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Garrie Fletcher

~ writing and all that

Garrie Fletcher

Tag Archives: uk

The Humans Are Dead.

03 Monday Sep 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Art, Drawing

≈ 1 Comment

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Art, Drawing, Flight Of The Conchords, Robot, Sketchtember, uk

I’ve been mega busy today, and I still have stuff to do, but I’m glad I found some time to sketch this.

I’m pretty stressed at the moment, but I’m finding drawing quite therapeutic. This one is of a posable figure that I have. It was initially a pencil sketch that I then went over with some Staedtler fibre tip pens.

I hope you all like the Flight Of The Conchords quote.

Sketchtember is great. I have no idea what I’ll be drawing tomorrow.

A picture of Folk.

02 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Art, Birmingham, Drawing, Live Music, Writing West Midlands

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Art, Birmingham, Drawing, Moseley, Moseley Folk Festival, sketching, Sketchtember, uk

Apologies for the awful pun, but I couldn’t resist as I’m at the Moseley Folk Festival today.

This sketch was another 15-20 minute jobbie. It was a lot harder than the Brian sketch as I felt very self-conscious as people were all around me and people tend to move, a lot!

This one is also pencil, I may add some inks later to give it some more depth.

Im really enjoying this so far; I forgot how good it feels to draw.

No Profit In Pain

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by fletcherski in NHS, writing

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Gruff Rhys, Happy Birthday, NHS, uk

The NHS is 70 years old today, something we should all be very proud of. I’ve been fortunate to only have a few dealings with the NHS over the years and, apart from one over-enthusiastic nurse and an errant needle, I’ve been very pleased with the level of service and care received. My father was diagnosed with polycystic kidneys in the early 90’s and was hospitalised at one point when he was in considerable pain and passing blood in his urine. The staff, from the paramedics that delivered him to A & E to the consultants that identified the problem, were incredible, especially considering the filthy jokes my dad insisted on telling anyone who got too close to his bed – a side effect of the pain relief, that’s a lack of inhibitions, not the need to tell filthy jokes. My dad continued to have problems with his kidneys and eventually had dialysis and finally a transplant that continues to function perfectly to this day. More recently, my dad, again, was rushed to the hospital. This time it was because an idiot in his 30’s tried to impress his girlfriend by completing a sudden U-turn on a blind corner. My dad promptly drove his motorbike into the side of the car. Luckily my dad only suffered severe bruising, cuts and grazes, and the loss of his prized motorcycling jacket which the paramedics had to cut off of him and the motorcycle he wore it on. Once again the treatment he received was world-class and free. Let’s hold that thought for a minute, free. Our Health Service is free at the point of use. Yes, we pay for our care, and the care of others, through National Insurance contributions, but when we are treated there is no charge. The staff that deal with us are underpaid and overworked and yet they, on the whole, deliver an incredible service. There is nowhere else in the world where this happens. We all have stories like mine. There’s not one family in the UK that hasn’t been touched by the NHS. We should all feel proud of this incredible organisation and, along with birthday greetings, give the NHS as much support as we possibly can. After all, there are people out there, I’m looking at you the Tory Party, Richard Branson, Big Business etc. that want to dismantle it for financial gain. With all this very much in mind, Gruff Rhys has recorded, No Profit In Pain, a love letter to the NHS that calls on us all to fight to preserve it. Listen to the track, hug a nurse, hassle your MP, but above all SAVE OUR NHS.https://youtu.be/P_NWu6S1pYc

Splinter Magazine

02 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by fletcherski in Music, writing

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1990’s, Andy Winter, Bands, Interviews, Music, Northampton, Reviews, Splinter Magazine, uk

I feel very honoured to have played a small part in the short but dazzling life of Splinter Magazine.

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Andy Winter, as part of his new site, lays out the fun, sweat and tears that were integral to its inception and subsequent issues. Andy and the backroom team worked their sweaty little balls off every month to get a rather wonderful, scathing, joyous, flawed magazine out most months. I fear that the majority of poor spelling and grammar was down to yours truly, but by Lemmy’s mole it was a wonderful, terrifying, possibly illegal, crazy time.

Huge thanks to Andy for taking me on and putting in the hours and mentioning me in such glowing terms in this piece. God, I miss those days. Hopefully, those that I offended have since received the medical support that they so desperately needed.

Check out Andy’s retelling of those heady days in the 90’s on his new site that covers comics, film, podcasts and a whole host of stuff. Just click here.

The Write Stuff

21 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by fletcherski in Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Writers, Blogging, creativity, Event, workshops, writing, Writing West Midlands

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Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Roundhouse, canals, canoeing, creative writing, kyaking, uk, Wildlife, writing, writing workshop

For those of you who are of a creative or aquatic bent, you may be interested to know that I will once again be leading canal based creative writing workshops. Those crazy fools at the Birmingham Literature Festival have asked me to lead dusk till dawn writing sessions as part of this year’s festival.

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It really was great fun.

I don’t have a lot of details yet, but I guess that they will be similar to the ones I ran back in April as part of the pop-up festival. Back then, we started from Birmingham’s historic Roundhouse and explored the canals via canoe and kayak. It was a real eye-opener for me. There are parts of the city you can only explore from the canal. Deserted glassworks, industrial loading bays and the Victorian red brick of disused warehouses stand beside the canal, and their decaying shells now home a multitude of wildlife and their walls canvases for graffiti artists and frustrated lovers.

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Come and witness my world famous invisible fish wrestling.

We will spend at least an hour on the water and then back inside the relative, although not guaranteed, warmth of the Roundhouse I’ll put you through your paces with some short, focused writing exercises that will nudge you towards creating longer pieces of work.

All photos are the property of the very talented Jana Eastwood. You can find more images from previous workshops here at her excellent blog, Escapes and Photography.

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Birmingham’s Roundhouse.

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One of the many incredible views along the canal.

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Wildlife in the heart of the city.

Navigating Birmingham.

18 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by fletcherski in Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham Writers, creativity, Poetry, workshops, Writers, writing, Writing West Midlands

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Alyse Fowler, Birmingham Literature Festival, Birmingham's canals, British Canoeing, Canal and River Trust, creative writing, Jo Bell, National Trust, The Roundhouse, uk, writing, writing workshops

Paddling and writing along Birmingham’s canals

Ever thought of combining canoeing and writing? Well, now’s your chance. On April 23rd, Jo Bell (poet,) Alyse Fowler (gardener/writer,) and I will be doing just that. We’ll be taking groups down the industrial canals of Birmingham and using this unique perspective to inspire creative writing. Check out the press release below for full details and booking info:

canoeing2

£20/£16 (concessions), children £10

Need some inspiration to get writing? Want to explore hidden Birmingham?

Look no further than our series of creative walks, bike rides and canoe trips developed in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, National Trust, Birmingham Roundhouse, British Canoeing and Big Birmingham Bikes, and delivered by five fantastic writers.

Canoe-write

Take to the waterways of Birmingham by canoe for a unique perspective on the city, returning to dry land for a writing workshop at The Roundhouse led by Alys Fowler (10am-1pm) or Jo Bell (2pm-5pm). Workshops for young people at both sessions will be led by Garrie Fletcher. Canoes and instruction supplied free of charge from British Canoeing and B-ROW.

Please dress comfortably: we advise that you don’t wear jeans, you do wear trainers, bring waterproof coat and trousers, and a complete change of clothes. The canoes have a weight restriction of 17.5 stone.
Drinks are provided free of charge but please bring a snack to sustain you.

Suitable for adults and children aged 8 and over. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Workshop 1 – 10am – 1pm (Alys Fowler) 

Workshop 2 – 2pm – 5pm (Jo Bell) 

Roundhouse Writers

Jo Bell is a former Canal Poet Laureate and currently appears on Nationwide’s ‘Voice of the People’ ads. Her poetry collection Kith is published by Nine Arches Press. She is co-writing a handbook for poets – How to be a Poet – and lives on a narrowboat.

Alys Fowler is an award-winning journalist, regular presenter of BBC Gardeners’ World and Guardian columnist. Her new book Hidden Nature charts her journey through the canals of Birmingham by canoe.

Garrie Fletcher writes short stories, novels and poems. His collection of short stories, Night Swimming, has just been published by Mantle Lane Press. He leads the Birmingham Young Writers’ Group for Writing West Midlands.

How to Book:
Please contact The BOX to book tickets on 0121 245 4455 or you can book online by clicking the button below.

Book Now

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

Get Your Trunks On!

08 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by fletcherski in Birmingham Writers, Leicester, Mantle Lane Press, Publication, Q & A, Reading, Short Stories, Short Story, workshops, Writers, writing

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books, Festival, Leicester, Non-fiction, Panels, Poetry, promotion, Publication, readings, short stories, Small Press, States of Independence, uk, workshops, writing

My first collection of short stories, Night Swimming, is almost here. It’s still not really sunk in. But on  Saturday, March the 11th, I will finally hold a copy in my hands – that should do the trick.

To be able to look at the cover of my book and flick through the pages, pages covered with words that I typed, deleted, retyped, crossed out, scribbled over and screamed at should fill me with joy, or at least a deep sense of satisfaction. Night Swimming cover-page-001

However, this isn’t ‘job done.’ Now starts the long process of promotion, of convincing people to buy my book. The first step, along the road of self-promotion, will be taken on Saturday at this year’s States of Independence in Leicester. I will be reading a short extract from, Night Swimming, as part of the Mantle Lane Press launch. I’ve read  my work at many events over the years, but this will be the first time that I’ve had a ‘product’ to promote. At the moment, I’m reading through the stories and trying to decide which one will tantalise the most and leave an audience wanting more.

If you’re in Leicester, or fancy a day out there, please come along to States of Independence. Here’s some info and details from their website:

States of Independence

Independent publishing | Independent writing | Independent thinking

A book festival in a day

 

This year’s States of Independence is our eighth. It’s a book festival in a day, a marketplace, a conference, a chance to relax and listen to some readings, an opportunity to argue about issues in the industry and to meet with independent presses from across the region.

States of Independence supports independent thinking, independent writing and independent presses. Join us for the day or an hour. Attend lots of events – you will be spoiled for choice – or just one, or simply come along and browse through the twenty or so bookstalls to see what the independent sector is publishing.

As always there are poetry and fiction readings and industry panels discussing current hot topics – this year focusing on independent literary magazines. Non-fiction wanders from British Palestine to John Clare’s escape from an asylum, via the political power of music, reminiscences about being gay in the 80s, and how to talk about poetry

States of Independence is a free event, underwritten by Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham and the Centre for Creative Writing at De Montfort University, with the support of over fifty writers and over thirty presses.

All sessions are free, no tickets required.
Just turn up and stay for an hour or two, or the whole day.

<!–Click here to download a printable programme.

–>

States of Independence is organised and funded by Five Leaves Bookshop in Nottingham and the Creative Writing Team at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Night Swimming

27 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by fletcherski in Art, Birmingham Writers, Mantle Lane Press, Short Stories, writing

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Art Work, Birmingham, Book Cover, Mantle Lane Press, Short Fiction, short stories, uk

Book Cover Uncovered

Those wonderful people at Mantle Lane Press have chosen and they have chosen well. The artwork for my forthcoming collection of short stories, Night Swimming, will be provided by Gabriella Marsh. Here’s a text free glimpse of what’s to come.

night-swimming-clothed

Summer round up

25 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by fletcherski in News, Short Stories, Tindal Street Fiction Group, Writers, Writers Group, writing

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Alan Beard, Birmingham, Charles Wilkinson, Flash Fiction, short stories, Tindal Street Fiction Group, uk, Writers, writing

 

The Tindal Street Fiction Group have been mighty busy:

black-static

Stories accepted: Alan Beard has a story ‘November’ forthcoming in Spelk – in November. Sooner than that, Charles Wilkinson has a story coming out in the next issue of Black Stati…

Source: Summer round up

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