The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2011: terms and conditions
How to enter our brilliant competition to win a publishing contract
Are you a secret storyteller? Now’s the time to let your talent out in the open. The Times and Chicken House are on a mission to discover another great children’s writer, whose book will be published around the world by Chicken House.
How to enter
Your full-length manuscript (no more than 80,000 words) must be received at The Chicken House by October 29, 2010. The address, submission criteria, terms and conditions and tips are below.The shortlist
The Chicken House reading team will select a shortlist of five entries, to be announced in February 2011. The judges will choose a winner from this shortlist, to be announced at Easter 2011.The prize
The winner will be the entrant whose story, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality and originality suitable for the children’s age group. The prize is the offer of a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House, with a royalty advance of £10,000.The judges
Barry Cunningham, publisher, Chicken House
Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo and Running on the Cracks
Amanda Craig, children’s book critic, The Times
Neil Blair, partner at the Christopher Little Literary Agency
John McLay, literary scout and director of the Bath Literary Festival
Damian Kelleher, author, reviewer and children’s media consultant
Rebecca Wilkie, Booktrust
The Waterstone’s Children’s Bookselling TeamChicken House Competition Terms and Conditions
1. The competition will run from March 27 to October 29, 2010.
2. Closing date for entries is last mail delivery October 29, 2010.
3. Unless otherwise stated, the competition is open to all entrants aged 18 or over, except employees of Times Newspapers Limited (“TNL”), Chicken House Publishing Limited (“Chicken House”) and their associated, affiliated or subsidiary companies, and their families, agents, or anyone connected in any way whatsoever with this competition.
4. Entry is limited to one per person. Entries must be by post, email submissions will be rejected. Entries must be sent to The Chicken House, 2 Palmer Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1DS marked “Children’s Fiction Competition”. Entries must be clearly labelled with the entrant’s full name and contact details (including an address and telephone number) and must be received by the last post delivery on October 29, 2010.
5. By entering, all eligible entrants agree to abide by each and all these terms and conditions. The Promoters (as referred to in term 20 below) reserve the right, with or without cause, to exclude entrants and withhold prizes for violating any of these terms and conditions. The Promoters reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions. Any amendments will be published on the Website timesonline.co.uk/chickenhouse.
6. Submission Criteria
Entries must be the original work of the entrant and not previously published. The entrant must not have previously authored or published any whole book in any country, whether fiction or nonfiction, but may have authored or published an essay or story in an anthology. The entrant must personally submit the entry: any submissions from or found to be from agents will be void and rejected. Entries submitted in previous years are ineligible. The entry must be a full-length manuscript of no more than 80,000 words. The entry should be suitable for a worldwide children’s audience aged between 9 and 16. Each entry must be accompanied by a brief synopsis, plot plan and a letter of submission explaining the book’s appeal to children. (A plot plan is a chapter-by-chapter breakdown, with a couple of sentences on each, paying attention to the roles of the main characters, dramatic high points, and the most important strands of the plot. The synopsis should be no more than a page, and should give an overview of the complete story, including key characters, events and settings.)Picture books and graphic novels will not be accepted and illustrations will not be considered. Entries must be written in English, typed, double-line spaced, with numbered pages. Entries that do not meet these criteria will not be read.
Entries should be secured using elastic bands and placed in a cardboard wallet (not a ring-binder or lever-arch file). The entrant must retain their own copy as no entries will be returned. Entries will be acknowledged only if accompanied by a stamped, addressed postcard, placed at the front of the cardboard wallet, clearly visible. If entrants who have included a postcard have not received confirmation of receipt 28 days after submission, they should assume their entry has not been received. Entrants in this position may resubmit their manuscript with proof of prior entry postage. There will be no feedback on any entries, either during or after the competition.
7. There will be one prize winner. Subject to submission of a suitable creditworthy entry (as referred to below), the prize is the offer of a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House (which shall be subject to negotiation and completion between Chicken House and the winner. If the negotiations between the parties fail, then the winner will receive the alternative prize set out below). The winner will be the entrant whose story, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality and originality and suitable for a children’s (aged 9-14) story. However, in the event the judges in their sole opinion determine that none of the entries are suitably creditworthy for a worldwide publishing contract the Promoters shall none the less select the best entry in accordance with these terms and conditions and award an alternative prize namely, a full and detailed editorial consultation with Barry Cunningham and The Chicken House Editorial team, including creative and technical advice on their entry.
8. Entrants retain all rights to their entries, except in the case of the winner to whom a publishing contract will be offered (as referred to in term 7 above). The winner will retain the copyright to the work and shall exclusively license worldwide publishing rights in the entry to Chicken House Publishing Limited on completion of the publishing contract. The publishing contract with the winner will be in line with industry standards for a debut children’s novel with a Royalty Advance of £10,000. The winner will also receive an offer of representation from The Christopher Little Literary Agency.
9. Selection Criteria
All entries will be read by a Chicken House editorially managed team of experienced freelance readers who will select a shortlist of 5 entries. The 5 shortlisted entrants shall be notified and shall receive details of the proposed publishing contract with Chicken House. If any such entrant decides to withdraw from the competition at this stage it shall notify Chicken House in writing to the address specified in term 20 within 10 business days of receipt of details of the proposed publishing contract. Subject to the foregoing provisions of this term all 5 entries will then be read by the judges and a winner selected. The judges reserve the right to award the prize an entry which may not strictly comply with entry requirements.10. The winner agrees to an interview which may be published by TNL in any of their publications including but not limited to The Times, or The Sunday Times and either of their Websites.
11. TNL reserves the right to publish segments/parts of entries other than the winning entry (up to 500 words of any non-winner’s entry) in The Times on its Website, and publication does not necessarily mean that the entrant has won a prize. TNL reserves the right to edit entries in its discretion for publication. Entrants will retain copyright in their submitted entries; however, by entering, all entrants give TNL a worldwide royalty free perpetual licence to edit, publish and use segments of each entry in any and all media (including print and online) for publicity and news purposes. In particular, all entrants license TNL the right to print their entry on either of the Times or Sunday Times Websites and in The Times or The Sunday Times or any of their supplements.
