Something slightly different on the blog today, as I help kick off the book tour for Tales of Dark and Light by The OxPen Writers.
A group of writers who have penned this short book of ‘Flash fiction’ and Poetry.
So, what is the book all about?
Tales of Dark and Light is the latest collection of short writing from OxPen Writers, a creative writing group that meets at Pentland Community Centre.
The title reflects the varying moods of the stories and poems, which came together following a short course on Life Writing and Memoir, kindly funded by the Scottish Book Trust; some remain very close to fact, others are more fictionalised.
The only criteria for inclusion in the book, is a desire for our – very varied – voices to be heard.
Before I share the post, here is a little bit about the authors.
And the author’s
Deirdre Duncan
Deirdre is a widow, aged 67, who has lived in Edinburgh since 1978. She has two sons on the autistic spectrum (39 and 33). Deirdre volunteers with Oxfam, studies with the Open University, and finds creative writing a sanity saver.
Anne Hamilton
Anne likes to call herself the longest emerging writer in the history of writing. She is a tutor, editor and author, who lives in Edinburgh with her young son.
Irene Livingstone
Irene lives on the outskirts of the city, with her husband and son. She needed a distraction and found writing a good way to exorcise those demons.
Joan MacDonald
I joined the OxPen writing group nine years ago. I feel that my creative writing skills have developed in its friendly, encouraging ambience. I have enjoyed experimenting with different genres and styles without fear of destructive criticism from either the tutor or members of the group. My ambition is to compile a small booklet of family heritage stories for my grandchildren.
Flic McCann
A Glasgow woman who picked up her pencil later in life. She is passionate about society’s marginalised people, writing short stories about racism, domestic abuse, alcoholism, homelessness, and trauma.
Liz Power
A former local newspaper reporter in Essex and Yorkshire, Liz took up creative writing when she moved to Edinburgh with her family, and she enjoys writing short stories and poetry. Liz is a Community Taskforce Volunteer with Volunteer Edinburgh. She has two adult sons, one of whom is on the autistic spectrum.
Romy Ritchie
There it was again slap-bang in front of my face as I stood up from sorting my shoe-lace after my kettlebell class. An A6 flyer, ‘Creative Writing…Thursday’. It had to be a sign. It was the umpteenth time the class had come to my attention. What did I have to lose? Busy mum of three boys, well four if you count the husband so, a couple of hours of ‘me time’ attempting to be creative could be just the ticket and good for the sanity too! Many years later I am still inspired to get to my favourite class, catch up with the most interesting people and have a go.
Amanda Roy
Amanda joined Writers in the summer term of 2017. Self-confessed Crazy Cat Lady and Cats Protection Volunteer, many of her works have a feline theme. She lives with fellow human Robert and rescue moggies Kira and Muffin in Colinton Mains.
And now on to the guest post, where we learn a little bit more about the authors…
I am Flic…
Joining OxPen writers at the height of a poster poem project they were working on,
was like a baptism of incredible words: some big, some small, filling my senses with an insight to these strangers who inspired me to lift my pen.
It was the autumn of 2018 and mother nature had gifted us with carpets of bronze, gold and burnt oranges. It reminded me of the time l had found a young man lying in amongst the leaves on a cold October day. I picked up my pen after a serious of traumatic life events, when the only way to release the pain in my head was to pour the jumble onto paper to make sense of it
Writing has become an integral part of my life, freeing the flow waiting to be read.
Flic McCann
I am Irene…
Part of my joining the OxPen writing group
was to meet other people and to learn
A new skill.
I’d always been an avid reader
Never a writer.
Now I write but read less
(and you do make friends)!
Irene Livingstone
I am Deirdre…
This OxPen group came recommended to me when I became unemployed. Mentally, it has been a lifesaver. It’s something, with my volunteer work, that helps me feel alive. It emotionally nourishes me still, now that I’ve become a pensioner.
Boundaries get pushed in a way that never ceases to amaze me; that I’d never have credited myself with. Making friends is the icing on the cake.
Deirdre Duncan
I am Joan…
For years I’ve had an on/off relationship with writing.
Mostly off!
Skip to sixty years of age, post-retirement –
I join OxPen,
Ten years later, I’m back to the 1960′ s … rebellion!
I’m fed up of all the creative writing advice promulgated all over, everywhere.
Not so OxPen.
I’m encouraged to write freely and explore my interests and develop them further
I’m part of a very creative, diverse group of women ( we’ve had the occasional welcome guy) who encourage one another and have a ‘great take’ on our writing. We learn from each other with grace. We have a remarkable tutor who is terribly modest.
I’m appalled, as a retired Community Education worker, that we, have to struggle so hard to get financial support for our dynamic group of authentic voices.
These are the voices of marginalised women .
Looking for my voice?
I think writing Dark is not for me
So it’s a real challenge to write Light, but not twee.
Joan MacDonald
I am Amanda…
I’ve always enjoyed creative writing, all too often in my school years to the detriment of number work so was delighted when, in 2017, I stumbled upon Oxpen Writers’ Group. I am, quite unashamedly, a Crazy Cat Lady so felines regularly insinuate themselves into my work, almost to the point of being a trademark in the same way as field mice in the church furniture carved by Robert “Mousy” Thompson. Curiously, however, only one of my pieces in the newest Oxpen volume actually features cats.
Amanda Roy
I hope this has done enough to get your interest… if so you can buy the book here
Until the next time xxx
Stay and have a chat :)