Sunday 31 August 2014

I Come From

From not-quite-Yorkshire;
I come from the borders.
From shadowy gardens and crowds of hydrangeas,
from hand-outs from neighbours;
motherless summers of sun and bare feet.

From free school dinners, a house full of lodgers,
too many sisters, too many brothers,
too many rooms to heat,
from spiders in corners and rats in the cellar.
Cobbles and grit and backstreet.

I come too clever for my own good
from spare the rod; from fear of God,
from unquestioning faith in nuns
and ghosts and all authority and Dad.
I come from the silence of fog

on far-off fields; from farm and bog
and crops gone bad,
from priests and Sunday’s boredom.
I come from the butter mountain
and the steady drip of fruit in bags

over buckets of stewing wine
and I come from the moors, as angry
as flame; from the hills
with the wings I was handed;
from the blank, blank page

of the rain. From Look and Learn,
I come from a dream, I come from stone.
I come from never did me any harm
and I too come from one bad man.

From silence. But not my own. 

Clare Shaw 


Clare Shaw was our creative writing tutor for WoW's What's Your Story? course with the Liverpool Mental Health Consortium. Clare has inspired the group to carry on working on their writing and performing as a group as the Rainbow Writers

We hope these pieces have inspired you to write your own. We look forward to seeing you on World Mental Health Day, 10th October, at the Central Library for our celebration event where a screening of Ruby Wax will be aired announcing the winners! 

Thursday 28 August 2014

Butterfly

A butterfly does not know straight off how to fly.
With wobbling, trembling wings, she crawls
from her chrysalis. Through simple trial and error,
she’ll learn to flutter.

But by taking lessons from those
a little older and wiser
she may find the confidence to wing her way,
without a stutter, up,

up into the sky.

Liz Stokes 


Our What's Your Story? participants have kindly donated their work to help inspire you to write down your thoughts as part of our 'Mental Health Me' writing competition
You can find out more about our competition here. Keep in touch with our blog to read more of their brilliant writing. 

Tuesday 26 August 2014

I Come From Lockerbie

Violence was never far off the agenda. Or the threat of it. Parents, siblings, cousins, schooling, etched into my psyche, my sense of identity. Given the constant levels of threat, it was no wonder it was hard to find a voice. So I sought solutions.
Having four elder sisters, I’d race home from school on Thursdays and repay them. I’d have the last laugh. The back page of the Bunty comic had sets of clothes that you could cut out. I got in first and cut the tabs off. Another battering but it was worth it. Wickedness had a price.
When I wanted a Batman outfit as the Rag & Bone man came down our street I would give my sisters’ best clothes to get the gear. Kerrunch! Kapow!

Then there was the lunchtime incident when my brother used the f-word. 
          ‘What did you just say?’ Mam screamed. 
           ‘You fucking heard’ Jim said. 
Quick as a flash, she whipped the worn, black gabardine raincoat belt from the pulley and started leathering him across the face. Buckle and all. Brilliant to watch. Ace. Ringside seats.
When Mam ran out of steam my brother got up from the table, left, and said nothing. That was bad.
           ‘Take Bob out to play.’ Irene reluctantly had me in tow. When out of sight she hung me on a picket fence by my reins and left me there. Some neighbour detached me. Irene still denies it but smiles when I remind her.

Bridge Street – early morning. Mrs White. ‘And what did you have for your breakfast?’ she asked innocently.
A sausage and half an egg.’ Whack, whack, whack.Don’t you show me up like that.’ 
How come it was OK to lie when you had it drummed into you to tell the truth? Repression and guilt in equal measure. Nothing like a Protestant, God-fearing upbringing culture to mess with your head. 

Three miles from home in the Summer and standing in the River Milk I decided not to come out of the water. Sister Rosemary lobs a Coke bottle at me to encourage me. Big thick bit of glass in my left foot. Nice. Whilst convalescing, I told Bett Findlay, our neighbour, the truth.

Me mother overheard the conversation. Slap - that’s for lying. Slap - that’s for thinking you’d get away with it. Slap - because I’m on a roll.

