Andrea Wren: Journalist

Authors for Japan raised almost £11,000 in one week!

A big congratulations to Keris Stainton and all the other people involved with Authors for Japan, who have raised almost £11,000 in just one week to assist the British Red Cross in their relief measures for the people of Japan.

It's an amazing achievement, and Keris worked wonders pulling this together in such a short space of time with the help of others. I was stunned to see the grand total of £10,962.25 when I checked in on the site this morning knowing that the auction had closed yesterday.

Well done!

 

Authors for Japan: Helping the people devastated by the earthquake in Japan

Been meaning to post about this all week, but I've been ill, and better late than never. A fabulous inititiative has been launched by a lovely writer I know called Keris Stainton, in a bid to raise money for the terrible circumstances facing Japan right now.

More than 150 acclaimed authors have donated auction lots to Authors for Japan - an online sale which will hopefully raise considerable funds to send to Japan for its relief efforts.
 
Exclusive offers at http://authorsforjapan.wordpress.com include the chance to have a character named after you by novelist and Red magazine editor, Sam Baker, a dedication at the front of Jill Mansell's latest book and a signed pre-release copy of Jenny Colgan’s next novel.
 
Katie Fforde, JoJo Moyes, Adele Parks, Dorothy Koomson, Andrew Crofts and Caroline Smailes are also among best selling writers to have donated ‘money can’t buy’ items to the auction which is open until Sunday, March 20.
 
There’s also an opportunity to meet literary agent turned successful author Alison Bond for advice to ensure a draft novel is in your hands within a year.
 
More goodies featured include anthologies about Glee and Torchwood, £200 worth of children’s books from Hachette and a signed set of Skate School Stories by Kate Woodward.  Services donated include analysis and critiques of book proposals, cover designs, website set-up, social media expertise and more than 150 signed books. There are books on health including skin cancer and epilepsy, signed by authors Rachel Newcombe and Louise Bolotin respectively.

For aspiring freelance journalists, trainer and agency director Linda Jones has donated places on training workshops, mentoring and a non fiction book proposal critique.
 
She is joined in a Kick start your freelance writing career workshop by leading UK freelance and former magazine editor Karen Pasquali Jones, while coach Eve Menezes Cunningham offers an hour’s mentoring for journalists by phone and US journalist and writer Lisa Clark offers six months of mentoring via email or Skype.
 
Organiser Keris Stainton is a Young Adult author and freelance journalist and was inspired by the success of a recent Authors for Queensland auction which raised around $20,000. She has donated a package of advice including a manuscript critique and mentoring.
 
The number of lots available for auction are expanding daily: to browse, bid and donate, please visit:
 
http://authorsforjapan.wordpress.com

My copywriting work in 2011 Visit Llandudno brochure

Visit Llandudno commissioned me to do a travel copywriting job last year for the 2011 brochure, where I stayed overnight and did all the great touristy things that the town offers. It brought back childhood memories, and was a really lovely job to be doing!

It was nice to get a copy of the brochure in the post a couple of weeks ago and see the feature I'd written for them. If you'd like to have a look, my feature is Weekend in Llandudno on page 4.

Bring on more jobs like this - it was an absolute pleasure.

Recent reviews and articles on TheTravelEditor.com

Here are some of my most recent reviews and articles on TheTravelEditor.com.

Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula: the definitive Hong Kong experience > Ahhh, how I enjoyed this experience in the wonderful Hong Kong.

Grand Hyatt Macau – contemporary luxury in Macau’s City of Dreams > A very luxurious time spent here

Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui: a prime Kowloon location > Where we spotted Rowan Atkinson!

Risley Hall, Derbyshire – pet-friendly, country-style luxury > It's always good to be able to take my beloved Ruby with me!

The Midland Hotel Manchester: A stay with Afternoon Tea & dinner in The French > I do enjoy doing local reviews like this

'Soul Feathers' anthology in support of Macmillan is available for pre-order!

Fancy reading the work of some excellent poets AND giving money to a good cause? In the Soul Feathers anthology, you'll find the work of Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Bob Dylan, Seamus Heaney, Maya Angelou, Benjamin Zephaniah, Leonard Cohen, Sharon Olds and many more - including ME!