12. The winner will be notified by March 31, 2011. All reasonable endeavours will be made to contact the winner before this date. If the winner cannot be contacted or is not available, the Promoters reserve the right to select another winner from entries which were received before the closing date.
13. There is no cash or other alternative to the prize stated and the prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.
14. The judge's decision is final and binding on the entrants. No correspondence will be entered into.
15. The Promoters will not be liable for any failure of receipt of entries. Proof of posting cannot be accepted as proof of delivery. If entrants who have included postcard have not received confirmation of receipt 28 days after submission, they should assume their entry has not been received. Entrants in this position may resubmit their manuscript with proof of prior entry postage. The Promoters take no responsibility for any entries which are lost, delayed, illegible, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid. Other than death or personal injury arising from the acts or omissions of the Promoters, or their employees, the Promoters will not be liable for any loss or damage arising out of the winner’s receipt of the prize.
16. By entering, the entrants, including the winner, agree to allow the free use of their names, photographs and general locations for publicity and news purposes during this and future promotions by TNL or any associated or subsidiary company of News International Limited.
17. Uses of personal data received by TNL in the course of the competition are subject to current UK data protection legislation and the privacy policy found on the Times Online website. The winner's name may be published on the website.
18. Submission of an entry will be deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.
19. The Promoters reserve the right at any time to cancel, modify or supersede the competition (including altering the prize) if, in their sole discretion, the competition is not capable of being conducted as specified. The Promoters reserve in their absolute discretion the right to substitute a prize of equal value in the event that circumstances beyond their control make this unavoidable.
20. The Promoters of this competition are Times Newspapers Limited (address below) and Chicken House Publishing Limited of 2 Palmer Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1DS.
21. For details of the winner, please send a stamped envelope to Times Newspapers Limited Competitions Department, 1 Virginia Street, London E98 1RL, after May 1, 2011, stating for which competition you would like winners’ details.
22. Terms and Conditions printed in The Times/The Sunday Times newspaper or on Times or The Sunday Times Websites form a part of these terms and conditions. In the event of a conflict of terms these terms and conditions shall prevail.
23. The competition is governed by English law and any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Barry Cunningham's top tips for writing children's fiction
FEEL IT
Think about who your reader is and try imagining yourself at same age as your characters. What did you feel as a child? Can you remember what was important to you? What made you laugh or cry? It’s a great place to start.ORGANISE IT
It’s very important to plan, however loosely. Some writers use a storyboard to lay out their plots graphically. They have detailed descriptions of their setting, plots and cliffhangers, as well as character breakdowns – so they can be consistent. The beginning and ending of a novel are by far the most difficult parts to get right. Think carefully about where you want to begin your book – it doesn’t have to be at the start of the story! You might want to cut straight to the action, or even begin from a minor character or animal’s point of view! Don’t be afraid to experiment although the end of a book should always offer some "reward" to the young reader.EXPRESS IT
You need the reader to feel something for your characters. Sympathy and admiration for lead characters is sometimes not as important as writing a wonderful villain or anti-hero, but try and make both intriguing, not just plot devices for moving your story on. Good description is important, but almost always it’s better to express yourself in dialogue, or through your characters actions, than in lengthy explanations. Humour is also very important – children often laugh with fear or cry with happiness, and the use of both is effective.
A global space for
global citizens...
Nkenge Toure is my friend. Nkenge Toure is your friend. Nkenge Toure is our friend. WPFW 89.3 fm is my radio-station. WPFW 89.3 fm is your radio-station. WPFW 89.3 fm is the people's radio-station. "In Our Voices" (Nkenge's show) on WPFW 89.3 fm needs my support. "In Our Voices" on WPFW 89.3 fm (Nkenge's show) needs your support. "In Our Voices" on WPFW 89.3 fm (Nkenge's show) needs our support.
Nkenge Toure is in the hospital and she is taking care of herself. We miss her and we are proud of her for taking time for herself. WPFW 89.3 fm is still on Champlain Street and needs my support. WPFW 89.3 fm is still on Champlain Street and needs your support. WPFW 89.3 fm is still on Champlain Street and needs our support.
Speak truth to power! Speak truth to power! Speak truth to power! Please support Nkenge Toure and WPFW 89.3 fm tomorrow by calling 202-588-9739 or 1-800-222-9739. We really need your continued friendship and your contributions, tithes and promises! Call "In Our Voices" from 11:00am-12:00pm on this Friday. Elise Bryant and Faye Williams will lead the "pitch" for Sister Nkenge Toure.
Washington, DC based Hip-Hop artist Head-Roc will perform and distribute free units of his new six-song EP, The "Empower DC Project," on the streets to fellow DC residents at eight select DC neighborhoods near Metro subway stations Oct. 19 – Oct. 28, 2010. The "Empower DC Project" is comprised of songs inspired by the work of what he describes as "The most fearless and effective community organizing group in DC." Empower DC (http://www.empowerdc.org) is a city-wide, nonprofit community empowerment organization working to lift the voices of low and moderate income DC residents, and build collective political power in order to bring about sustained improvements in quality of life. Empower DC's grassroots member base is leading campaigns to address the important issues of access to quality child care, affordable housing, quality public education, and the preservation of at-risk public property. See the website for tour locations. Or call Parisa at 202-234-9119.
Sisterspace and Booksa global space for global citizens3717 Georgia Avenue N.W.(Georgia Avenue Petworth Metro Station)Washington, DC 20010202-829-0306
Greetings Sisters and Brothers, Friends and Customers, Philanthropists and Investors,
As you are aware, Sisterspace and Books is back on the block! We re-opened our doors on November 22, 2009 at our new location: 3717 Georgia Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20010, right next door to the Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metro station.Back in the day, Georgia Avenue was the location for black-owned businesses. Sisterspace and Books is apart of that tradition and we need you to support us, if we are to be around and able to do our work. We are happy to be back to serve the community – and we need your continued support.
