Kerry Hudson shortlisted for the South Bank Sky Arts Literature Award

tony hogan.jpg

Kerry Hudson's debut novel TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE-CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA is shortlisted for the prestigious South Bank Sky Arts Literature Award.  She is nominated alongside Hilary Mantel's BRING UP THE BODIES, which won the Costa and Booker Prizes this year and Will Self's UMBRELLA.

The South Bank Sky Arts Awards celebrates the best of UK achievements across all the arts. The shortlist was decided by a panel of nine judges, and the winners will be announced on 12 March and aired on TV on 14 March.

TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE-CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA was published by Chatto & Windus in July 2012 and has been shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, Green Carnation Prize and Scottish First Book of the Year.

Praise for Kerry Hudson:

'What a brilliant thing to turn the chaos and trauma of a hectic childhood into a debut novel as colourful, funny, joyful and compelling as this.' -- Nicola Barr, Guardian
'Kerry Hudson's fine eloquent debut novel traces the peripatetic childhood of Janie Ryan...[Janie's] tale is full of warmth and bittersweet humour...' -- David Evans, Financial Times
'From the (unrepeatable) hilarious first sentence, this debut sucks you in with its idiosyncratic style...Kerry Hudson's writing is very funny, and her deft touches give the book a reality that makes it all the more powerful. Hudson certainly has a bright future.' -- We Love This Book

Tony Pitts Wins BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Audio Drama

clip_image001.jpg

Tony Pitts’ radio play ON IT has won the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Audio Drama (Single Play) at a ceremony held on Sunday 27 January 2013.

An original radio play commissioned by Woolyback Productions for BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play, ON IT was written, directed and narrated by Tony Pitts, and starred Maxine Peake and Adam Gillen. It won the Sony Gold Radio Award, Best Drama 2012 and was Radio Times Critics Choice. The award was presented by Lenny Henry, who shared the following quote from the judges:

'...the raw grief of this true story is expressed with such poetical, beautiful, lyrical language that the whole genre of social realism is turned on its head. Nothing is glamourised or sentimentalised, which makes its heart-rending effect even more powerful. A masterful piece of writing, story-telling and directing, with a touch of Dylan Thomas about it, this one sang to the judges.'

Juliet Pickering joins Blake Friedmann

Blake Friedmann are delighted to announce that Juliet Pickering will join them on February 4 as an agent in their book department.  She was most recently at A P Watt, and joins Blake Friedmann on 4 February.

She will bring her entire list of clients with her and we look forward to welcoming them: they will complement the present Blake Friedmann list.

Juliet said: "I am delighted to be joining everyone at Blake Friedmann, and very happy to be bringing my wonderful authors to join theirs. I've several exciting projects to send out over the next few weeks, and will be keenly looking out for more over the coming year."

Carole Blake, joint managing director of Blake Friedmann said: "We are thrilled that Juliet will be joining our newly-expanded team.  It's especially good timing, with her author, Chioma Okereke, on the Costa Short Story Award shortlist.

"Our staff are all looking forward to having her with us - we've all heard about her baking skills."
 
From 4 February Juliet can be contacted on: Juliet@blakefriedmann.co.uk

For more information contact Carole Blake on: Carole@blakefriedmann.co.uk

Steve Hawes commissioned to write play commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta

steve_hawes.jpg

Steve Hawes has written THE GREAT CHARTER, which examines the dramatic events running up to the sealing of the Magna Carta by King John: it has been commissioned by Sir Robert Worcester, Chairman of the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Commemoration Committee and David Nicholas Wilkinson of Guerilla Films through their company Allington Productions.

The intention is that the play will be presented to London’s West End and many of the Magna Carta towns such as Canterbury, Bury St Edmunds, Lincoln, Oxford, Salisbury and Windsor (Runnymede).

Sir Robert comments: “When I first came to Britain many years ago, I went to the British Museum on my first morning to see the Magna Carta and the Rosetta Stone, because I had been taught that the rule of law and education are the two pillarstones of civilisation.  The significance of the Magna Carta is that it provided the basis for all democratic society from free and fair elections to the basics of human rights and justice.”

While David Wilkinson says: “The power play, machinations, intrigue and historical detail that led to the creation of this piece of parchment and with it the foundation of human rights offers such an incredible rich story for the stage.  THE GREAT CHARTER will play an exciting part in the whole 800th anniversary celebration and bring the Magna Carta to life for people in an entertaining and illuminating way.”  

The play is part of wider celebrations that will run from 2013 to 2015 across the UK. Concerts, festivals, debates, schools competition and exhibitions at major venues such as the British Library are being produced, as well commissioned memorabilia such as a commemorative stamp and coin.  A Magna Carta Day has been unanimously supported by the House of Commons.

For more information on THE GREAT CHARTER, please see:

www.thegreatcharter.com

www.allingtonproductions.com