Author: brunelwriter

Things They Don’t Tell You About Graduation

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With Brunel’s graduation week having just passed, it seems the perfect time to share some insight which I gained during my own ceremony, which I had very little idea about before the actual day.

graduation

1. It’s a pretty long day but it will go in a flash! Don’t forget to bring a camera, and make sure you take all the photos you possibly can. Especially don’t forget to have a photo with Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself – it’s a staple part of leaving Brunel.

2. You’ll feel pride like you’ve never felt. That’s pride in yourself, in your classmates, in the school that you’ve been a part of, and in the university as a whole.

3. You’ll feel in awe of the people graduating their Master’s degrees, and those receiving their PhD, you may even feel inspired to go on to postgraduate study. (Don’t forget Brunel students receive a discounted fee if they further their study at Brunel)

4. You’ll be standing and walking more than they let on, so wear comfortable shoes. Or wear really impressive ones and carry a spare pair in your bag.

5. Wear waterproof make-up! Even if you don’t cry, you’ll get hot in the robes and some of your make-up will do its best to escape.

6. The complimentary drinks aren’t bad at all!

7. Even if your entire family can’t make it, they will be proud of you and you’ll probably feel so much love from them in the lead up to your graduation (and afterwards) that it will be like they were there all along.

8. Try to eat breakfast. It’s easy to forget or just decide not to if you have a morning graduation as you’re expected to register and collect your gown between 8:30 and 9:30, so the morning is a rush. The ceremony goes on until about 12 o’clock though, so at least make sure you’re hydrated. The robes are hot, you’re probably wearing warmer clothes than you typically would be on a hot day and there are a lot of people in the room. Having something in your stomach is going to be better than sitting there very hungry and possibly even light-headed.

9. I was extremely happy that we had to walk up and down a slope instead of steps to shake hands with the officials, but in the event that you do have to walk up steps, I refer you back to point 4 for the shoe warning.

10. The certificate you’re given is in a folder and isn’t rolled into a scroll. The scrolls are fake and only for photographic purposes.

11. Finally, just enjoy the day. There will be a lot of rushing around, it will be stressful at times and it’s easy to let that affect your mood. Take a deep breath – get your robes, take some photos, laugh at what you all look like wearing the mortar boards, and then realise you’re all actually pulling it off quite well. Get your tickets, meet your guests, take more photos and enjoy it. As I mentioned in point 1 it goes in a flash, enjoy every moment of your success, and the success of those around you.

Credit: Brunel University Facebook Page
Credit: Brunel University Facebook Page

Huge congratulations to the Class of 2014, may your lives be richer for knowing each other, and may your future be as rewarding and as beautiful as you want them to be. Best of luck with whatever comes next.

Screenwriting Competition!

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Entries for the 2015 BlueCat Screenwriting Competition are now being accepted from all over the world. Prize money for the winner is a staggering $10,000, while three finalists will each be awarded a cash prize of $1,500.

All entries will receive written feedback on their scripts. Scripts submitted by the first of September will receive feedback by the 1st of October.

Short films must be between 5 and 40 pages and cost $40 to submit, while feature length scripts cost $60. Students are eligible for a discounted short film submission price of $35.

Check out interviews with 2014’s Winner Jennifer Cui, and finalists Jeremy Lerman, Athenia Paris Mekarnia, and Wenonah Wilms. 

For submission information, click here.

Recent achievements by BlueCat Alumni include:

  • Aaron Guzikowski’s #1 Film “Prisoners,” starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Melissa Leo, was released in September 2013. He is also the creator of “The Red Road,” a Sundance Channel original series.
  • Young Il Kim’s script, “Rodham,” a 2012 Blacklist Script, recently attached director James Ponsoldt (“The Spectacular Now”). Young recently won the 2013 Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant from Sundance, where he will write a biopic on Stephen Hawking.
  • Ana Lily Amipour’s debut feature, “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night,” premiered at 2014 Sundance.
  • Ashleigh Powell sold her script, “SomaCell,” to Warner Brothers, with David Goyer attached to produce.

 

Special thanks to Claudia Summerfield for this information.

Guest Blogger: Martha Salhotra – DEVISE

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Hi everyone, I’m Martha, a soon-to-be third year undergraduate studying English at Brunel.

