The Guild at the Birmingham Book Festival

The Writers’ Guild West Midlands branch is involved in three events as part of the Birmingham Book Festival event this year.

This festival is well-established as not only a modern, urban, eclectic literary festival but as a forum for ideas and a focus for writing developments. Its motto is: Read. Write. Think.

For full details on all events visit the Festival website.

Stage Directions: Michael Frayn in conversation with David Edgar

Tuesday 7 October 7.45pm -9.15pm Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Place, Nr Central Library, B3 3HG

Michael Frayn, playwright, novelist and journalist, is recipient of many major literary prizes including the Somerset Maugham Award and the Whitbread Novel Award. His plays include Noises Off, Copenhagen and most recently Democracy, as well as his 2008 production of Afterlife. His 2002 novel Spies is currently being adapted for film. In 2008 he published his latest book, Stage Directions, an account of a career writing for the stage.

David Edgar is a Birmingham born playwright and president of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. His plays include Pentecost, Destiny and Albert Speer of Great Britain. He is the founder of Birmingham University’s MPhil Playwriting course. In 2007 his version of Nicholas Nickleby was revived at the Birmingham Hippodrome to great acclaim.

Michael and David will be in conversation about Stage Directions and lives spent writing plays. Presented in Association with the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain.

Tickets £7 (£5) Box Office: 0121 303 2323

The Writers’ Toolkit: A Conference for the Writing Industry

Saturday 18 October 9.30am – 4pm South Birmingham College, Digbeth Campus, Digbeth High St, Birmingham

The Writers’ Toolkit is an ‘industry day’ for emerging and established writers to learn about aspects of the business in greater detail, connect with other writers and those working in writer development. Sessions will include: Pitching ideas for stage and screen, teaching creative writing, becoming a business, publishing and using an agent, working with BBC radio, careers in literature development, producing live literature and many more.

In attendance will be: BBC Radio 4, Birmingham REP, Arts Council England, Tindal Street Press, Writer’s Market UK, The Arvon Foundation, The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, National Academy of Writing, Writers in Prison Network, Write On! –Adventures In Writing, and many others.

Tickets: £29 (£23) (includes lunch) For more information or to book call 0121 246 2770 or email sara@birminghambookfestival.org

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain: Writing For Broadcast In The Digital Age

A look at the opportunities and pitfalls of writing in the era of the internet Thursday 23 October 6.30pm -8pm Birmingham Conservatoire, Paradise Place, Nr Central Library, B3 3HG

Developments are coming thick and fast in our current digital age: we have blogs, You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, video on demand, printing on demand, not to mention Listen and Watch Again from the BBC.

Here in the West Midlands there are a number of smaller organisations looking to use these new opportunities, as well as regional presence from the big players. Birmingham is also one of the lead commissioning hubs for Channel 4’s new Four Innovation for the Public fund (4IP) which aims to kick start a wave of new investment in public service digital media content for audiences around Britain.

At this event we will discuss the benefits and challenges of these recent and upcoming developments for writers and organisations who either already have some experience in the field or who wish to find out more.

The event is co-hosted by the Writers' Guild West Midlands Branch and the Royal Television Society Midlands Centre. Representatives from both organisations will speak on the topic and Screen West Midlands will talk more about 4IP. This will be followed by an informal discussion.

Tickets: Free to Guild members. Non-Guild members £5 (£4). Box Office: 0121 303 2323

The Birmingham Book Festival runs throughout October. For details of all events and to join their mailing list go to www.birminghambookfestival.org