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Garrie Fletcher

~ writing and all that

Garrie Fletcher

Tag Archives: reading

SOLO Fest

03 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by fletcherski in writing

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Coventry, fiction, reading, readings, short story

My first reading of this year will be at SOLO Fest in Coventry at the Warwick Arts Centre at 18:00. I was picked for one of the open mic slots before the main performances and will be reading a short story from my Night Swimming collection. Many of us are feeling a bit, Mick Hucknall, these days, so you’ll be pleased to hear that the open mic slots are free to attend if money is indeed too tight to mention. But what is SOLO Fest? The Warwick Arts Centre says:

“SOLO Fest is a four day festival that showcases three captivating theatre shows by solo performers. Audiences have the opportunity to see two shows each evening, along with FREE pop-up performances by local artists, and post-show gossip events.

One person shows depend on the combination of imaginative writing with skilled and versatile performance and stagecraft. Despite there only being one person on stage, the best solo shows can transport you far from the theatre into another world.

We have handpicked three of the best solo shows in the UK today, by top young artists Keisha Thompson, Tatty Hennessy and Toby Thompson.”

That all sounds pretty awesome to me.

I’ll be going to both performances that evening, I Wish I Was A Mountain, and A Hundred Words For Snow, and hanging around for the post show gossip. I’ll even have some books on me if you fancy buying a copy. Please come up and say hello – I won’t bite.

Click on this link to check out the full line-up on the Warwick Arts Centre website.

Reading at Country Voices

09 Sunday Dec 2018

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books, Country Voices, fiction, reading, short story, short story collection, Shropshire, Telford

This coming Saturday, the 15th of December, I will be reading at Country Voices, the Meadow Inn, Ironbridge, Shropshire. I’ve a twenty-minute slot so I’m hoping to read a short story in its entirety. At the moment, I’m thinking of reading Joyce’s Garden which sounds quite idyllic but isn’t. Joyce’s garden is yet to find a home, but I’m really pleased with it, and hopefully, the crowd will be too as I’m bringing some books to sell – when I find where I’ve hidden them.


If you’re lucky I may even smile. No promises.

The Meadow Inn looks lovely, I’ve never been, but the photos are excellent, and it looks over the river Severn in Ironbridge. Look, here’s a picture montage followed by a map.

The Aerial view should be handy for those of you who are parachuting in. 
Dead easy to get to.

If you do make the journey please say hello and buy a book. Did I mention I’ll be selling books?

You don’t need to jump into the River Severn to fully appreciate this book.


Up At The Lake

04 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Art, Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Writers, books, Drawing, Inktober, Mantle Lane Press, Reading, Short Stories, Writers, Writers Group, writing, Writing West Midlands

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Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Rep, books, Coniston Lake, Inktober, Inktober2018, pen, reading, Saturday 6th October 2018, Short Fiction, short stories

Another quick one – I just don’t have the time at the moment. This is a view of the south end of Coniston in the Lake District. It’s all fibre tipped pen and is actually black on white paper. The image is a sepia brown due to me taking the pic on my phone for speed.

Lake2.jpg

I did do a little tinkering in Affinity Photo to add the sepia splashes of cloud.

I’m hoping to get a bit of time at the weekend to do some longer drawing and some writing. That will hopefully be on Sunday once I’ve got my reading at Birmingham Literature Festival out of the way and finished working with my young writers group on the Saturday. I’ve set Saturday evening aside for watching crap with the family and drinking beer.

If you’re in Birmingham this Saturday morning (October 6th) come along to Birmingham REP, the Mezzanine, and hear some great stories from a bunch of wonderful writers. Hell, you could even buy some books.

Birmingham Literature Festival 2018

02 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Birmingham Literature Festival, books, Networking, Reading, Short Stories, writing

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Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Rep, coffee, Pastry, reading, short stories, uk

I’ll be reading a short story, along with a host of excellent writers, and selling some books as part of the Room 204 meet up. It kicks off at 10:00 am this Saturday, October the 6th, at the Mezzanine, Birmingham REP.

