I will be blogging more about RT, but in the meantime, some pictures! The first is of myself and one of my readers, Rita, who came all the way from South Africa to attend RT. Getting her books home is not going to be easy.
And the second picture is with my friend, Nina, who I can totally geek out with over such vitally important topics such as Transformers and the voice that is Peter Cullen – who I might add was only ten blocks away at another convention. Ten blocks. And guess who else was there? Greg Wiseman, writer and creator of Gargoyles.
::sighs::
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Here’s a wonderful interview with Neil Gaiman: ”But, you know, the truth of the matter is what I like best of all � is being allowed to do anything. What I like best is the fact that I can do comics and I can do novels and I can do children�s books and I can do movies. And nobody seems to mind that I�m appallingly unfocused. I�m quite committed to go off and do this stuff, which makes me very happy.”
This article in the NY Times about that filler from China that made it into our pet food was totally unsurprising. When I worked for the US Embassy in Beijing, I had to do research into food imports from China. You know what the worst offender was? Tofu. Oh, yes. Tofu was rejected by US Inspectors more often than anything else, and the reason was simple: the food had been contaminated by feces. Rodent, feline, take your pick. Now, that was about four years ago, so maybe things have changed. Though after reading the following, perhaps not for the better: “They have fewer people inspecting product at the ports than ever before,” says Caroline Smith DeWaal, the director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington. “Until China gets programs in place to verify the safety of their products, they need to be inspected by U.S. inspectors. This open-door policy on food ingredients is an open invitation for an attack on the food supply, either intentional or unintentional.”
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Via Funds for Writers:
MISS WRITE COSMOPOLITAN WRITING PRIZE – UK AND IRELAND
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?pPageID=1210
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NO ENTRY FEE
We are looking for the next big thing in women’s contemporary fiction (think chick lit) and would love to hear from anyone who thinks they can write the next Bridget Jones or The Devil Wears Prada. The competition is open to everyone – yes, that means you too, boys – and the entry requirements are detailed below. So if you fancy the chance of winning a publishing deal with Sphere, including an introduction to a top literary agent and your book being featured as Waterstone’s offer of the week, you better get writing. Your entry must include a brief synopsis of your story, the first 3,000 words of your book and a mini biography of yourself. Entrants must be over 18 and residents of the UK or Ireland. The prize will be provided by Little, Brown Book Group. First prize consists of a publishing deal with Little, Brown Book Group, your book featured as Waterstone’s Offer of the week, plus an introduction to a top literary agent.
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BBC DRAMA PRODUCTION WRITERS ACADEMY
https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?newms=jj&id=15218
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The training you receive from BBC Drama�s Writers Academy will give you the specific skills required to write for some of the BBC�s most popular format series such as Doctors, EastEnders, Holby City and Casualty, and a springboard to write across all the BBC�s drama output. Potential writers will have already had at least one film, television or radio drama script produced, or one theatre piece performed professionally, or will be graduates of Skillset Approved screenwriting courses. The Writers Academy will train up to 8 writers a year, over a period of twelve months. Deadline May 14, 2007. A retainer of �400 a week will be paid during the 3-month initial training course.
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OLIVE O’CONNOR FELLOWSHIP IN CREATIVE WRITING
Colgate University
http://www.colgate.edu/DesktopDefault1.aspx?tabid=1556
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To enhance its strong program in creative writing, the Department of English has established the Olive B. O’Connor Fellowship in Creative Writing. Designed to support a writer completing his or her first book, the annual fellowship provides a generous stipend, office space, and an intellectual community for the recipient, who spends the academic year at Colgate. In return, the fellow teaches a creative-writing workshop each semester and gives a public reading of his or her work.
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HAWTHORNDEN CASTLE FELLOWSHIP – SCOTLAND
http://www.writersservices.com/agent/bur/Hawthornden_Castle.htm
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The Retreat houses five writers at a time, who are known as Hawthornden Fellows. Writers from any part of the world may apply for the fellowships. No monetary assistance is given, nor any contribution to traveling expenses, but once arrived at Hawthornden, the writer is the guest of the Retreat. Applications on forms provided must be made by the end of September for the following calendar year.