Here are three ways you can be a part of this exciting rebirth of a community institution:
1. Shop – Come to the store and buy books or gift items (such as sweatshirts and jewelry) . We have great books for every age and a whole variety of interests! Also, consider purchasing a gift certificate for friends, family, or colleagues. Do you know someone graduating from high school or college? Do you know someone retiring or going on a vacation? Do you know someone getting married? What better gift from you than a book from or a gift certificate to Sisterspace and Books?
2. Spread the word – on Facebook, Twitter, email, and that old-fashioned way – “word of mouth.” We especially encourage you to ask groups, schools, businesses, and other organizations you know to make bulk purchases through Sisterspace and Books – this is a great way to generate revenue to support the classes, programs and special events that we all want. (see below)
3. Sponsor – Are you able to be a sponsor at the level of $20 a month, or more? You monthly sponsorship would help us keep the lights on and assist us with the other operating costs.
Your financial support is crucial at this time. We know that funds are short for everyone and your support – as little or as much as you can commit – is greatly appreciated!
Bring your sponsorship – cash, checks, or credit cards – to the store or you can pay securely online via Paypal as soon as you have read this. We appreciate your support of Sisterspace and Books and more importantly, we invite you to be a part of this great enterprise within our community.
Currently, Sisterspace and Books is operating as a business. We are also working to form a nonprofit support entity, Friends of Sisterspace and Books. If you want to be part of that effort, or need to make your contribution in a manner that is tax-deductable, please advise us.
In anticipation of your answering our appeal – a thousand thank yous!!
Peace and love,
We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
Friends of Sisterspace and Books
*EACH ONE, TEACH ONE EDUCATIONAL EVENTS:1. Tutoring for children and adults and computer training classes
2. GED classes and reading and writing classes
3. Book-clubs for girls, boys, seniors, men, women and young professionals
4. Literacy events with films, authors and performances
5. Educational, Cultural, and Political Conferences and Workshops
*BACK TO BASICS CULTURAL EVENTS:1. The Fannie Lou Hamer In-Her-Light Series
2. The James Baldwin In-His-Light Series
3. Georgia Avenue Black History Events- Past, Present, Future
4. African Drumming and Dancing with locals and "celebrities"
5. Great-Grand Poetry Slam (50+ years), poetry readings, and creative writings
*YES YOU CAN WORKSHOPS:
1. Resume Writing, Job Counseling and Interview-Coaching
2. 12-Step meetings (Al-Anon-NA-OA-AA-DA) and Smoking Cessation Classes
3. Healthy Food Shopping and Cooking Classes
4. Hand-crafted Jewelry and other Cultural Items
5. The Financial Literacy Campaign
Interview with Giuseppe Sofo, editor of Nerosubianco and Calypso
GIUSEPPE SOFO is a 26 year old book writer, editor, translator, teacher, journalist and blogger. He's from Italy but he also moves quite a lot between different countries. He is currently the series editor of Nerosubianco and Calypso, which contain books by Caribbean authors for the Italian market (titles include Edwidge Danticat’s Behind the Mountains and Aimé Césaire’s Une Tempête). Giuseppe has also authored fiction books himself, such as Dollville and Qui Lo Chiamano Blues (Here they call it blues), which were released in 2006 and 2008 respectively. His third and fourth book, the novel Quest'alba Radioattiva and the diary Fango e Colori (Mud and colours), based on his experience in Trinidad, are due in 2011.
Q: Your name is jee-u-seppy----did I pronounce that correctly?
Ahahah no, but don't worry, I gave up a long time ago on the correct pronounciation or spelling of my name. Every place I go to, I hear a new pronounciation of my name, and I actually like that. It's like having a different identity for every different place you go to. Most people in Trinidad just called me G, Italian boy, or simply bwoy.Q: You do what many people would envy you for: you get paid to read and write. What is your academic background, and what publishing company do you currently work for?
Well, I actually don't get paid as much as one would think, which is why it's not my main job. I've been (and I am) teaching Italian in several schools around the world (from kindergarten in France to university in the States). This also gives me the opportunity to discover new countries and cultures, and still leaves time for writing and all the rest. As a writer I'm working for Morellini Editore, for which I'm writing a travel guide about Bremen, a beautiful city in Northern Germany, for Las Vegas Edizioni, that is going to publish my next novel, and for Miraggi Edizioni, that is going to publish my diary on Trinidad. As a translator I work for Incontri Editrice, and CartaCanta Editore, but I also collaborate with several other publishers and companies in Italy and France.Q: Tell us about Nerosubianco and Calypso, the Caribbean book series for the Italian market. Why this series? How big is the demand in Italy for books featuring the Caribbean?
Nerosubianco is actually a series of postcolonial literatures, but the focus for the moment is on Caribbean literature, because it's what I enjoy working on the most. The first titles, to be released in October, are going to be “Une Tempête” by Aimé Césaire, “Behind the Mountains” by Edwidge Danticat and “Sweetheart” by Alecia McKenzie. Calypso is a series dedicated to Caribbean short stories. I love the genre, and I think Caribbean writers have a lot to say in the field. Our first title is going to be “Four Taxis Facing North” by Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw. It's two small series by small publishers, but that's how you start bringing a literary world into a market. The bigger publishers will soon or later realize Jamaica Kincaid and V.S. Naipaul are not the only Caribbean writers worth being translated...Q: What is your role in the series?
I choose the books I like, I get the rights for them, and most of the times I translate them.Q: Authors such as Danticat and Césaire have a very distinctive voice. How difficult is it to stay true to that voice in translation?
Translation is always a difficult task, but also a fascinating one. I consider this work as a gift, something that usually gives me more than what it takes from me. As a writer, I know how important it is to not alter the meanings and the wordings of an author, so I try to stay as close as possible to the original. I think the reader has to make an effort to go towards the author, rather than the opposite. Especially when it's writers from completely different worlds, and the reading of a book becomes in fact a traveling experience.Q: What aspects of Caribbean literature appeal most to you, and why?