A few weeks ago, I started up a blog on WordPress in the hopes of creating a magazine-style website which showcased the work of young, aspiring writers and journalists. Interestingly, I was initially inspired to start this up after my time managing the @BrunelWriter Twitter feed, where I discovered the importance of students needing a chance to write for competitions, magazines and websites and so have something to showcase to potential employers as evidence of their writing apart from personal blogs or university work.

Devise

As an aspiring writer/journalist myself, I had learned how vital is was that I wrote for other platforms and had evidence of engaging with different companies through the written word – so I set out to create a similar kind of platform for other students of a similar age and below who were also seeking such opportunities, giving them the chance to feel part of a new community of like-minded aspiring writers and journalists.

I named the website Devise – I know, it’s not very original – but the word ‘devise’ brought to mind images of planning, thinking and creating, and this is the kind of ethos I wanted the website to take on. The concept of Devise is quite simple: we’re giving our voluntary and unpaid writers the chance to both write articles for us but also, better their writing while doing so. In return for our writers’ weekly contributions, myself and our Senior Editor Simran proof-read, edit and then provide feedback on their articles, suggesting room for improvement and helping them to get new and exciting ideas for their articles on the website. We aim to help these young people with their writing as they progress through their studies and strive to become professional writers or journalists in the future.

Although the website was initially aimed at young people – so those aged perhaps 20 and below – we’ve now taken on a few writers who have graduated from university and are in fact, full-time professionals. For example, two of our writers are graduates who work in PR and another two are graduates working with other magazines. This has proved the success of Devise as a website that appeals not just to students, but other keen writers who simply wish to contribute articles and help us grow. The mix of writers at Devise is fantastic, and although we are still targeting young people, we take on board those who simply wish to engage in their passion for writing.

The sections Devise currently has on the site include arts and culture, lifestyle, entertainment, fashion and beauty, sports, travel, food and reviews – and we expect the sections to grow as we take on new writers. We are always on the lookout for writers and with 16 writers currently contributing articles to the website, our team of editors is set to increase too.

Devise started off with small-scale intentions but is now developing into something amazing. If you are reading this and wish to gain writing experience on a voluntary, unpaid basis, feel you would benefit from getting writing experience and feedback on your writing or simply want to get involved as a writer, then email us at deviseblog@yahoo.co.uk. We also have a Twitter account that you can follow for updates and new articles: @DeviseBlog.

Lastly, please take some time to visit the website and read a few of the articles written by our outstanding writers. Remember, if you see yourself as a Devise writer, then get in touch!

http://www.deviseblog.wordpress.com

Poet in the City – Upcoming Events

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bwlerhat_image

Poet in the City presents a series showcasing some of the most exciting new voices in poetry. Acclaimed International poets, rising stars, and some of the UK’s best new performance poets, will come together in a unique celebration of the power of words.

Come and experience poetry as you’ve never seen it before – inside London’s biggest bowler hat!

Living London – Monday 7th July 6.30pm – Living London is a celebration of some of London’s most exciting poets, writers and performance artists, in collaboration with Tilt. http://www.ontilt.org/

* Drawing on the unique Bowler Hat venue, the artists will explore London from all angles, from the surreal to the sublime! Living London will feature a live art performance by Stacy Makishi, flash fiction and wordplay by Femi Martin and poetry by Antosh Wojcik.

living_london

London Calling – Monday 14 July 6.30pm – Celebrating the publication of My Voice: A Decade of Poems from The Poetry Translation Centre, this event showcases the outstanding contemporary poetry written in three languages widely spoken in London: Arabic, Persian and Somali.
* Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi is widely regarded as one of the leading African poets writing in Arabic. His Collected Poems was published in 2010. A distinguished journalist, he was forced into exile in 2012 and now lives in London.
* Caasha Lul Mohamud Yusuf is one of the most exciting young poets of the Somali diaspora. She came to the UK in 1990 having fled the Somali Civil War and now lives in London.
* Reza Mohammadi was born in Kandahar in 1979. His three collections of poetry have gained him many awards, such as from the Afghan Ministry of Culture in 2004 and prizes for being Iran’s best young poet in 1996 and 1997.
* English translations will be read by Sarah Maguire (founder and director of the Poetry Translation Centre) and the poet Clare Pollard.

london_calling

How to Book:

Tickets for each event cost £8 and can be purchased via:

Living London

London Calling

For further information please contact Poet in the City on 0207 014 2812 or info@poetinthecity.co.uk

The Bowler Hat, Paternoster Square, London EC4M.
Nearest tube station is St Pauls.

