Fiction – Marilyn Bowering & Stephen May, Guest Mikey Cuddihy

Date/Time
Date(s) - Mon 17th Aug - Sat 22nd Aug, 2015
12:00pm

Location
Moniack Mhor, Kiltarlity, Inverness-shire , IV4 7HT

Whether you are just beginning a work of fiction, or are half-way through, or simply have ideas, characters or images—this course will help you locate a narrative backbone and leave you better able to tackle the next stage. What kind of story is it? Where does it fit in the writing landscape? Explore and develop your voice.

 

Six reasons to attend…

1. Free post course mentoring – This course will do more than give you the propulsion to develop your projects during your week at Moniack. Stephen May is offering free post course mentoring. Two follow on feedback sessions by email are available to every participant.
2. Submissions – Get in depth feedback on a sample of your work. Submit up to 1000 words to the tutors ahead of the course. Submissions must be double spaced, single sided and received by the 24^th  After this time we cannot guarantee the tutors will be able to read the work.
3. Thursday evening Lecture from Moira Forsyth from Sandstone Press on how to get published.
4. Work in Progress Grant – one supported place available for writers with a work in progress, applications due by 3rd July – for details click here.
5. Free book – All students will get a copy of the book Write A Novel and Get it Published (Hodder Education) written by Nigel Watts and Stephen May with practical advice on structure, character, plot, dialogue, and setting.
6. Free booklet – Students will also get a copy of learning-to-write advice from Marilyn Bowering’s character, Sandy Grey, in excerpts from Marilyn’s novel, What It Takes to be Human

Marilyn Bowering’s work has received New York Times Notable Book designation, been short-listed for the world-wide Orange Prize and long-listed for the Dublin Impac Award. In 2008, she was Fulbright scholar at NYC. In 2015 her opera, Marilyn Forever (Gavin Bryars, composer), premiered in LA and in Adelaide. She has taught writing from Banff to Madrid.
www.marilynbowering.com  

Stephen May’s first novel Tag won the Reader’s Prize at the 2009 Wales Book of the Year. His second Life! Death! Prizes! was shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Novel Award. His latest book Wake Up Happy Every Day was published by Bloomsbury in 2014. He is also an experienced teacher of creative writing.
www.sdmay.com

Guests:

Mikey Cuddihy’s first book, A Conversation About Happiness, was published in 2014. Born in America, long time London resident, Mikey also works as an artist.

Moira Forsyth is Editorial Director of Sandstone Press Limited. She and has edited a range of fiction and non-fiction books, including the biography of Edwin Morgan, Beyond the Last Dragon (Saltire Society Research Book 2011), and a Booker long-listed novel, The Marrying of Chani Kaufmann.  She is also a published poet and short story writer, and the author of four novels, the latest of which is The Treacle Well.

 And Courses at Moniack really work

Stephen May writes:

‘I was a student at Moniack in 2005 and the alchemy of being among a supportive community of fellow writers, professional support from the tutors, being away from usual routines, being among the wild remote beauty of the Highlands – not to mention escaping irrelevancies like children and work – meant that I was at last, able to crack on with my first novel. Three years later the book was out and I was back at Moniack – as a tutor this time. Possibly my proudest moment in writing.

Writers on Marilyn Bowering’s courses at Moniack Mhor (2011, 2013) call her teaching ‘inspirational’ and ‘encouraging’. She writes:

“Moniack Mhor is a special place where tutors and participants interact closely and also find the space they need to really explore. I continue to hear from writers about projects that began at Moniack. Expect change!”

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