The first Caribbean text I ever read was “Pantomime” by Derek Walcott. I remember being fascinated by the language, by the attempt to deconstruct a traditional text and to reconstruct it in a completely different setting with completely different meanings. I was moved by it in a way no European text had moved me in many years before then. When I read a book I like being taken to a new place I have never been before, mentally and physically. Caribbean literature is often able to make me experience this.Q: You have done research on Trinidad Carnival Theater at UWI (St. Augustine, Trinidad). Sounds interesting.
Yes, I wrote my MA thesis on Trinidad Carnival, it's titled “Jouvay of a culture. Cultural awakening and resistance in Trinidad Carnival Theatre.” It was a beautiful experience. I was in Trinidad twice and I was very well assisted by all the staff of the Department of Creative and Festival Arts, as well as by all the people I met during my time there.Q: How was Trinidad, anyway? How long were you there, what did you do?
It was bessssss :) What can I say? I was there in Fall for a couple of months and then back for other two months around Carnival. It was definitely one of the most amazing times of my life. I did everything I could do. I made mas (with MacFarlane's hat-trick band Africa), I played mas, I played jouvay (something I will never forget), I hate more doubles than any other European has ever tried to (and I think I'm the only European who's actualy able to make good ones :)), I went to concerts, theatre plays, performances, readings, art exhibitions, fetes (of course), beaches, “mountains”, clubs, panyards, what else?Q: You have authored some books yourself, such as Dollville and Qui Lo Chiamano Blues (Here They Call It Blues). What are they about?
They're very different, actually. The first is a theatre monologue, where a character tells a story that doesn't exist about a city that doesn't exist. It's also available as an e-book in English. Qui Lo Chiamano Blues was a collection of three short stories settled in the United States. This was actually written in English before than in Italian, but it was never published in English. Anyone out there interested? :)Q: Your blog (www.giuseppesofo.net) boasts some terrific pictures of your travels through the world. Is it safe to assume that photography is a big hobby of yours?
At the beginning, it was only a way to keep something with me of the places I visit, and to show my family and friends at home where I was, but then it became much more. I opened the blog after a hard-disk with all the pictures of my first trip to Trinidad broke, leaving me with no picture of those months. After that, I realised how dear I held my pictures, and how much I would have loved to start doing something with them. So there they are.CLS: Thanks, Giuseppe
Giuseppe Sofo may be contacted through the following media:
Blog: GiuseppeSofo.net
Email: giuseppesofo@yahoo.it
Facebook: Giuseppe Sofo
CLS Profile Page: Giuseppe Sofo
Book Review: The Arnold Circus Centenary Cookbook
I have been admiring Levi Roots’ latest book Food for Friends: 100 Simple Dishes for Every Occasion for a while now. It came out in August and I have been browsing through it at the supermarket. It’s a glossy publication done in the contemporary ‘Nigella style’ of cookbook, with lots and lots of photographs of Levi and with the dishes that’s he’s cooked. The theme of this cookbook is the spicing up everyday (British) dishes to make them feel a bit more Caribbean. I love Levi’s back-story - he was the dragon slayer on the Dragons’ Den TV programme who won the funding to develop a hot spicy sauce range known as Reggae Reggae Sauces, and they have become phenomenally popular and are probably on a supermarket shelf near you. It’s just that for me the issue with this book is that I just don’t feel the need for a Jamaican style pizza or a sweet potato shepherds’ pie in my kitchen or on my dinner table. It just feels like a bit too much of an unnecessary multi-cultural mash-up to me.
If you really want to understand Caribbean food and cookery, I would recommend anything that you can find by Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz, whose love of good food began in Jamaica when her family moved there when she was 8 years old in about 1923. She died in 2003, I think that her books are now out of print – but I am sure it is possible to find them, it would be well worth the hunt. For something a bit more up to date, I would also recommend a book by Levi Roots’ contemporary Patrick Williams, who was also inspired by his Jamaican mother. Patrick, who you might catch now and again on the Saturday morning TV cooking programmes, has a book is called The Caribbean Cook (2001) and it is a straightforward cookbook with some delightful recipes that West Indians really do cook and eat at home. Alternatively you could just pop into Patrick’s restaurant The Terrace when you are next passing through Lincolns’ Inn Fields, London – The Terrace.
