Get your (red) hands on all the latest writing news from Dialect
Poetry debuts, human/nature entanglements and industry insights from children's author Hannah Shaw
POETRY BOOK LAUNCH
RED HANDED BY JLM MORTON IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY!
Hot off the press! Released on Thursday May 30th - Red Handed, by Dialect Co-Director and prize winning poet JLM Morton, is a remarkably original and impressive debut collection of poetry, exploring the histories of cloth and dye, the natural world, and family. Morton skilfully combines personal recollections with political activism and care, her voice raw and her imagination fierce. These poems are exquisitely crafted, with a sensory language of colours and textures, Red Handed is vibrant and alive.
Winner of the Laurie Lee, Geoffrey Dearmer, International Dylan Thomas Day and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust poetry prizes, JLM Morton’s work is published internationally. In 2024 she was longlisted for the National Poetry Competition, the London Magazine Poetry Competition and for the Nan Shepherd Prize in September 2023 for nonfiction work-in-progress, ‘Source Material’.
PRAISE for Red Handed:JLM Morton has created a visceral and profound testament to rural life and the cloth and dye industries of her locale, where the injustice of global colonial power is as intrinsic to those industries as the gorgeous linguistic weave of her lines. These poems are full blooded and vibrant as the cochineal beetles of Stroud Scarlet, as numinous and earthy as a rock of indigo blue gold. Red Handed is a revelatory, raw, and deeply imaginative evocation of rural working-class heritage. — Pascale Petit
Is this what we call beauty?' asks the opening poem in Red Handed.
Yes: JLM Morton's collection shows us beauty in all its frightening, fascinating complexity. These are poems that look for trouble, under the skin of earth, show us our own predicament. They are historically aware, political, environmentally conscious pieces of art. They're also fantastically readable lyric poems. Enjoy them, be changed by them.
— Helen Mort
Huge congratulations to Juliette on her incredible debut!
Published by Broken Sleep Books, Red Handed is available via all the usual book places, but ordering directly from them is a great way to treat yourself and support an indie press. Go and grab yourself a copy - a win win!
HUMAN = NATURE SUMMER SOLSTICE WORKSHOP
10.30am – 1.30pm Sunday 23rd June
Join us at Sladebank Woods near Stroud, Gloucestershire, for an immersive and thought-provoking summer writing workshop that delves into the intricate web of relationships between humans and non-human nature.
Sladebank is a Key Wildlife Site which occupies a semi-rural / semi-urban edgeland, sandwiched between a housing estate, farmland and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a fascinating site to explore, exchange and reflect on the profound connections that bind humans/nature and how this might inspire our writing.
In this workshop, we will explore the concept of entanglements - the idea that humans and nature are intricately interwoven, shaping one another’s lives in ways both visible and unseen. Through a combination of readings, interactive discussions, experiential activities, and reflective exercises, participants in the workshops will seed new writing and have the opportunity to share work for feedback with others in the group after the sessions.
This workshop series offers a unique space for a deeper appreciation of our interconnected nature and is open to writers working at any level and in any form.
This workshop series is part of JLM Morton’s residency at Sladebank Woods in 2024.
The workshop costs £35 pp, full price bookings can be made here
(There are two pay what you can spaces available, on a first come first served basis. Please apply for a spot here.)
SUMMER WRITING IS ON THE MENU! JOIN OUR COMMUNITY OF RURAL WRITERS ACROSS THE UK
Our membership includes a wealth of online spaces and socials, three weekly writing hours, mentoring and early bird access to all our courses and events. Above all, we cheer each other on, offer prompts and inspiration, and celebrate getting those words on the page. It’s not easy on your own! Come and join our community:)
Dialect member and recent winner of the XR Writers Rebel Flash Fiction competition Charlie Sanderson says:
"Thanks so much to Dialect Writers for supporting me in my writing and all the members who gave me feedback and helped me feel brave enough to share my work...[they] are an awesome group who work with people who are living in rural communities, they have been amazing for me because they get what it is to be a lone carer/parent, and the value that we can offer to writing...and for me as someone who never really dared to think anyone might want to hear my words."
Membership starts from £20/month, and if you are a caregiver or on a small income, the cost is free/pay as you wish. Please do spread the word!
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY! DIALECT DINNER WITH HANNAH SHAW
TUESDAY JUNE 25th 7pm
Our next guest for our monthly online supper club is acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Hannah Shaw
image credit: Emilie Sandy
A hugely popular children’s author, Hannah has a passion for character creation, drawing and fun story ideas. She has created much loved books for children of all ages - including the Scruffs series, Bear on a Bike, and the brilliant Unipiggle series. She has also illustrated children’s books such as The World Famous Cheese Shop Break In, Evil Weasel and The Disgusting Sandwich.
Hannah is an experienced workshop facilitator, and as well as sharing her three imaginary courses, she will be bringing along her top tips and industry insights for those who have ever wondered how to get started as a children’s author themselves.
Tickets will be up soon on the Dialect website, so save the date!