Festival Launch

Some 75 people of all ages came along to the Collection for the launch of this year’s Festival.

What an evening!

I began by telling everyone they were too late; the Festival had begun with the brilliant performances of Private Peaceful at Lincoln Drill Hall over the weekend. The show is touring, so if you didn’t see it, please try one of the other tour venues.

I announced the results of our flash fiction competition (follow this link). Our Secondary School age winner, Amy Taylor from Vale Academy in Brigg, was present to receive her certificate and book token, and to be interviewed by Lincoln City Radio. What a poignant story she wrote.

First Story showcased the writing of nine students at the Lincoln Priory Academy. Each of the young men read their piece from the published anthology (ISBN 9780857483430) of their term’s work, and there were some fabulous pieces of writing.

Here is Jack Patterson’s poem Dreams

Dreams.
Dreams are, well…
What are dreams?
Dreams can be anything.

From spaceships and wizards
To explorers and treasures.
The deepest of oceans or
The highest of mountains.

I can’t tell you,
You have to find it yourself.
I can’t had a dream to you.
You need to search for it.

Dreams,
Dreams start with you.

Sally Nicholls delighted us with an insight into her latest book, Things a Bright Girl Can Do, on the Suffragettes. She then left all budding writers with some wonderful words of advice on how to transform that brilliant idea into a plot and from there into an engaging story. Who will forget her imagery of the washing line representing the plot line through a novel?