The cookbook that I brought earlier this year and would like to celebrate here, is a true reflection of multi-cultural London, The Arnold Circus Centenary Cookbook. It is a collection of recipes from people who live and work around London’s first social (council) housing estate, The Boundary Estate and has just celebrated its 100th birthday. Arnold Circus is the bandstand that stands at the centre of the redbrick housing blocks that radiate out from it rather like spokes on a wheel. Over the years it has been the focus of much devotion and hard work to turn it in to a positive space that everyone can enjoy. It all came together this past summer, when the bandstand and garden re-opened after more than a year’s closure and £600,000 worth of refurbishment. The cookbook is made up of recipes that people who live in the area sent in to The Friends of Arnold Circus group that organised both the refurbishment and the cookbook. There are one hundred recipes split into 4 sections – Starters and Spices, Mains, Puddings & Sweet Things and Drinks & Misc.The recipes represent this corner of east London in all its wonderful and diverse variety. Soups from Morocco and Armenia, Sweet and sour sauce from Shanghai, all kinds of curries and delicacies from all over Bangladesh, cockney staples such as bubble and squeak; Irish soda bread, Greek Tzadziki and Russian Borscht. Other places represented include Japan, Somalia, Goa, and the US. The recipes are interspersed with stories and pictures about food from residents old and young, some just arrived, others who have always lived here. It gives a sense of the history of the East End of London, with stories and recipes that hark back to the Jewish identity of the area, and there is even one recipe, written to start with in French, that is a reminder of the17th century Huguenot presence. The dominant presence now is of the Bengalis, and their South Asian cuisine that this part of east London, with its curry lane, is now most famous. There is also a sense of the economic breadth of the district, with recipes like [Recipe no. 43] Peanut Butter & Crisp Sandwich only few pages up from [Recipe no. 40] Roast Poussin with Artichoke Hearts.My favourite quote in the book is about lunch [Recipe no. 19] by Nabila Kabeer'… having a sandwich or a salad may fill me up but it won’t cheer me up. I need a cooked meal for that.'Of course, given the nature and themes of this blog, I have chosen to feature the recipes and stories that come from the West Indies. Before I focus on those, I would like to point out this lovely little story about Camel and Maize [Recipe no 49], which a very popular dish in Somalia, where the writer Hilib, explains that it takes a long time to cook camel meat. I have been following the cooking adventures of a neighbour on her blog all summer and been particularly struck by her gastronomic love affair with camels and so I do now understand that it is a revered delicacy in parts of the world where camels are easily found. Just thought that I would share: Camel recipes.[Recipe no. 41] Story from KathleenI grew up in St Lucia during the war. Till I came here, I didn’t understand what is ‘poor’. Back home everyone has a little land – a cow, a sheep, a pig, or a goat - so when someone kill an animal they share it with the neighbours. My mum used to cook fish all the time, catch it in a river basket. Sometimes the conger eel, slit it belly, put in the pot to boil with salt and spice, eat it up like soup, or anytime, a snack. I got family here and back in St Lucia. I miss it there, but I’m at home here, and here in London it’s more … alive![Recipe no. 73] Fruitcake by AnneIn 1955 when I came here form St Lucia, there was no West Indian food here. There was a Jewish man in Burdett Road who would get us garlic, and black or red beans, and I used to go down to Brixton to get West Indian foods, take 2 trains and to Brixton, 6 o’clock Saturday morning. My mum would post me a big tin of cooking butter and I would share it with my friends. Sometimes we would team up with friends to go to Billingsgate and get Mackeral…This is my fruitcake.I would keep the dried fruit in a big old glass sweetie jar, then when I was making fruitcake I would soak it all in some wine and brandy, overnight, or at least a few hours.Cream together 1lb butter and 1lb sugar, add 6-8 eggs, beaten, (depends on the size of the eggs). Add some essence, almond, or vanilla. Then you stir in 1lb self raising flour, then the fruit. You line your tin with greaseproof paper, bake the cake for an hour or an hour and a half, at gas mark 4. Don’t open the door before an hour is up!I just totally loved those stories about West Indian food and longing in London. Unfortunately I failed to complete the paperwork to get my chosen recipe included in the cookbook, but I would have sent in Bill Granger’s Coconut Bread (from his first book Sydney Food) if I had remembered. This is a bread that is eaten with Jamaican Saltfish Relish he says, but in Sydney they eat it as a breakfast cake. Actually I cannot imagine that any self respecting Jamaican would spoil either their Saltfish or a fine coconut cake by eating them together, the thought of it makes my mouse fur up. With fried plaintain or Johnny cakes (fried dumplings) - most definitely, but not a cake, that must most definitely be a Sydney thing; but I do love the multi-cultural fusion of this cake travelling around the world and being loved and enjoyed so far away from where it began. I have been cooking the Coconut Bread recipe for over 10 years now and have shared it with friends in Italy and Brazil. It's wonderful with with melted chocolate.[Recipe no. 63] West Indian Potato and Prawn Curry by Beverley GreenNo idea where Beverly Green or her family are from, but I enjoyed cooking her West Indian curry and loved eating it even more! I hope that you enjoy the pictures. You can get The Arnold Circus Centenary Cookbook from Leila’s Shop – it is £2.00 and that includes postage and packing – it’s an absolute bargain. You will love it.
Encona's Hot Pepper Sauce in a bottle, instead of
a fresh Scotch bonnet pepper
And there is garlic - forgot it in the previous picture
Used groundnut oil; my mother would have used a corn oil like Mazola
Boil the potatoes
Gently fry the onions, garlic and ginger
Add the seasoning; I used Dunn's Caribbean Everyday Seasoning
which is a mixture of salt, paprika, coriander, chilli,
onion, garlic and few other things
Add the green peppers
Add the potatoes
Add the tinned tomatoes and the hot pepper sauce, I also added a
tin and a half of water at this point
Leave to simmer, I left if for about 30 minutes
And it ends up looking like this
Add the prawns and coriander - I left the tails on the prawns as
I thought that looked prettier
Serve with plain boiled rice
DR Congo women march against rape
Olive Lembe Kabila, wife of Joseph Kabila, president of the Congo, led protest against sexual violence in eastern city.Last Modified: 17 Oct 2010 19:25 GMT
The UN estimates that 15,000 women were raped in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last year [AFP] Thousands of women have marched against sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the miseries of war have been compounded by mass rapes.
About 1,700 women who had attended a week-long forum on peace and development in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, joined in the march on Sunday, which was led by Olive Lembe Kabila, the wife of the president, Joseph Kabila.
The atmosphere of the march was colourful and peaceful, and many demonstrators carried banners with slogans such as "No to sexual terrorism".
"Coming here is important because violence towards women is used systematically as a weapon of war," Miriam Nobre, an organiser of the march with the World March of Women, said.
The UN estimates that 15,000 women were raped in eastern DR Congo last year. Numerous Congolese and overseas rebel groups are active in the region, while government forces are also accused of mistreating civilians.
'Regaining dignity'
"We have fought this for years, and now it seems that the international community is genuinely interested in our problems," Nene Rukunghu, a doctor at a hospital in Bukavu where rape victims are treated, said.
"We must fight against impunity, so that the perpetrators of violence are punished, to allow women can regain their dignity. Despite what they endure, Congolese women are strong and able to stand up again," she said.