Bob Carruthers

Sunday 24 August 2014

A Man of Flowers and Acquainted With Grief


If my story was a book it would be a paperback. 
A Life a Loan. It would be cheaply made, 
aged with neglect. It would have a broken spine. 
Pages would spill out randomly 
if anyone picked it up.

If my story was a poem the rhymes would be strained 
and the imagery bleak.
The metaphors would be relentlessly morose.
The reader would turn against me 
long before the final stanza. 

My story could not be a soap-opera. Nothing happens.
If it was a documentary 
it would be on C4 
late at night 
with much made of the few sordid bits.

If it was a song 
it would be a Leonard Cohen 
without the love. If a film, 
it would be called A Man of Flowers and Acquainted With Grief 
with an indeterminate ending.


Al Morgan 



Our What's Your Story? participants  have kindly donated their work to help inspire you to write down your thoughts as part of our 'Mental Health & Me' writing competition
You can find out more about our competition here. Keep in touch with our blog to read more of their brilliant writing. 



Friday 22 August 2014

WoW'S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

RUBY WAX to announce the winner of Mental Health & Me!

Self-proclaimed poster girl for mental health, larger than life comedian and now, writer -  Ruby Wax will be announcing the overall winner of Mental Health and Me on film which will be aired at the celebratory event in Central Library on World Mental Health Day, 10th October 2014.

As she says in her campaign for Comic Relief, Ruby Wax has experienced episodes of depression for most of her life, but it wasn't until she finally checked into a clinic, that she realised how wide spread mental health problems are. Ruby has written about depression and used the topic for her one woman shows as a way of getting the subject out in the open.


“It used to be the‘C’word - cancer - that people wouldn't discuss. Now it’s the‘M’word - mental health.I hope pretty soon it’ll be okay for everyone to talk openly about their mental health without fear of being treated differently.” 
Sarah Butler-Boycott, Involvement Worker at The Liverpool Mental Health Consortium says
We are thrilled to be organising ‘Mental Health and Me' with Writing on the Wall, we hope that by exploring the mind through creativity and writing, we will be able to challenge the stigma around mental health issues, create a positive effect and allow people to explore and discuss mental distress more openly.’
Madeline Heneghan, Director of Writing on the Wall says
Ruby has been central to the campaign in battling the stigma attached to mental health and encouraging people to speak openly about it. We are delighted and honoured to have her involved with this exciting and important competition.'

You still have time to apply for our 
Mental Health & Me Writing Competition
Find out more and you could get your work published! 

Thursday 21 August 2014

Joe Going to the Pub

He looked at his watch. I knew he was getting itchy feet and wanted to go out.
'I just think I will go and see the lads.'
'OK, Dad.' A big smile came to his face, and he most probably thought phew, that was easy.
He went to the cubbyhole, took out his big beige coat, and said like always, 'This is my coat from the forces.' It was given him from a relation of my husband, but he loved it.
'Come here and I'll help you fasten it.' He had dementia, and this was a skill he had to relearn. Off he went; and so did I, but unknown to him.
Many children were playing outside and I wondered how he would react to them, and vice versa. As I looked on, there he was bending over them talking; next he was slapping his hands against his legs and the children were copying him. He says his goodbyes and off again, next he's waving to a neighbour. He gets to the bottom of the street – now it's my turn. I run to the bottom of the road so I can watch him go out alone, following until he gets to the pub where he sits watching.
An old man sits in the same place all the time so people know where to look for him, and this they did.
As you walk in the door the bar is opposite with a table in the middle, which is usually full with workers. At the end of a long bar sits Billy, a rather larger than life character, who was a marvellous friend, joker, carer.
When dad got in the pub, they made sure he was OK; when he was coming home I would get a phone call to say he was on his way, so off I went to make sure he got home safe.

Maureen Thomas


These pieces are from our What's Your Story? participants. They have kindly donated their work to help inspire you to write down your thoughts as part of our 'Mental Health & Me' writing competition
You can find out more about our competition here. Keep in touch with our blog to read more of their brilliant writing. 



