Books & Mags
Lovely cover designs for Truth Sister and Blackwolf by Lawston Design
Climate Fiction
Have a look at the Climate Fiction Writers’ League for more great stories about climate change. And whether you’re a writer ot a reader, check out the Green Stories Writing Competitions for stories that showcase what a sustainable society might look like.
Dystopian Fiction
Dystopic.co.uk was created in 2012 by author EJ Babb. It was originally dedicated to reviews and discussions on dystopian literature and film, but now also dabbles in other areas of sci-fi and horror . . .
Magazines
Want to subscribe? Writing Magazine and Writers’ Forum are both worth considering.
Thinking
Interested in climate change? A great place to start is Leonardo DiCaprio’s film Before the Flood. “Climate change is the single greatest threat to a sustainable future but, at the same time, addressing the climate challenge presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity, security and a brighter future for all.” Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General, United Nations. Another thing to look at is Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything.
Do you like to think? One of the things that fascinates me is why people make decisions they do, and in particular, why they make the bad ones. The answer can – partly at least – be found in Daniel Kahnemann’s excellent book Thinking, Fast and Slow. Recommended read – but there are things you can find on the internet too, e.g. a talk he gave at Google, and a documentary.
Writers’ Places
I can recommend:
- Arvon courses – I found that the tutors were not just good at writing, but good at tutoring too. And excellent locations . . .
- Writers’ Retreat – get away from it all, do some writing and meet other writers.
Arts in Swindon
Swindon may have a reputation for being characterless, but it ain’t so. Because the town has grown so quickly the stuff may be harder to find, but it’s out there. Here are a few locally-themed links, for use outside of lockdowns! If anyone has suggestions for anything to add, let me know via the Contact page.
- Swindon Artswords
- Richard Jefferies Museum
- Swindon Arts Centre
- The Swindon Festival of Literature, held every May
- Lower Shaw Farm
- The Swindon Youth Festival of Literature