According to the UN Population Fund, there were 17,507 sexual violence attacks throughout Congo in 2009 - including more than 9,000 in North and South Kivu, which have been at the centre of the conflict in the east.
The scale of rapes and sexual violence has not diminished much this year, according to the fund, known as UNFPA, which collects data in Congo.
It said there were 7,685 attacks in Congo between January and June, including more than 4,500 in the two Kivu provinces.
Abubakar Dungus, a UNFPA spokesman, said 5,427 of the sexual attacks this year - about 70 per cent - were perpetrated "by men in uniform''. It was unclear if he was referring to soldiers or rebels.
Source:Al Jazeera and agencies
Cholera epidemic: Foul drinking water killing Haitians
October 25, 2010by Ezili Dantò
Cholera patients are treated at St. Marc's Hospital north of Port au Prince. The epidemic hit central Haiti. Five cases have since been confirmed in the capital. – Photo: Sydney Morning HeraldAccording to Haiti’s health minister, Alex Larsen, cholera “is very dangerous. It can kill in three hours because once the diarrhea starts it doesn’t stop.” Although only five cases have been reported in Port au Prince, Claude Surena, the head of Haiti’s Medical Association, told AP, “The concern is that it could go from one place to another place … and affect more people.”Either foul drinking water or food that’s been cooked in contaminated water is killing a new crop of Haitians, giving them cholera while donations that could have provided permanent clean drinking water are collecting interest for the thousands of charity organizations making a business out of poverty and the earthquake in Haiti.
The cholera epidemic just killed 250 Haitians and over 3,000 more are infected and may die. This cholera is caused, one report says, by drinking dirty, toxic water. Another news report maintains that this is the first time that cholera has been found in Haiti and this cholera epidemic most likely was imported to Haiti by a healthy carrier after the earthquake.
Haitians in the Diaspora and their supporters ought to get together and purchase and provide this sort of environmentally conscious water purifying unit (MaxPure-01) or a similar mobile system that will provide purified drinking water, communication and electricity, all in one.
We should not be looking to the NGOs, the Haiti oligarchy, the Haiti government, Papa Clinton, Paul Farmer or the U.N. to help us save our people.
We’ve had 10 months and much more of such “help” and ought to know what to expect. The airport is now open; Haitians are not being forced to detour to the Dominican Republic. Those who have resources and skills, especially Haitian doctors, ought to take a lead in providing permanent long term clean drinking water and subsidize Haitian medical services and doctors in Haiti who need help and who were put out of business by the free earthquake relief emergency assistance.
The Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN) would like to make a positive difference but we do not have monetary resources to purchase these or similar all-inclusive water/electricity/communication units for the villagers. Something like this Max-Pure-01 system is what is necessary. We’re coming to the Ezili Network and asking for a partnership with others in the Diaspora, at home and in the conscious community worldwide.
But if you’re looking for the international community to finance permanent clean drinking water for the masses, that doesn’t come from a bottle or purification pill to be purchased from USAID’s profiteering contractors making a killing off the poverty business, you’re too unconscious to help anyone. Kindly don’t contact us with your contributions to “saving lives” while promoting dependency in Haiti. For Haiti’s problems are rooted in “aid” administered in the context of patronage and dependence aimed at perpetuating oppression and exploitation.
Haiti Connect charity workers on their way to Haiti stopped off for a week in Florida for team meetings ... in topless bars and by the pool. This story, by Warren Swords and Valerie Harley, was published May 15, 2010, in the Irish Sunday Mail.But if you understand the poverty business will not leave any permanent good or infrastructure in Haiti, like self-renewing, permanent clean drinking water, because that would make their presence obsolete, then we could work together. We’d like help to mobilize the conscious community to provide self-reliant, permanent sources of clean drinking water for the people DYING in Haiti. Please let us know how we may use the Ezili Network to help.These environmentally conscious, solar-powered systems, along with bulldozers, tractors and heavy equipment for removing rubble should have already been in Haiti at least within a month after the earthquake. But humanitarian aid is a profit business and though the technology and equipment exist to alleviate the common person’s sufferings worldwide, none of the policymakers with checkbook power are in the business of saving lives unless it’s profitable or meets the U.S. Empire’s incessant resource warfare and big-business interests.
Remember, all the international community will do with this cholera outbreak is suppress the number of Haitians dying in order to make themselves look good because they KEPT the earthquake donations collecting interest in the NGO/charitable organizations’ coffers for “future use.” At least 250 Haitians, not including those dead from the recent rains, but who’ve died of cholera now have NO FUTURE and 3,000 or more are said to be infected.
“Cholera comes from contaminated water or food, often contaminated by feces … Cholera can kill someone within a day … Right now the infection is an epidemic. There has not been such an epidemic in the region for a century,” reports Steve Harrigan for Fox News in Cholera Epidemic in Haiti Highlights Deteriorating Conditions. See also Haiti’s first cholera epidemic in a century kills scores by Rory Carroll in the Guardian of London.
“Haiti pains are a good capital asset for the NGO industry. They wouldn’t have a job, salaries and tropical vacations and the illicit Black sex they crave from Africans without our pain, indignities, death, submission and suffering. Imagine swallowing the nutritional supplements, vitamins, vaccines and the other pharmaceuticals USAID insists are ‘aid to Haiti,’ when you’ve not eaten in four days?” I wrote in May in Poverty Pimps Masturbating on Black Pain: Monsanto Joins Pack.
“And the HIV drugs (and now ‘medicine’ and rehydration tablets for Cholera) you have to swallow are also washed down with toxic ground water, in some ways also from U.S./Euro/Canada gold, copper, oil, iridium, uranium, coal, marble, granite, limestone, aggregate and other mining companies who pollute Haiti’s shores and riverbeds.