This wonderful new book is 280 pages of poetry featuring the cream of international poets writing today, classic poets from the past, together with experienced and new poets who wish to support this cause.

Soul Feathers is now available to pre-order from Central Books. Please go to the Soul Feathers pages at either www.indigodreams.co.uk or www.indigodreamsbookshop.com to reserve your copies. No money will be taken until the books are despatched

What's £11 when you know it's going to a charity that really do great work with the cash? Not a lot, so prise open your wallet and pre-order your copy of Soul Feathers now.

About me and poetry

I've been involved with writing and performing poetry for around one and a half years, and I spend a lot of time at various events and 'open mic' performance poetry nights around Manchester.

I now run a 'Stanza' poetry writing and reading group close to where I live. Stanzas are run by Poetry Society members, but you don't have to be a member to come along.

I contribute to a website called Write Out Loud and read my poetry at performance nights such as Manchester's Freed Up Poets.

Poetry contributions wanted for Macmillan charity anthology

Anne Morgan is currently collecting poetry contributions for an anthology she's hoping to get published which will raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The deadline for Anne to receive contributions is the end of September 2010, and poems must be on the theme of 'hope'. They may be dedicated to a loved one.

Anne says on the Facebook group related to her quest that three publishers are interested in the anthology.

If you'd like to contribute, email Anne or join the Facebook group for further details.

East Manchester & Tameside Stanza Poetry Group 21st September 2010

Thanks to all those who came to the last East Manchester and Tameside Stanza meeting on 31st August. It is great to see the group growing and becoming more dynamic, with yet even more new faces present!

The next Stanza meeting is to be held on Tuesday 21st September at 7.30pm to 9.30pm

The poem we shall be discussing at the next meeting will be 'Snow Joke' by Simon Armitage. I found a web copy of it here: http://poemaseningles.blogspot.com/2006/05/simon-armitage-snow-joke.html

As always, we'll have the opportunity to each share a poem (as the group is getting bigger, we'll keep this to one each to allow time for everyone to have feedback) so bring a copy of a poem you would like to share. Time-permitting, we will do a creative writing exercise too, so pen and paper will be handy.

Remember as well, Stanzas are not just for Poetry Society members, so you are welcome to bring an interested friend and pass this email on to any people you think might like to come along.

The Stanza meeting will take place in the Bamford Room upstairs at the Joshua Bradley, Address: The Joshua Bradley, Hyde Road, Gee Cross, Hyde, Greater Manchester SK14 5EG (http://www.hydesbrewery.co.uk/joshuabradley/index.html)

Please do join the Facebook group to stay updated! 

Feature about preparing to go freelance on Creative Boom

I've written a feature on preparing to take the plunge to go freelance for online magazine Creative Boom. I wrote a similar feature what do do before going freelance as a writer, but this has been adapted for the creative industries more generally, which Creative Boom helps to support.

Creative Boom is a great and dynamic site, offering a huge amount of information and support to the creative industries as well as a network to be involved in. Katy Cowan, of Boomerang PR, heads up the site.

Very worth taking a look at some of Creative Boom's other features and taking time to read some of the valuable stuff on there!

Read 'Before going freelance: Preparing to take the plunge'

Galway Arts Festival - feature on The Travel Editor

I've had quite an Irish time of it lately, last weekend I was in Belfast (watch this space for the feature article) and the weekend before I was in Galway, enjoying the fabulous Galway Arts Festival (shame on me for not knowing it existed before I got the invite!).

I'd been invited last minute to this press trip, which was organised by bmibaby and Tourism Ireland, and needless to say I jumped at the chance to experience Galway's cultural side as well its other attractions (apologies to the friends that I cancelled on that weekend - I know you understand though!).

It was a well-organised press trip and our hosts were excellent, the other members of group were a particularly nice bunch of travel writers and bloggers too. I sampled a fair amount of the black stuff that weekend, as well, for a lass who never drinks Guinness!

READ: A Weekend in Galway and the Galway Arts Festival