Wednesday 20 August 2014


We are getting closer to our Mental Health & Me competition deadline, (1st Sept)
To stir up some inspiration we have asked our previous What's Your Story? participants to contribute their work. Please enjoy the next weeks worth of writing and hopefully be encouraged to write your own... 

My Journey

Life’s weight – several journeys – high expectations – further, further – unknown tomorrow – respectable self – expecting love – many disappointments.

My journey – all mine – tiredness, stress – new energy tomorrow – sleep revives me – stay fit – who knows what’s ahead? – share life – who with? – lonely journey.

Variable journey – try something new – try something known – consciousness always expanding – body grows – taste goodness – breathe air – exercise mind – be there – be strong.

Hateful journey – wickedness everywhere – stay unpunished – be careful – have fun – try luck – maybe gamble – rise above – dance, sing – curse lots – maybe win – get wealthy – seek charitable causes – pleasant journey.

Join group therapy – chat, laugh – contribute something – take part – make friends – share experiences – avoid trouble – be comfortable – smile perhaps – sexual relationships hardly ever happen – life goes on – amazing journey.

Find work – earn money – do something challenging – live abroad – marry someone – start family – my journey goes on – sun setting – darkness comes – world revolving – heart beating – journey done.

Richard Eves

Have you got a story to tell, a poem, a diary entry you'd like to share with us?
If so, please enter our competition and you could get your work published! 


Tuesday 12 August 2014

What's Your Story? is BACK

Are you currently unemployed? Do you have an interest in writing and a story to tell? Would you like to enhance your skills? If the answer is yes, then read on…
 
Writing on the Wall are thrilled to announce that we’re launching a new and exciting What’s Your Story? course beginning this September which will be specifically aimed towards unemployed people who want to improve their skills. The course will cover a range of written genres including short stories, novel writing, script writing, poetry and writing for children. Course participants will be taught and supported by some of the finest local writers in the area. All for free!
 
 
Interested but need some more inspiration? Just think, before J.K Rowling reached multi-billionaire status following the Harry Potter book series, in her own words she was ‘jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.’
Could you be the next J.K Rowling superstar? Then get in touch and let the world know your story.
 
To join, please contact us by email via info@writingonthewall.org.uk 
or call us on 0151 703 0020

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Liverpool's First Virtual Book Fair

When I was first asked to coordinate a 'Virtual Book Fair' for Writing on the Wall, I will admit, I was slightly apprehensive. To the greatest extent of my knowledge, virtual books existed only on Kindles and iPads. The newest digital publishing innovation was only an updated model of a Kindle Fire, and there wasn't a massive deal to shout about in terms of 'Virtual Reading' and 'Digital Publishing' - What's all the fuss about? was my first thought.

But after doing my research I discovered what the fuss is all about, and begin to get excited about showing Liverpool the newest and most innovative developments that were happening within publishing and recruiting a fantastic line-up of the most knowledgeable people in the business to talk about them.

Pairing up with digital publishing, we were also keen to focus on self-publishing within the day's events. This is an aspect that has had a huge amount of publicity recently with début novelists now choosing to self-publish their work, instead of going down the typical agent/publishing house route, and achieving great success on their own.

Once I had got my head around the brief of the day, I decided it was time to dream big. And dream big we did. This was Liverpool's first 'Virtual Book Fair' ('With a physical presence' - as Madeline liked to say) - and we had to do it right.

Our chosen venue was the stunning fourth floor atrium of Liverpool's Central Library and with our custom designed iPhone signs, we were able to section off the areas for the different activities of the day.

'The Writer's Room' was a constant hub of the day. A sectioned off area from the main room, we screened a webinar in there which was made for us by Kjell Eldor. Kjell is the Digitial Publishing Manager at Blackwells but unbeknownst to me when approaching him, was also a previous trustee of WoW, and was very happy to be involved in the Virtual Book Fair. His webinar talked about the future of digital publishing, what was 'beyond the book' and the new interactive novels that are taking the publishing world by storm.