BH_map

** Listen to Poet in the City’s informal Podcast with Antosh Wojcik – one of the youngest performers who will be at the Living London spoken word event – here: https://audioboo.fm/boos/2267780-living-london-interview-with-antosh-wojcik

** Follow Poet in the City’s Blog, Twitter account: @PoetintheCityUK, or Facebook page for more information about upcoming events.

** Follow @brunelwriter on Twitter for information about events, competitions and job opportunities in the world of writing!

A Guide to Surviving the Summer

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No, this isn’t about safety abroad or using sun protection; (although we do advise those things) this is about how to get through the long summer months which fall between exam period and fresher’s week without losing your mind.

Summer

The last week of term after exams always feels free, and celebratory, but what then? What do you do from late May to September? Of course, a lot of students have jobs or internships, but in the last few years it has seemed more difficult to find these opportunities, which means you may lose motivation.

So what can you do? Well…

Write something – you have all the time in the world now to just write something you want to write, not because you’ve been told to, not because you have an impending deadline. You could write something fantastic that would get published, you could write something utterly terrible that you never show to anyone, that won’t get you a bad grade. You could explore and develop some of the things you wrote over the academic year (because don’t we all improve so much between week 1 and now?) The point is that if you do something which feels productive, it is likely to motivate you to do other productive things.

Take up a hobby – It doesn’t have to be a new craft, it can be something that slowly became less prominent as the academic year got more and more crazy. What do you love to do? Think about it, do you miss it? Do it. Again, sometimes it’s difficult to get motivated to even do things that you know you love doing when you feel like you have nothing to do, but seriously, go and make a pie, bake an upside down cake, build a computer, make your own dress, plant some vegetables. Seeing and holding the product of your own work is extremely fulfilling.

Read a book – Read two books, read ten, read a hundred. This is your opportunity to pick up any book in the world and read it just because you want to. Apart from being one of the best feelings in the world, it will still hone your reading skills and your writing skills. One of the first things I was taught at Brunel was ‘the more you read, good great or terrible, the better your writing will be’.

Do voluntary work – If you’re looking for actual paid work, then voluntary work won’t get in the way. It is flexible, it’s far easier to get into than a paid position, because in general, if you have the time, you are qualified. It will also look great on your CV and will get you out of the house for a few hours each week.

Start a blog – This kind of goes hand in hand with ‘Write something’, but then again, you blog doesn’t have to be for stories or your other creative work. You can take anything you enjoy and blog about it. Film reviews, books, games, crafts, cooking, health and fitness, nail art. The world, as the say, is your oyster when it comes to blogs, and it’s hard to explain how surreal and satisfying it is seeing views accumulate from all over the world.

Those are a few tips, hopefully they’re useful to you in some way. What are your tips for staying productive over the summer?

*** Don’t forget to follow @brunelwriter on Twitter for information about competitions, job opportunities and quotes of the day.

*** Want to contribute? Check out ‘Submit’ tab!

This house will become a shrine –

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” – and punks and skins and rastas will all gather round and hold their hands in sorrow for their fallen leader. And all the grown-ups will say, ‘But why are the kids crying?’ And the kids will say, ‘Haven’t you heard? Rick is dead! The People’s Poet is dead!’  And then one particularly sensitive and articulate teenager will say, ‘Other kids, do you understand nothing? How can Rick be dead when we still have his poems?'” 

Rik

Comedy lost a hero this week. It is with a heavy heart that we say our goodbyes to Rik Mayall – the People’s Poet, the Young One, an imaginary friend; one of the most lovable comedy geniuses of the last thirty years.

It is rare to see someone’s popularity stand the test of time, and even more rare to see their jokes do the same. It is a testament to him as a person and how he revolutionised the way we write and digest comedy, from performing horrendous poetry which he made hilarious as Rik, The People’s Poet, to co-writing this stand up routine with Ade Edmondson:

Rik is someone who I had been aware of for over half of my life – The Young Ones being shown to me by one of my school friends, aged only eleven. I found him funny then, but after studying the comedy module in my final term as an undergraduate student, I feel a huge amount of respect for him, and am deeply saddened by his sudden loss.

