Free From Fear: The Highlights

Some of the highlights of the Free From Fear gig, which everyone who attended thoroughly enjoyed.

I have absolutely no idea how much money was raised, nor how many people turned out on an August Friday night, but there was a great atmosphere, a fun vibe and the message of hope and support came across loud and clear from the lamp-lit stage.

The gig was in aid of Nottingham Central Womens Aid and if you would like to contribute, all the details are in here - they receive very little, if any, government support.

http://centralwomensaid.btck.co.uk/

Highlights

The Lord Mayor of Nottingham opened proceedings and then I interviewed Aimi McCaffrey and he about the origins of the gig. Apologies for the sneaky finger intrusion on the bottom right hand corner.

Two sets from Mansfield/Nottingham avant garde Indie act, New Apostles, followed. Comprising of Phil Pidluznyj (vocals and keyboards), Andy Whitehurst (lead guitar and support vocals) and Andy Pidluzny (bass), they've been tirelessly gigging their way around the City and beyond in the last two years. 

Big supporters of charity and causes like this, I've seen them many times and tonight, they were at their best.

Here's their Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/andrew-whitehurst-384266683

A set from Alice Short followed, a local rapper, who writes about Nottingham, growing up in the small towns around it, with shades of Bukowski and Alan Sillitoe in her lyrics. She's been featured on Radio 1 and had played many venues. She played the Maze first, though. 

Firstly, I interviewed her...then she rapped!

I'm a big fan of Alice and I am sure we shall more of her in the future.

Alice Short Soundcloud which contains the brilliant, "Patti Smith"

Before a final set from the New Apostles, we heard some spoken word from two local authors. 

Here, Nick McCaffrey reads a short story especially written for the event.

Writing in a variety of genres, and a prolific blogger, he's about to release an anthology of short stories so be sure to support that - I shall feature it here on the blog.

Here's his blog - a weekly short story and well worth a read.

http://www.themannwrites.co.uk/blog/holiday-celebration/


The gig was in aid of Nottingham Central Womens Aid and if you would like to contribute, it's all in here - they receive very little, if any, government support.

http://centralwomensaid.btck.co.uk/


I'd like to thank everyone for inviting me and I would be happy to help again. The best of luck everyone.

Mark "Wiz" Barry
_________________________________________

An old school bus

The New Apostles Fan Club: Leicestershire Branch

Mark Barry Retires

Oh, and I read from my best selling novel, "Ultra-Violence" - a dissection of a night out in Nottingham from 1988 entitled "The Fountain"  And believe me, I've tried and tried, and tried and tried, and I've even had lessons, but I simply hate reading aloud, so it's a good job that it never recorded ha ha.

http://greenwizardpublishing.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/archives-fountain-chapter-8-from-ultra.html

Brilliant Books Benefit Night - Can You Help?

Hi gang, Wiz here.

On Friday November 13th, this winter, Brilliant Books stages a benefit in Nottingham at the Chameleon Arts Theatre.

I think we're charging a fiver. 

For that:

Two/three bands will play lots of groovy sounds.
A performance poet tests drives some radical poetry
I'm reading "King Rocker" from Brenda Perlin's terrific music anthology "LA Punk Rocker": (it's okay, anti-pirates - I wrote this story)

There will be drinking, books, art, chat, usual Friday stuff and many added extras. Several faces you will be familiar with from Twitter have said they are coming to the night too, staying in one of Nottingham's plentiful hotels.

Any profit made goes towards supporting children's literacy, book buying for schools and enabling Brilliant Books to be even better in the coming years.

What is Brilliant Books?

For those of you who don't know me and the gang, if you want a "brilliant" explanation of what Brilliant Books does, try here. 

http://mybrilliantbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

If, however, in a world of relentless information flow, you cannot be arsed, here's Brilliant Books in a hundred words. 

Essentially, Brilliant Books go into schools with successful people in tow; people who credit their success in careers etc because they read fiction as children and continue to read.

In two hours, they give an inspirational talk, then help us work with up to twenty children, in small groups, mostly reluctant readers, each writing a short story. 

Finally, after eight weeks, the stories are collected in an anthology which is presented to the kids in front of their peers, so they essentially become published authors at between 10 and 14.

The second BB anthology

You will all be aware many children no longer feel the need to read and they say this process begins about ten or eleven, particularly boys. 

Brilliant Books adopts a role modelling approach. There are many in-school literacy programmes, some delivered by writers, but this one is about WHY. That's the difference.

Why read? Why is it important? What are the advantages? 

I think we should be told.

The Great and Secret AbsentTicketBook: Be A Part Of Brilliant Books

If you would like to be part of this, as an official, credited member of the BB Support Team, there's a way you can help.

This next ten days, I am creating an AbsentTicketBook. 

What's that, you ask? Well, I reply: This folio/paperback acts as a ticket for those of you who wish to support what we do (and I know there are many of you out there), but who cannot attend the benefit. 

It will be short (<25k) and it will cost less than a fiver from the usual channels.

I'll pay the cover out of my meagre rations and I'll format and do all the boring stuff. All the surplus goes in the pot.

What I would like from potential supporters is:

Call For Submission

Can you sub,it 1k words or less on, for example:

a) Your favourite book as a child
b) A memorable reading experience as a child (on holiday etc)
c) What reading meant to you then/means to you now

Anything like this. It's really loose. Anything about you and the magic of reading. 

To supplement, I am writing a short story and we have three subs already, but I will include as many subs as I can (with sneaky, cunning, mercurial fontwork :-D)

Add your Author Page and Blog Details and a mug shot. 

I anticipate a ton of people will buy this - in advance and on the night - so it could be decent publicity too.

Format

a) TNR 10
b) 1.5 space
c) 0.5cm first line indent
d) Three line Author profile

Piece of pee. 

Deadline is the 1st October. 

First come, first served, though, being a nice sort of chap, I'll do some juggling and squeeze as many as I can in.

It would be nice to show the kids we work with (and the new BB started last Monday), that we're part of a big community and that reading/writing DOES have a wider point than passing exams. 

So get scribbling. It's for the children. 

Cheers, 

Wiz/Mark