Click here for booking details – entry includes coffee and a pastry!

Book Launch

17 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by fletcherski in books, Event, Leicester, Mantle Lane Press, Publication, Reading, Short Stories, Writers, writing

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Book Launch, Buy books, fiction, Leicester, Literature lovers, Night Swimming, reading, short stories, States of Independence, uk

Last Saturday, we launched Night Swimming, at the ‘book festival in a day,’ States of Independence. When I say we, I mean Matthew Pegg – a marvellous and industrious human being – introduced it, and I read a brief extract from one of the stories.
Matthew did a top rate job taking about Mantle Lane Press and the three collections that are out now, including, Night Swimming. My reading went really well; there was a great reaction from those there and a posting of purchases on Twitter soon after.

Night Swimming is:
“A collection of dark, urban tales: the pros and cons of stealing a pensioner, a mothers prison visit, incipient love and roller skating, the guilt of a brothers death, and a past love burnt out by rioting. Stories that deal with loss, longing and hope.

Garrie Fletcher writes about the gaps between lives, the pauses between stations and the static hiss of the city. The moments he captures are fleeting and easily missed, but resonate like a steel string plucked above a pickup, distorted and electric.

Mantle Lane Press small books can be slipped into a pocket and make an ideal stocking filler for literature lovers. ”
To get your hands on a copy of this beautiful book just click here. You can also order it from your local bookshop, or if you’re local, to me, get in touch, and I can get a signed copy to you.

 

night-swimming-cover

Short and Sweet

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by fletcherski in Birmingham Library, Birmingham Literature Festival, Event, Short Stories, Short Story

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Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Rep, fiction, Heart FM, Performance, Rachel New, reading, Short Fiction, short story, The Door Space, uk

Fletcher’s on the road again!

As part of this year’s Birmingham Literature Festival,  I shall be taking part in the Short and Sweet: Short Fiction Salon and reading a new short story. This event is hosted by fiction writer and Heart Breakfast presenter Rachel New and is Free!

Fiction writer and Heart Breakfast presenter Rachel New.

Fiction writer and Heart Breakfast presenter Rachel New.

So, treat yourself to an earful of fiction and come down to The Door Space at the Rep, next to the Library for a 6pm start.

All details and how to book (remember its free) can be found here.

How to read your manuscript like a paperback book

27 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by fletcherski in Reading, Uncategorized, writing

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editing, manuscript, paperback, reading, revision, scrivener

Some sound advice from David Hewson on using Scrivener to check your manuscript.

Night Swimming

18 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by fletcherski in comissions, News, Short Stories, Writers Group, writing

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birmingham uk, comission, December, new library of birmingham, reading, short stories, uk

This summer (2013) I was commission by the West Midlands Readers Network to write a short story for a library book group. It turned out that the book group in Coleshill Library were not interested but that the writers group that was also based there was.

I went over in late July and met the group. They were a friendly bunch who made me very welcome. I talked a little bit about the type of things I write and they told me about the stories that they were interested in; it was quite a range. We had crime stories, historical fiction, satire, science fiction, comedy and so on. I made lots of notes.

It would be impossible, in the time I had and the amount of words available (2000,) to write something that covered everything they wanted. As it was I wrote two stories, both set in Coleshill. I couldn’t decide which was the story for them, which was the story that would best please them and cover some of what they asked for. In the end I asked Roz. Roz Goddard is a fine poet, short story writer and she runs the West Midlands Readers Network; her advice was bang on. She said use the best one.

I knew which was the best story I was just worried it wasn’t right for the group.

I visited the Coleshill Writers Group last Monday and read them the story. They liked it and had some excellent questions for me afterwards. If you’re near Coleshill and are interested in writing you should get down there.

If you’d also like to hear my story entitled Night Swimming, then come join me and a whole host of others at the New Birmingham Library on Monday the 2nd of December, it’ll be great.

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