In 2011, Rik Mayall came to Brunel University to film his interactive web drama ‘Soapopolis’, with the help of Creative Writing Subject Leader Max Kinnings and ex Pro Vice Chancellor Steve Dixon. He has been described as ‘a friend of Brunel’, and ‘an amazing person to work with’ by staff and students alike.

Rik Mayall will continue to be an icon in the world of comedy for decades to come. Those who write stand up comedy or sit-coms will still look to him for guidance and the confidence to really push the boundaries of what an audience expects.

Rik’s song ‘Nobel England’ is currently the number 1 downloaded song, head over to iTunes/Amazon to keep it there.

Rik 2

Creative Writing at Brunel on the Rise

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The Guardian League Table has been released this week, and has generated a great deal of school pride for Brunelians, with a 32 place jump for English and Creative Writing, we are now 6th, only one step behind Oxford, and two places ahead of UEA!

rising-results-chart
Photo Credit – http://iamchad.com/from-zero-to-the-first-page-day-one/

I have always been keen to tell people how great Brunel is for Creative Writing, English, and in general, and I am more than proud now to be able to write this post about our huge achievement.

Go to http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jun/03/guardian-university-guide-2015-improving-departments to read about our jump in the league tables, with a quote from Dr Nick Hubble, head of Brunel’s English School.

Keep up the excellent work, Brunel, onwards and upwards.

Laura

*** Follow @brunelwriter for writing news, competitions and quotes of the day!

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Under the Weather

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Living in England, we are used to the weather being ridiculously temperamental. A few weekends ago, people were walking around in shorts, with horrific sunburn. Now, it’s big jumpers and umbrellas.

Cloudy
*PHOTO CREDIT: andersbjornsbo.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/does-cloud-computing-only-work-in-cloudy-weather/

When I opened my curtains this morning, the clouds were shifting and there was a hint of blue skies. I felt motivated to write for the first time in a long time. Not only that, but my mood lifted instantly. Within the hour, the clouds have returned, and with it, the familiar sense of being entirely unmotivated to write anything at all, save for some sarcastic tweets.

I find myself wondering if this is a common thing – Does the weather really affect us in this way? Do clouds in the sky somehow manifest as writer’s block, clouding our creative vision? Do they make for dull writing? In the same vein, does the sun make us write with more tenacity and verve? Does the rain make our writing take on a more sombre edge?

I’m interested in your viewpoints, writers. Please leave a comment below or send a tweet to @brunelwriter.

     ***Follow @brunelwriter on Twitter for writing competitions, creative news, opinions and discussion regarding all forms of creative writing.

       ***If you have an idea for an article, either send a tweet to @brunelwriter, or check our ‘submissions’ tab!

Will Self in conversation with Matt Thorne

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Date: 21 May 2014

Time: 18:00 – 19:00

Location: Brunel University Library

After the success of our Warsan Shire event in February, we are pleased to announce that our next talk in the Brunel Author Series will be with the internationally acclaimed author, journalist and broadcaster Will Self.

Professor Self will read from his work and then discuss his writing with Matt Thorne, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Brunel University.

Will Self is currently the Professor for Contemporary Thought at Brunel University, and has a worldwide reputation for his award winning writing. At the time of sending this e-mail, he is the prolific author of nine works of fiction, including the Booker short-listed Umbrella, six collections of non-fiction, three novellas and six short story collections. Will is a well-known face on several television programmes such Newsnight and Have I Got News For You, as well as a contributor to many BBC Radio 4 programmes. He is perhaps best known at Brunel for his Psychogeography course, a form of urban geography that employs walking around liminal spaces as a way of exploring the relationship between the environment and the mind.

Matt Thorne is the award nominated author of several books of fiction including Booker long-listed Cherry and most recently a biography of Prince.

The event will take place at 6pm on Wednesday 21st May in the Library, Bannerman Centre, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH. Booking is essential. Free places can be reserved by e-mailing library.events@brunel.ac.uk.

Books will be available to buy on the evening from Waterstones.

We look forward to seeing you there.