £500. A Schools and Youth Arts Competition with great prizes plus free gifts for the first 150 entries. The closing date is midnight 1st November 2021 and Karin is delighted to tell you about the super charity The Vegan Organic Network and their coming competition. Be as creative as you like, videos must be 60 seconds or under. Submit as many entries as you like, we want to spread the message that there is a ‘Wildlife Emergency'. 

Karin - MAD Promotions 

Saving Our Wildlife: An Exciting New Competition That Makes You Think

 Make a video and be part of the The Vegan Organic Network social media campaign targeting the public and delegates attending COP26 the UN Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow this November.

 

The Vegan Organic Network (VON) is an educational charity established 1996 and the only organisation in the UK solely working for food to be grown the veganic way.

VON is launching their exciting new worldwide competition to create awareness that a staggering 60% of mammals on earth today are farmed animals (most in factory farms), 36% are humans and a miniscule 4% are wildlife. 

Inspired by a recent UK based scientific study providing these figures VON feel that not much has changed since then; if anything the situation has become even worse. 

In addition birds did not fare much better; out of all of the birds on earth, 70% are farmed chickens and other farmed birds, whilst 30% are wild birds." 

VON advocate that by adopting a plant-based food system, land used by farm animals can be converted to wildlife habitats. 

"The VON competition is also about giving environmentalists a voice and share the message that urgent action is needed to save our wildlife in peril, preserve biodiversity, protect the environment and encourage healthy horticulture and agriculture." 

"It is now widely accepted that we are in the Earth's sixth mass extinction event where species of both flora and fauna are disappearing at a rate never seen before." 

Says Dan Graham of VON, 

"We are looking for some real proactive thinking, encouraging entrants to get creative and come up with some exciting and innovative artwork and videos and send them in to us so we can together raise awareness." 

Followers of the methodology used by VON do not use animal manures, chemical fertilisers or agrochemicals when growing their fruit and vegetables. VON also vigorously promotes a healthy vegan lifestyle. 

The competition is open to everyone; to schools, to youth groups and aspiring videographers. Further information is on their website as well as interesting background article written by Colleen McDuling, the VON science advisor. 

"Together, we can save our wildlife and preserve Earth's biodiversity." 

For more information please contact Karin Ridgers 01277 658755 / 07970 732668 Karin@mad-promotions.com 

FIGHTING FOR THE EMPIRE - A FASCINATING TALE ABOUT A REMARKABLE IRISHMAN

A couple of months before the Covid pandemic changed our lives, our special guest on Phoenix98fm radio's Book Club, was the author David Worsfold. For more than forty years David has written for national newspapers, as well as a wide-range of specialist publications. On that occasion, among numerous other topics, we discussed his book FIGHTING FOR THE EMPIRE published by Sabrestorm.  

Our listeners learnt about the life of Colonel Thomas Bernard Kelly (His wife's grandfather) 1870-1949) who was a truly remarkable Catholic Irishman, born in Galway and who dedicated his life to the British Crown and its Empire for almost fifty years. 

Kelly's story covers his military career which took in countless conflicts including two World Wars, with acts of heroism and interesting encounters with British royalty. This energetic Irish doctor led the most amazing life and the reader learns so much about the history of India and tales that were rarely reported or even known about at the time. 

Thomas Kelly was at the epicentre of a battle to stop a plague spreading to India 120 years ago. He had the almost impossible task of combating plague deniers, opposition to vaccinations and so many more problems. It's strange how history repeats itself!

Thomas Kelly might well have remained a mere footnote to history had not David Worsfold given himself the challenge to discover as much as he could about this military and naval medic whose extraordinary career took him to India, into Tibet with the Younghusband mission, Mesopotamia and Aden in World War I then back to South Asia. 

Retirement to Jersey and then London was brought to a welcome end with the outbreak of World War II, giving Dr Kelly the opportunity to put in more years of service around the globe. He sounds something of a dry stick, a teetotaller and non-smoker, which cannot have made him popular in the officers' mess and he was something of a puritan, though quite advanced in his medical views. 

Everyone thought of him as a confirmed bachelor until he suddenly married at the age of 48 a nurse met on the line of duty. They had two daughters, but not the son he craved, and it clearly was not only the lure of extra money that subsequently sent him off on long sea duties. In many ways his closest relationship was with his sister, who spent her whole adult life as a nun in a convent in their home town of Galway. Despite his Irish Catholic heritage, Kelly was a loyal servant of the British Empire, though by no means enamoured of all members of the British royal family. Apparently he wrote countless letters to a sister, of which only a small number survive, which is a pity, as it means David Worsfold has had to rely more on other people's reactions to events, which means that his subject at times appears peripheral rather than central. 

But this labour of love, lavishly illustrated with photographs and documents, is nonetheless fascinating, largely because Kelly was so often right where everything was happening.

ARE WE BACK TO NORMAL? STILL WEARING OUR FACE MASKS?

Oh yes - face masks at the ready on taking the train to London and the buses around Essex, but still, when our new books are reaching our special Waterstones and W H Smith book stores, authors are still popping in to sign books and discuss the current reading trends.  

Here we are with some friendly managers with whom all writers depend.  Always lovely and happy to chat about marketing our wares. This is super Scarlett with one of my latest books which I have just signed and also David who did the honours last year before second lockdown. 

9/11 AN UNFORGETTABLY SAD PERIOD OF NEW YORK HISTORY

This week the world is mourning that terrible Tuesday, 11 September 2001, when around 4pm GMT, two deadly suicide planes hit the Twin Towers at New York’s World Trade Centre. Thereafter, we learnt that more than three thousand people had died and that awful time will never be forgotten. 

Some years earlier, during a family trip to New York, our famiIy paid a visit to the World Trade Centre and experienced entering the North Tower building. Despite suffering from vertigo, I can still remember the strange feeling of being whisked up the 110 floors in a super-fast lift which left me with loss of hearing for hours, but then what a wonderful view over New York awaited everyone when we reached the top – a magnificent sight not to be missed.

Since then, of course, the world has changed irrevocably and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who lost their loved ones twenty years ago.

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10. World Trade Center (1973–2001) - Wikipedia

    https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki
     

TODAY'S BOOK CLUB SESSION WITH MICHELLE WARD AND BERYL P BROWN ON PHOENIX 98

 Despite covid restrictions, we have kept our flow of monthly Book Club guests arriving in Michelle's Phoenix 98fm studio virtually, contributing news about their books and writing activities. Nothing has stopped the flow of work over the last eighteen months. 

Today, we welcomed Beryl P Brown from Manningtree whose new book May's Boys is proving to be a very popular title on Amazon. Beryl, who is a member of both Brentwood Writers' Circle and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists is now working on a sequel to her first successful novel.Also today I provided a sixty second spot on another historical aspect of  Brentwood.  This time we covered William Hunter's memorial at Wilsons Corner and here is the promised picture, about which you can learn more from my latest book BRENTWOOD IN 50 BUILDINGS published by Amberley of Stroud (pop into Waterstones or W H Smith)for signed copies.

Also today I provided a sixty second spot on another historical aspect of  Brentwood.  This time we covered William Hunter's memorial at Wilsons Corner and here is the promised picture, about which you can learn more from my latest book BRENTWOOD IN 50 BUILDINGS published by Amberley of Stroud (pop into Waterstones or W H Smith) for signed copies.