“Imagine swallowing the nutritional supplements, vitamins, vaccines and the other pharmaceuticals USAID insists are ‘aid to Haiti,’ when you’ve not eaten in four days?” – Ezili Dantò
“When the earthquake hit, many of us who lived through the two recent U.S. coups d’etat in Haiti and the two Gonaives hurricane destructions of 2004 and then in 2008 knew these poverty pimps, knew they would crank up the press releases and telethons and collect and collect and collect, while the majority of people suffer, lose more, grieve and die in Haiti. In our minds’ eye we saw USAID, CRS, CARE, Red Cross, World Vision et al … sad perhaps, but still calculating and salivating at the huge prospects of monies to be collected from the deaths and brutal suffering of Haitians. It’s a profitable gig the poverty pimps are just not about to give up.”
A man and a boy wait for medical attention in Haiti as cholera sweeps the earthquake ravaged island. – Photo: Andres Martinez Casares, EPAIn The Plantation called Haiti: Feudal Pillage Masking as Humanitarian Aid I wrote: “A U.N. report released in March of 2010 said that dirty water kills more people each year than all forms of violence combined including war. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90 percent are children under 5 years old … 80 percent of all disease is caused by lack of basic sanitation and lack of clean water.Four thousand five hundred kids die every day from lack of basic sanitation and water of simple diseases like diarrhea. But, (Lane Wood) said, there are some less obvious impacts of drinking dirty water. For example, dirty water can undermine other humanitarian efforts that money and effort have been poured into, like efforts to control AIDS/HIV in Africa. They’re going home, they’re taking their medicine with bacteria-filled water and their bodies are not absorbing the medicine.”
Ezili Danto, award winning playwright, performance poet, dancer, actor and activist attorney born in Port au Prince, Haiti, founded and chairs the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network (HLLN), supporting and working cooperatively with Haitian freedom fighters and grassroots organizations promoting the civil, human and cultural rights of Haitians at home and abroad. Visit her at www.ezilidanto.com, www.margueritelaurent.com or www.open.salon.com/blog/ezili_danto.
Ezili Dantò interview on Ban2 Radio, London -->
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Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was born on October 10, 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and moved with his family to New York City at the age of four. His father wasn’t around the family much but did play a few musical instruments including harmonica and piano which may have influenced Monk’s interest in music at an early age. Thelonious studied trumpet briefly and began on piano at the age of nine. He was a musical prodigy from the beginning and in his early teens would play organ with a local church and won ‘amateur hour’ competitions at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem. His early influences on the piano included James P Johnson and Willie “The Lion” Smith.
Monk dropped out of high school after his sophomore year to take a gig playing piano for a traveling evangelist and faith healer. After a few years he returned to New York and gigged with his own group until 1941, when he was hired by Kenny Clarke to be the house piano player at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem. It was here bebop began at late night jam sessions with Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Oscar Pettiford, Bud Powell and others. Thelonious was known as “The High Priest of Bebop” for his role in its creation. Despite this, Monk had a style so unique and ahead of his time that the critics and even many jazz musicians didn’t know what to think about him.
In 1944, Coleman Hawkins hired Monk for his first steady gig and first recording. It wasn’t until Monk was thirty years old, a seasoned veteran and great innovator of jazz, that he was signed to his first record deal with Blue Note in 1947. Monk recorded several records on the Blue Note label into the early ‘50s which at the time did not do very well and are considered classics today. It wasn’t until 1955, after recordings with Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Milt Jackson, that Monk finally began to receive the appreciation he deserved. Also helping was the release of “Thelonious Monk play Duke Ellington”, designed to help audiences grasp the brilliance of Monk’s playing.
By the 1960s, Monk was touring the world playing with his quartet featuring Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, John Ore or Larry Gales on bass, and Frankie Dunlop or Ben Riley on drums. In 1964, Monk became only the third jazz musician ever to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. In ’68 Thelonious recorded his last album with the Columbia label, with Oliver Nelson’s orchestra, and due to its lack of success was dropped from the record label. After this, Monk played publically more sparingly and made his last public appearance in 1976. In 1982, Thelonious Monk had a stroke and went into a coma and passed away twelve days later.
In 1993 Monk was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and in ’96 a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz was also created in his honor in addition to many television and musical tributes.
"I don't know what other people are doing - I just know about me." – Thelonious Monk
OXFAM ANNOUNCES SHOOTING POVERTY FINALISTS
From February to June 2010 Oxfam called on young people around the world with a story to tell to submit their vision for a documentary film to the Shooting Poverty competition. The topic: to expose the true cost and impact of arms trade and armed violence on poor communities around the world.
More than 60 written submissions were received from 9 countries. A panel of judges selected three projects to be given mentoring, financial and hands-on production support to make their film a reality. Check out the trailer:
View on Vimeo.All the filmmakers will be present at the launch at the United Nations in New York on October 21st. The best film – selected by online popular vote – will also win a Sony EX1R digital camera and a portable kit. Here is a brief introduction to 3 finalists:
The winners, their projects and their blogs are presented below:
Bang for Your Buck (Burundi)
Production start: August 14th, Bujumbura, Burundi
Directors: Seth Chase, 33 (US) and Brice Blondel, 28 (France) – Follow the filmmakers’ blog and twitter @oregonfatts
Bang for Your Buck is driven by personal accounts of grenade attacks in villages across Burundi. These attacks are symptoms of a small arms pandemic, in this picturesque agricultural nation in the heart of Africa. The story is already there; we’ll simply capture it.
Bang for Your Buck is set in Burundi, a post conflict country that is the fourth poorest country in the world, where one thing remains affordable to all: the grenade. Not one week goes by without a grenade attack and the film follows journalist Teddy Mazina who reports these news from the TV Renaissance studio in the capitol Bujumbura.
Beyond the headlines, the film will take us to meet the actual victims of the attacks who share with Teddy how it is impossible to have a semblance of unity when it is so easy to solve problems by throwing grenades, rather than working through issues peacefully. We meet maimed survivors of attacks, which punctuates the broken and deficient relationships in the community. The film shows how the personal accounts are living breathing statistics resulting from the greater problem of illegal arms transfers which has handicapped a nation from moving forward in a mature, functional, healthy manner.
