INKSPILL Guest Writer Heather Wastie on Her Writing Journey

Heather Wastie our Guest Writer has been kind enough to compile of list of what has happened to her on her writing journey, I find the personal stories about writing, it amazes me that there are so many differences, remember it takes time, keep believing!

Here’s Heather, ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

My writing journey – some of the key factors and events up to 2014

Heather Wastie

• As small child, made up songs at the piano, writing new words over the top of music I couldn’t read

• Wrote my first poem, about the moon, at infants’ school

• Carried on writing – at school and outside school

• Translated menus into Black Country dialect for Friends of the Black Country Museum annual dinners

• Had articles published in local canal society newsletter

• When I went to Sunday School, wrote mini musicals and produced them

• At University began a song-writing partnership with another student –mostly he wrote the music, then I wrote the lyrics

• Entered Bard of the Year competition run by Poetry Digest, performing my own work from memory for the first time (published in anthology)

• In one year, was published every month (bar one!) in Poetry Digest magazine.

• Winner Poetry Digest Ina Carlyle Love Poetry Competition 1996 (published in anthology)

• Poetry collection Until I Saw Your Foot published by Lapal Publications 1997

• Edited 2 oral history books about people in the Black Country 1997-9

• Self-published Poems of the Head in Dynamic Relation to F M Alexander 2007

• Entered my first poetry slam in Bilston

• Through entering slams, began writing and memorising longer poems

• Did well in slams but have only won one – PUREandGOODandRIGHT, Leamington 2010

• Formed Brewers’ Troupe performance poetry company with Emma Purshouse, co-wrote, co-directed and performed site-specific piece SNUG in Hollybush pub, Cradley Heath 2010

• Poetry collection The Page-Turner’s Dilemma published by Lapal

  

  © Peter Williams 2014

• Publications 2010

•  2011: Winner Apples & Snakes Jawdance Audio Poetry Competition;

• Winner British Science Festival open mic competition with poem, The case of Sir Bernard Spilsbury; Shortlisted for Birmingham Poet Laureate;

• 3rd place, Worcestershire Poet Laureate competition

• Got ACE funding to be Writer in Residence Museum of Carpet 2013, writing poems, monologues and songs from oral history interviews

• Created and performed Kidderminster Stuff show about Kidderminster and its carpet industry with singer/songwriter Kate Wragg 2013

• Commissioned by Canal & River Trust to create audio piece Idle Women and Judies. Booked for live performances of the piece in canal museums.

•  Wrote and performed How do wars start? With Worcs Poet Laureate, Fergus McGonigal, funded by Kidderminster Arts Festival 2014

 

 

 

 

 

PUBLIC APOLOGY to Heather for the formatting – text was all consistent size in original document.