Swanwick Writers' Summer School
7-13 August 2021
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Our opening night speaker will be Christopher Lee

20/6/2014

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We are thrilled to reveal our opening night speaker: Christopher Lee. He will be talking to us about writing and learning the rules of the game.

Best known for his Radio 4 series This Sceptred Isle, which recounted the history of Britain from the Romans to the death of Queen Victoria, Christopher Lee is a multi-award winning writer, historian and broadcaster. 

His early career as a BBC defence and foreign affairs correspondent moved from journalism to academia when Christopher become the first Quartercentenary Fellow in Contemporary History and Gomes Lecturer at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He is also a visiting lecturer at City University, an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and a member of the editorial advisory board of the BBC History magazine. 

Christopher is a prolific author and playwright, with over 100 BBC Radio 4 plays to his name, including the long-running series Our Brave Boys. He is also the author of the popular Bath Detective series of books, alongside innumerable other publications ranging from an account of the transition from the Tudors to the Stuarts to two anthologies of cricket writing for the OUP. He is also a regular advisor to the BBC on British constitutional and historical matters and was part of the Radio 4 commentary team during the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

We are very much looking forward to welcoming Christopher to Swanwick!
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'Win Your Way to Swanwick' -competition winners are announced

9/6/2014

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We are delighted to announce the 'Win Your Way to Swanwick' - competition winners.

The prizes for the three competitions (short stories, writing for children and poetry) are a fully inclusive week at the 2014 Writers' Summer School for the winner in each category;Writers' News Home Study manuscript appraisal for second and a copy of the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2014 for third.

We are would like to thank the wonderful team at Writing Magazine for their generosity in judging all the entries, sponsoring the Short Story entry and also sponsoring the prizes for the runners-up. We are looking forward to welcoming Jan Davison, Lauren Roberts and Jonathan Telfer this August for their traditional visit to Swanwick.

Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up!

Short story competition

First prize winner
(sponsored by Writing Magazine)
Hazel Prior, Watchet, Somerset 
Unsung Hero

Second prize winner
Veronica Bright, Torpoint, Cornwall
A Typical Day

Third prize winner
Julie Noble, Fylingthorpe, Whitby 
Dearest Mother
Shortlisted
Rosalie Bristow, Shenley
Harry Marshall’s Magnificent Plan

Maureen Jeffs, Ashton-under-Lyne
The Problem with Peas

Pam Keevil, Stroud
Nature’s Unsung Heroes

Alice Parrant, Hampton, Surrey
Chicken!

Julie Roberts, Reading
Home for Christmas

Writing for children competition

First prize winner
(sponsored by The Hayes)
Karin Bachmann, Pieterlen, Switzerland Shambles

Second prize winner
Christine Henderson, Carnforth, Lancashire
Lydia’s Special Day

Third prize winner
Doug Allwright, York
Taken for a Ride
Shortlisted
Heather Allison, Southport, Merseyside
A Whispery Voice

Veronica Bright, Torpoint, Cornwall 
The Night Visitor

Carole Hutchens, York
Superbird

Lindsay Littleson, Glasgow
The Assignment

Brian Lux, Llandudno, Conwy
Bravery Comes in Many Sizes

Sue Pettit, Watford, Hertfordshire
Man’s Best Friend

Claudia Rapport, Cardiff 
Sisters

Tracy Turner-Jones, Lewisham, London Thanks to the Monster

Poetry competition

First prize winner
(sponsored by The Writers' Summer School)
Shirley Anne Cook, Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire
The Ant

Second prize winner
Mike Berry, Nottingham 
Song for Tommy

Third prize winner
Maggie Cobbett, Ripon, North Yorkshire
Noblesse Oblige
Shortlisted
Gwyneth Box, Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Unsung Hero

Brian Manning, Shoeburyness, Essex
Brave Sir Gordon Pogsbourne

Elizabeth Minister, Holbrook, Suffolk
Unsung Hero

Karen Pailing, Southport, Merseyside
Beowulf

Ann Palmer, Isle of Lewis
On you Go

Tracy Turner-Jones, Lewisham, London 
The Unsung Mother

John Ward, Watford, Hertfordshire
For my Country

Anne Watson, Doncaster
Blank Uncle Dan
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The Deric Longden Swanwick memorial prize competition - Prizewinners and runners-up

2/6/2014

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Many congratulations to Viv Seaman of Thorpe Bay, our winner of the special humorous writing competition for writers/carers in memory of Swanwick comedic legend and beloved friend, Deric Longden. Viv's memoir Trouble Balloons Up won the unanimous vote of Deric's widow, Aileen Armitage, and her daughter, Annie Quigley, from the shortlisted entries for judging.

Viv's prize is an all-inclusive week at this year's Writers' Summer School, including en-suite accommodation for the week, plus all meals, courses, workshops, speakers and evening entertainment.

Praise also goes to our two runners-up, Linda Canalella and Sue Williams - and, indeed, to all our entrants for the wonderful roles they play in the lives of the people they love. There are some amazingly selfless writer/carers out there and we send our love to them all.

We can never thank the wonderful ME Association enough for their tireless support and endless generosity in helping to publicise - and run - the competition. Huge thanks also to Annie Quigley of Bibliophile Books for her kindness and enthusiasm in promoting the competition.

Viv Seaman
Viv Seaman with her husband Michael (this photo was taken on their Golden Wedding anniversary last year)
WINNING ENTRY
Trouble Balloons Up by Viv Seaman

RUNNERS-UP
Lamenting Lettuce by Linda Canalella
Cosily Confidential by Sue Williams



You can read Viv's winning story by clicking on this link:
Trouble Balloons Up by Viv Seaman
File Size: 100 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

About Viv and her caring role

"My husband and I have recently celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. About five years ago he lost most of his sight and is now registered blind. He is also profoundly deaf and suffers from polymyalgia and diabetes.

Although he is still the chief coffee maker and can manage other activities, walking and anything visual are incredibly limited. In the sense that I help him with many personal things, I am now his carer. I have also taken over driving, computer stuff, sorting out the electric when we get a fuse, dealing with bills and telephone calls and all those other things I've always relied on him for, including the cooking at which he was much better than me!"
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Swanwick Page to Swanwick Stage competition deadline extended

1/6/2014

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The official deadline for script submissions (May 30th) has passed but as we have fewer scripts than we’d hoped, we have decided to extend the deadline for one more week. So, if you had a script idea and ran out of time, now’s your chance to complete it. Visit Swanwick Page to Swanwick Stage for details and submission guidelines.

If you have any queries, please contact me either at secretary@swanwickwritersschool.org.uk, or by telephone on 01290 5520248 and leave a message. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Lesley
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