Grosso Calibre (Brazil)
Production start: August 31st, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Directors: Guilherme Arruda, 28, Ludmila Curi, 30 and Thiago Vieira, 31 – Follow the filmmakers’ blog and twitter @ ThiagoYawara @ ludmilacuri @ guilhermearruda
Grosso Calibre shows the indiscriminate use of firearms across the city, in fighting that only promotes deepening stagnation in society. No doubt, if the arms trade remains unregulated it may generate more active violence. If there were an effective arms trade treaty, MC Smith might not sing We are always packing Glock, granade, G3, PARAFAL in reference to illicitly traded or diverted arms, formerly the property of Brazilian security forces.
Grosso Calibre is a documentary that uses forbidden funk music (funk proibido) to address the impact of arms on the violent environment in Complexo do Alemão, a huge group of favelas in the northern part (Zona Norte) of Rio de Janeiro. Mc Smith, a funk music star of the community, provides the voice and music that runs like a thread through the film. He shows how people live amid the fighting between the heavily armed traffickers and a police often accused of generalized human rights violation. The aim is to look closely at the social damages caused by the banalization of the massive presence of high-caliber weapons in these people’s lives. Due to this situation Grosso Calibre suggests the necessity of an international arms trade treaty to solve this problem.
April 6th (India)
Production start: August 4th, Manipur, India
Director: Chandam Netraj, 34 – Follow him on twitter @ Netmanipur
I met more than 50 women whose husbands had been killed in various incidents in the last few years. I asked them all what their dreams and hopes were? Only one of them were able to answer this question, and that woman was Renu. This is what makes Renu different from her peers. She believes in herself and in the future of her fellow widows. She has Hope.
April 6th is a film about Takhellambam Renu, a 28 year-old widow who lost her husband three years back when he was shot dead by the State security forces on April 6, 2007. Since that tragic incident, Renu has been trying to piece together her shattered world. She has established her own organization called Extra Judicial Execution Victims Families Manipur (EEVFAM) to fight against the armed violence.
Renu married her husband – Mung – on April 6, 2005. The marriage was opposed by her family as it was an interreligious & intercaste marriage. From that moment on, Renu never turned back to her parent. April 6 is Renu’s landmark, because it was the day she married, the day her husband was shot dead and the day she decided to start a new and courageous life fighting against the human suffering caused by armed violence.
Haiti in the Collective Imagination
As the first post-colonial nation to be liberated and governed by members of the African Diaspora, Haiti represents a site of a rich history. But even as it fills the news due to politics or natural disaster, music or culture, the question often remains: What is Haiti? What is the relationship of the idea of Haiti and the reality lived by the Haitian people?
Haiti in the Collective Imagination seeks not to answer that question with a singular response but to propose numerous possibilities.
The issues to be addressed include but are not limited to:
Colonial History
Religion
Artistic Heritage
Imperial Haiti
Foreign Relations
People and Places
As part of Black History Month (February 2011), The Gallatin Galleries seeks proposals of work by artists, journalists, filmmakers and others in any medium. The show will take place in February 2011 as part of the celebrations and events looking at Haiti as a part of Black History Month.
Submissions
To submit please send in the following:
- No more than 6 images (jpeg, 72 dpi, no larger than 800dpi in either dimension)
- Work list (please include: medium, size, date)
- Brief bio, CV or résumé
- A brief statement about the work or an artist statement (Optional)
- Any specific requirements for the work (Optional)
- Artist website (Optional)
Deadline November 5, 2010
Please send any inquiries or submissions to:
|
******* SUBMISSION CALL*******
 Celebrating Black History Through Literature:
From the Harlem Renaissance Movement to Today
edited by
Gabrielle David, Managing Editor
Jennifer Bacon, Associate Editor
DEADLINE: December 15, 2010
Poetry submissions are welcomed.
For consideration, short stories, interviews and
essay submissions should be based on the following themes:
The Harlem Renaissance Movement, Black Arts Movement
Children's Literature,Urban Fiction, Hip Hop
African American Contemporary Poetry & Literature
Scholarship & Writing (Writing in the Academy)
African American LGBT Literature
We are also interested in position papers, book reviews and
African American artwork.
For more information, check out our submission guidelines at
PLEASE PASS ON OUR SUBMISSION CALL TO COLLEAGUES, STUDENTS & FRIENDS, POST ON YOUR BLOGS/WEBSITES AND SPREAD THE WORD!
Download our flyer here to post and pass out.
Publication Date: February 2011 to premiere at our day-long event
"CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY THROUGH LITERATURE:
From the Harlem Renaissance to Today"
February 26, 2011
at the Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center
Corona, Queens, New York
The day's activities begin with workshops (10:00 am-12:00pm),
a panel discussion, poetry readings, musical performances,
film premiere and book signings (12:00pm-5:30pm).
Our confirmed participants include:
Louis Reyes Rivera
Ron Kavanaugh
Reginald Harris
Urban Word NYC
Shirley Bradley LeFlore with J.D. Parran
Samantha Thornhill
Tony Medina
Shane Book
with special guest speakers
Haki R. Madhubiti & Tara Betts
Additional participants to be announced.
phati'tude Literary Magazine, established in 1997, is a internationally-acclaimed magazine is published by The Intercultural Alliance of Artists & Scholars, Inc. (IAAS) founded in 2000 to promote multicultural literature and literacy. The IAAS encourages people of all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to adopt reading, writing and the arts - in all of its forms - as part of their lifelong process. A themed, quarterly publication, phati'tude Literary Magazine is an 8" x 10" perfect-bound book that ranges from 130-160 pages. It is a collection of the best poetry, prose, short stories, articles and interviews along with literary criticism, book reviews and biographical profiles by established and emerging poets, writers and artists with a focus on writers of Native American, African, Hispanic/Latino and Asian descent Create, teach and learn, and become a part of our multicultural literary revolution today! phati'tude Literary Magazine is available at amazon.com
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