December 27, 2008: The Complete Works

Just to let you know, I have been accepted on the mentoring programme 'Complete works'. It is early days, but I am already learning so much from all who are involved in this ground breaking idea. I just came back from arvon a few days ago. Jo Shapcott and Sean O'Brien where our tutors. As a writer I am rarely stuck for words, however on this occasion it was like witnessing the splitting of the atom.

In partnership with Arts Council England, the Foyle Foundation and the Old Possum’s Practical Trust.

In association with the Arvon Foundation

The Complete Works is a national two year development programme for advanced Black and Asian poets, running between 2008 and 2010

Summer Update, 2008

In total 57 applications were received from all over the UK and representing a wide range of age, gender and ethnic backgrounds. The standard was extremely high; many writers had published chap books or first collections and had an extensive list of journal publications. The regional distribution was also good: half the candidates were from London and there was good representation from the North, the South East, the East, the Midlands and from Ireland.

The following ten writers were selected after the initial reading and interview process: Roger Robinson, Shazea Quraishi, Nick Makoha, Mir Mahfuz Ali, Denise Saul, Seni Seniviratne, Malika Booker, Karen McCarthy, Rowyda Amin and Janet Kofi Tsekpo.

These writers will receive mentoring, access to seminar days, a week at Arvon and other support for the following two years.The process of selecting mentors has begun and the group will go to Arvon in December. Further information about the project and the writers' progress will be updated on the web in the future.

Archived news entries:
2008-12-27, 2008-07-15, 2008-07-13, 2008-04-22, 2008-02-28, 2008-01-22, 2007-10-17, 2007-10-02, 2007-08-01, 2007-07-31, 2007-07-11, 2007-06-21, 2007-05-29, 2007-04-30, 2007-04-30, 2006-11-20, 2006-10-26, 2006-08-28, 2006-07-22, 2006-05-11, 2006-02-06, 2005-11-06, 2005-10-27, ...