"Dead Dog" on Radio Wildfire

We’ve just heard the excellent news that DMU creative writing graduate, Rich Styles, is to have his short radio drama Dead Dog played on the excellent Birmingham-based literary radio station, Radio Wildfire.

Radio Wildfire is a great project, run by poet Dave Reeves, and well worth tuning into. They broadcast live, and then they put a rolling series of enticing literary titbits on constant loop until their next broadcast.

The recording will be available from 5th December, and the link is here.

Thanks to all who came along to read and to listen. It was wonderful to hear the variety of readings: from some of our new undergraduate and postgraduate students; from some old-hands; from our new dean of faculty Gerard Moran; and from some visitors to DMU who came along for the ride.

The theme of national poetry day for 2011 was “play”, and the poems explored all kinds of play, from the light-hearted, to the disturbing, to the downright subversive. Those with the stamina went on to for further National Poetry Day fun at Word!, Leicester’s spoken word poetry night.

As is entirely approrpiate to the occasion, Sally has also provided a range of word-based games and entertainments for users of the library. Have a look at our picture gallery here.

The Gentlemen Press is an independent publisher based in Birmingham, West Midlands, which concentrates on new and emerging young adult fiction. To establish the publisher, a competition for young adults aged 13-21 will run from 12th September to 31st October 2011. Twelve winners will have their short story printed in an anthology.

The title of the anthology is Objection To Perfection and encourages entrants to write in any genre. There is a minimum word count of 500 and a maximum of 2,000. The competition is open to those living in the West Midlands.

There are three categories in this competition. 13-15, which will be judged by Jean Ure. 16-18 which will be judged by Nine Arches and 19-21 which will be judged by David Belbin. The results of the competition will be announced on the 30th November 2011. The book launch will take place in December on the Book Barge, an independent bookshop.

To find out more about the Gentlemen Press, visit their website.