BOOK IT! A Literary Celebration FEBRUARY 2014 OXTED UNITED REFORMED CHURCH 21 BLUEHOUSE LANE OXTED RH8 0AA

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1 BOOK IT! A Literary Celebration FEBRUARY 2014 Cycling to the Ashes by Oli Broom is published in hardback by Yellow Jersey Press at 16.99, ebook available OXTED UNITED REFORMED CHURCH 21 BLUEHOUSE LANE OXTED RH8 0AA

2 Wednesday 19 February THE BIG READ Sathnam Sanghera Marriage Material 7.30 for 8pm Join us for a Big Read event with Sathnam Sanghera, a writer and journalist who writes regularly for The Times. Sathnam will be discussing his debut novel Marriage Material which tells the story of three generations of a Sikh family who run a Wolverhampton corner shop. Taking inspiration from Arnold Bennett s classic novel The Old Wives Tale, the book offers an insight into the life of an immigrant community, and the wish to pull away from tradition among the family s younger generation. Sathnam will also make reference to his first book, The Boy with the Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton, which was shortlisted for the 2008 Costa Biography Award. Marriage Material has been selected by Waterstones as one of their fiction debuts of 2013 and is published by William Heinemann, hardback; The Boy with the Topknot is published by Penguin, 7.99 paperback. Both books will be for sale on the evening and Sathnam will be signing copies afterwards. Sathnam Sanghera The Boy with the Topknot Penguin Books 2009 ; Marriage Material William Heinemann 2013 Friday 21 February FLASH FICTION WORKSHOP 2pm How to write Flash Fiction will be led by Dan Powell, a prize-winning author of flash and short fiction. This fast paced session will focus on the unique challenge and pleasure to be found in the crafting of short-short stories. You will explore both what makes an exciting piece of flash fiction and how to take an idea and shape a story small in size but expansive in impact. Whether you are a beginner or a more experienced writer, learning how to tell a story in the smallest of word counts is a useful skill to add to your writing repertoire and this workshop will encourage you to be creative and have fun with the form. You will leave with a finished story and a list of the publications and prizes currently seeking submissions. Dan s debut collection, Looking Out of Broken Windows, is published by Salt in February 2014, Copies of the book will be for sale at the event. Places will be very limited: please apply early to avoid disappointment. If demand is high a second workshop 20 may run on the morning of Saturday, 22 February. Dan Powell Looking Out of Broken Windows Salt Publishing 2014

3 Friday 21 February 7 for 7.30pm Saturday 22 February 2pm SHORT STORY DISCUSSION PANEL Short Story Discussion Panel chaired by Alison MacLeod. Panellists: Jane Gardam, Tom Vowler and Dan Powell. Our panel of experts will discuss what makes them passionate about the short story as a form of writing and what makes a great short story. They will discuss the re-emergence of the short story along with current trends and themes and new ways of publishing. There will be time for questions. Alison MacLeod is the author of the acclaimed story collection Fifteen Modern Tales of Attraction and the novel Unexploded, which was longlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize. She is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at the University of Chichester and Director of Thresholds International Online Short Story Forum. Jane Gardam has written many novels, as well as collections of short stories and children s books, during her long and prolific career. She has twice won the Whitbread Award, as well as many other literary awards. Her novel Last Friends was published in Tom Vowler s story collection The Method won the Scott Prize in 2010, and the Edge Hill Readers Prize in He has published a debut novel What Lies Within and his second novel will be published in March Tom is the editor of the literary journal, Short Fiction. Dan Powell is a prize-winning author of flash and short fiction. His debut collection, Looking Out of Broken Windows, is published in February A selection of the books written by the participants will be for sale on the night and they will be happy to sign copies after the event. AFTERNOON TEA WITH VANESSA GEBBIE Acclaimed novelist, prizewinning poet and short story writer Vanessa Gebbie will talk about her work and her life as a writer, editor and teacher of writing. She came to writing late, and has just had her seventh book published. Her awards include the Daily Telegraph Novel in a Year competition and a Bridport Prize among many others. Her novel The Coward s Tale was a Financial Times Novel of the Year. She has been awarded residencies at Gladstone s Library and Hawthornden Castle. Her books are: The Coward s Tale (BloomsburyUK/USA paperback 8.99), two collections of short fictions - Words from a Glass Bubble and Storm Warning: Echoes of Conflict (both Salt Publishing), Short Circuit, Guide to the Art of the Short Story (Salt),The Half Life of Fathers (poetry) (Pighog Press). Price includes tea and cakes after the talk. Vanessa Gebbie Words from a Glass Bubble Salt Publishing 2009 ; The Coward s Tale Bloomsbury Publishing 2012

4 Saturday 22 February CYCLING TO THE ASHES Oli Broom 7.30 for 8pm Oli Broom will be speaking about his book Cycling to the Ashes: A Cricketing Odyssey from London to Brisbane. Oli Broom loves cricket. So much so that in 2009 he left his job in London and set off to cycle to Brisbane for the Ashes. The epic journey took fourteen months and took him through twenty three countries. Oli will be talking about his life-changing adventure which is documented in the book. Cycling to the Ashes is published by Yellow Jersey Press, hardback. We will be able to offer the book at the preferential price of 15 and Oli will be happy to sign copies after the talk. Oli s talk, and accompanying book, will appeal not only to fans of cricket and of cycling, but to all of us who have a taste for adventure and a gripping yarn. Oli Broom Cycling to the Ashes: A Cricketing Odyssey from London to Brisbane Yellow Jersey Press 2013 SHORT STORY COMPETITION As part of the Book It! events we will be running a Short Story Competition. We hope that as many of you as possible will feel inspired to enter. Brief details of the competition are included here, but please refer to the separate sheet which lists the full Entry Instructions and the Competition Rules. FIRST PRIZE 50 The opening line of your story must be: Today was the day; there was no going back Maximum of 3,000 words Entries must be typed Two categories: Adult and Under 18 The deadline is Monday 27 January 2014 Those entering the competition must be residents of the Oxted and Tandridge area Entry fee 5 Adult, 2.50 Under 18, to be submitted with competition entry Entries to Oxted United Reformed Church, address overleaf Tel no for enquiries E mail oxtedurc@gmail.com Adult entries will be judged by: Tom Vowler, novelist, short story writer and editor of the literary journal Short Fiction Under 18 entries will be judged by: Emily Damesick, Assistant Editor, Fiction, Walker Books Winners to be announced on the 21 February at the Short Story Discussion Panel event A first prize of 50 will be awarded in each category, with smaller prizes for the runners-up

5 BOOKING FORM Name Address Tel EVENT NO. OF TICKETS PRICE Wed 19 The Big Read Fri Flash Fiction Fri 21 Discussion Panel Sat 22 Vanessa Gebbie Sat 22 Cycling to The Ashes Season 30 Covers 3 events TOTAL DUE Designed and produced by hurtwoodpress.com Personal bookings can be made by cheque or cash at the URC between am on Tuesday mornings, from Tuesday 14 January Postal bookings to Book It! Oxted URC, 21 Bluehouse Lane, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0AA enclosing a cheque to Oxted United Reformed Church and a stamped addressed envelope. We regret we are unable to take credit cards. Tel no for enquiries oxtedurc@gmail.com