These interactive novel apps were probably my favourite part of the Virtual Book Fair, and mainly because I had no idea they even existed before beginning to plan the event. Apps such as 'Five Fables; Seamus Heaney' and 'TS Eliot's Wasteland', have taken reading to another level. With audio interactivity, images of the authors first notes and interviews with current authors - the level of immersion into the world of these books is something that has never been seen before.

We discovered the company Touch Press, who pioneered the interactive novel apps and made those mentioned above, along with a whole host of other exciting developments and were able to work with them to produce 'The Digital Station', a place at the Virtual Book Fair where people could explore these apps, have fun with them and see a different side to reading.

But my favourite part of the Virtual Book Fair, was without a doubt 'The Children's Pod' - because who wouldn't love a 10 foot wide inflatable igloo in the middle of a book fair? This monstrosity worked as the hub for the younger generation, and inside was The Wild Writer's; Mike Fowler and illustrator Chris Roddenhurst. Using the pod's projection screen and Chris's illustration tablet, they worked as a story telling duo and helped the children make up a story and illustrate it live. It was fantastic to see the children's imagination boldly going wherever they wanted, and watching Chris and Mike story-tell with a whole pod full of them!

The day's line-up for our Main Stage was so jam packed that Mike, Madeline and I were kept busy introducing and hosting an incredibly diverse and interesting line-up of speakers. Guests included a brilliant panel discussion with Mike Morris and the Salt Modern Dreams Novella Writers. Salt Modern Dreams is a great series of novellas which focus on the urban landscapes and realities of modern Britain, and features Liverpool's own Jon Gale. Jon, who won Pulp Idol back in 2012 has gone on to be featured in this series with his work 'Albion'. Along with Michelle Flatley, Deni Spencer and Jones Jones, Jon had a chat with WoW's; Mike Morris about their inspirations, their work with Salt and what they think is the future of publishing. It was great to have so many previously unpublished writers on stage, talking about their work. We also had a great Q&A and reading from Linda Bennett from Salt Publishing who showed us an insight into her publishing experience as well as giving freebies out to our audience!

My most exciting part of the day was the chat I got to have with Beth Reekles. When researching for the Virtual Book Fair, I stumbled across an article about Beth and discovered that she was, probably, the epitome of a self-published phenomenon. Using the online writing community site; Wattpad, Beth published her first novel 'The Kissing Booth' in stages, before being discovered by a Random House agent and signing a three book deal with them. The most incredible fact about all of this is that, she was just seventeen when this happened! A few years older now, she has just released her third book of the trilogy, is in talks of movie deals and is studying Physics at Exeter University. I read all this, and suddenly felt slightly like an under-achiever. I had to meet here. Thankfully Beth was charming, intelligent and modest 'in real life', and it was an absolute pleasure to have her at the Virtual Book Fair.

I could talk and talk and write and write about everything that happened at the Virtual Book Fair, and everything that I've learnt about the future of publishing and all the exciting things that are happening now and in the future. We had a fantastic day at the Central Library and all our activities such as our Writer's Surgeries with local authors; Caroline Smailes, Deborah Morgan and Jim Friel, our Twitter Haiku Competition with resident poets; Tim and Sinead and our Speak Easy spoken word platform with Curtis Watt got the public involved in writing, reading and interacting in a literary way.



Liverpool's first Virtual Book Fair - it was a big job, but WoW did it with style. The future is looking more and more exciting every day for digital publishing and self-publishing. Everyone knows the traditional book format will never be dead, but that doesn't mean we can't take risks, invent and explore the new formats and ways of reading and writing and interacting. The Virtual Book Fair showed Liverpool just that.






Abi Inglis 





Friday 1 August 2014

Word Up

Writing on the Wall are holding another writing course for young writers.

Are you a young writer who wants to get their voice hard and work with professional artists?
Then this course is for you!


Get in touch with WoW on info@writingonthewall.org.uk or call 0151 703 0020 
to find out more and how you can get involved. 

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU