Tracey Warr's Blog, page 21
April 27, 2018
The Future of Education and Learning
[image error]
Sun 29 April 12 noon at Hex (Studio 30), Dartington, Devon, UK
I am taking part in a public discussion on the future of education and learning as part of a weekend of events celebrating the lives of Carito and Marina Rodriguez who came to Britain as child refugees during the Spanish Civil War and went on to contribute hugely to life in Dartington and Totnes.
The discussion is focused on the ‘experiment in education’ at Dartington. It is chaired by Alan Boldon, Interim Director of Learning Innovation at Dartington, and the other participants are Mark Dunhill (former Dean of Art at Central Saint Martin’s College and Dartington School alumni) and Jonathan Dawson, Coordinator and Senior Lecturer at Schumacher College. I was previously Director of Arts Management and MA Contemporary Arts Course Leader at Dartington College of Arts and Guest Professor on the Public Art MFA at Bauhaus University in Weimar, which occupies the original Bauhaus site.
The event is free. Further details.
April 25, 2018
The Water Age – 3 new books for 2018
I have established a publishing imprint called Meanda Books to publish the three small books that are the outcome of my work in the Frontiers in Retreat art and ecology project. The books will be published in July. An expression of interest form is at the bottom of this post. The books are:
[image error]
The Water Age and other Fictions
Paperback ISBN 9780995490215
ebook ISBN 9780995490222
Includes a revised, expanded version of Meanda, a future fiction novella about an ocean exoplanet. Octavio Paz meets J.G. Ballard meets David Attenborough in tales of hybrid species and aqua technologies. Inspired by spitting fish, spiders’ sticky lines, sliming snails, inking squids and singing whales. [Image: James A. Hudson]
[image error]
The Water Age Art and Writing Workshops
Paperback ISBN 9780995490239
ebook ISBN 9780995490246
How might we live with more water in the future? Art and writing workshops relating to aquatic biomimicry, walking, swimming, maps, reading water environments, watery language. A wealth of playful exercises to produce art and writing focused on water.
[image error]
The Water Age Children’s Art and Writing Workshops
Paperback ISBN 9780995490253
ebook ISBN 9780995490260
The water you drink has been through the bladder of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and many other places. The water on Earth is 4.4 billion years old and came here from outer space. The octopus has three hearts and its eyes can look in two separate directions.
What other facts can we find out about the behaviour of water?
What can we learn about aquatic flora and fauna?
What imaginative ideas can we have about living with more water?
The Water Age Children’s Art and Writing Workshops is a book for teachers, artists and writers who are working with children aged 8-11. The workshops focus on water and contemplate a possible future when we are living with more water.
The art workshop suggests drawing and painting waterscapes, building waterscapes in the classroom or playground, designing and making models for water living, creating simple films about water living. The writing workshop helps to develop a story about a future watery world, and suggests performing and recording a story, creating an exhibition or broadcast, or turning a story into a book.
[contact-form]
April 12, 2018
Conquest I briefly available for 99p
Kobo is currently offering Conquest I: Daughter of the Last King for a mere 99p. Conquest I is the first book in my trilogy about Nest ferch Rhys and the struggle between the Welsh and the Normans in the 12th century. It’s available at this price for a limited time in the 99 books for 99p campaign. Snap it up!
[image error]
April 11, 2018
Author’s Inspiration
[image error]My post on writing historical fiction, and especially the Conquest trilogy, is published today on Mary Anne Yarde’s Blogpost.
(Image above is Fontevraud Abbey, which is where part of the second book, The Drowned Court, is set.)
April 3, 2018
Second-career writer
This medieval village and castle in the Tarn Valley in southern France was where I was first prompted to start writing historical fiction. A guest post by me charting my mid-life switch from academic to novelist has been published today on M.K. Tod’s A Writer of History blog.
April 2, 2018
April Writing
March was very busy and I’m hoping to get some settled writing done this month. I’m working in two opposite directions – the future and the past – and trying not to go mad with that!
I’m editing a book called The Midden with Jenni Nurmenniemi, which relates to the Frontiers in Retreat art and ecology research project. I have just returned from Helsinki and a very productive meeting with Jenni and the book designer, Serge from NODE. The book will be published in the summer and includes essays by Taru Elfving, Emma Itaranta, Jenni Nurmenniemi, Jussi Parikka, Antti Salminen and myself.
[image error]My Water Age workshop with children at Annatalo Art School, Helsinki
I’m also finalising a series of books, The Water Age, that I will self-publish, which are the culmination of my own work in the Frontiers in Retreat project. One book is a collection of my future fictions. The other two books present art and writing workshops, one for adults and the other for children. More on the publication dates for those coming soon.
And work on the final book in my historical trilogy, Conquest, published by Impress Books, is underway. The new novel, The Anarchy, is set in 12th century Europe and focuses on the Welsh princess, Nest ferch Rhys and the continuing struggles between the Welsh and the Normans. I have a couple of guest blogposts coming up this month on M.K. Tod’s A Writer of History and Mary Anne Yarde’s Myths, Legends, Books and Coffee Pots. Her first guest this month, is Tom Williams, a British writer who has written a novel about a man he describes as ‘the James Bond of the Napoleonic Wars’. If you are interested in historical fiction this sounds like a good read.
March 5, 2018
Making It Up
[image error]At Falmouth University Thursday 22 March 11.30-13.00 giving the keynote presentation in the Research Students Symposium. How do we make something from nothing? How do we get from the blank page to the book or the artwork? I will focus on the development of my future fiction, Meanda, set on a water planet. The symposium is open to the public, with other presentations by postgrads. Places are limited. If you would like to attend please contact jemma.julian@falmouth.ac.uk. Image shows an extract from Meanda installed on the GR36 Compostella path in the Lot Valley, France. Photo by Yohann Gozard.
March 1, 2018
Experiencing Suspense
[image error]
Can I get through treacherous snow and howling winds in the UK today to reach the Gers in south-west France for a weekend workshop with a group of delightful writers?
If I make it, we plan to consider narrators, voice, tense, creating characters, creating suspense, settings, and constructing fictional worlds.
That should be enough to keep us busy for a couple of days.
January 31, 2018
New newsletter and books giveaway
My latest newsletter has just been published. It includes news on my novel in progress, The Anarchy, depicting the continuing conflict between the Welsh and the Normans in the 12th century in the aftermath of the sinking of The White Ship, when King Henry I lost his heir.
The newsletter also includes items on my recent talks with writers and readers, my visual inspirations for writing from the Cluny Museum and news on two new guest blogposts coming up.
And finally there is a competition to win a free book by answering a simple question about Henry I.
If you don’t already subscribe to my newsletter you can sign up here.
November 29, 2017
Images from the medieval world
I am running a series of daily image trailers on Twitter prior to an illustrated talk that I am giving at Downham Market Library on Monday 11 December, 2-3pm.
A lot of the research I undertake for my historical fiction involves images, objects, places and maps.
To celebrate the publication of my latest novel, The Drowned Court, I will present some of these fascinating images in the talk. I aim to show how I use them to help me write and how some of these objects, faces and places have found their way into my fiction.
Booking for the talk is essential on 01366 383073. (Tickets £3, includes refreshments.)
The images above are: Statue of the Virgin, Albi Cathedral, France; December from a Book of Hours; Locust in a manuscript; the Witham Pin in the British Museum. Follow me on Twitter for more images over the next week.
Filed under: Books, Historical Fiction Tagged: Book events, medieval
