Our project with the Pathhead Choir has now come to an end. ‘Here We Are!’ saw Autumn Voices working with songwriter, workshop tutor and choir leader, Sophie Bancroft. Sophie guided a group of Pathhead community members aged 60+ to write original songs for The Pathhead Choir to perform. These songs were arranged and notated for the choir by … Continue reading Hear We Are: The Pathhead Choir Project
As part of Autumn Voices’ Third Age Plus Pioneers project, singer songwriter Chiara Berardelli and multi disciplinary cabaret artist Miss Annabel Sings worked together on a very special project with Alf Barnett, a 93 year-old man (and Annabel’s dad) living in Wembley, whose long held dream was to write songs and perform. Listen to Alf’s songs, ‘Roses’ and ‘Memories’. … Continue reading Two new songs by Alf Barnett
Last week, Sheila Templeton introduced us to the idea of getting started writing in Scots. This week, she tells us about her early experiences of writing and how she got started writing poetry in Scots, using the words that were familiar to her from her native Aberdeenshire. Sheila’s been kind enough to share some of … Continue reading Writing in Scots: the honest voice
Regular Autumn Voices contributor, Anne Dunford, is back with another book review for us. This time, we asked her to review Stewart Conn’s latest pamphlet, Underwood, published by Mariscat Press this summer. The title of this, Stewart Conn’s fourth poetry pamphlet, is taken from the old Underwood Standard typewriter which Stewart had inherited from his father. … Continue reading Anne Dunford reviews – Underwood by Stewart Conn
There’s just one week left to enter the Autumn Voices poetry competition! If you’re desperate to submit an entry but feeling a bit stuck with your writing, we’ve got the perfect blog to get your poetry juices flowing. Kay Ritchie, one of the highly commended poets featured in the recent Living Our Dying competition, tells … Continue reading Poetic Inspiration
Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I was the first person in my very working-class family to obtain a degree. Due to my mother contracting rubella during her pregnancy, I was born with very poor eyesight, but this was not understood until I was seven. I fell over a lot as a child, but … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Abigail Ottley
Last week, we announced the winner of the September flash competition on the theme of ‘dementia and memory’. This week, we’re publishing the runner-up entry as it was such a close vote and we think it’s an excellent piece our readers would like to see. The entry is by 70-year-old Abigail Ottley and we know … Continue reading Dementia and Memory – Runners Up Entry
We’re now just past the halfway mark in our poetry month here at Autumn Voices and you still have almost two weeks to enter our annual competition. This week’s blog will whet the appetite of anyone who’s ever written in Scots, or wanted to write in, and it comes to us courtesy of Sheila Templeton, … Continue reading How do we learn to write in Scots?
Donald won our flash competition for September on the subject of Dementia and Memory. He’s also kindly taken the time to answer our infamous Quick & Quirky Questions so you can get to know this awesome Autumn Voice a little better. Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I’m Scottish I have a Scots accent … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Donald Adamson
We’re delighted to let you know that the winner of the September flash prize on the theme of ‘dementia and memory’ is 79-year-old Donald Adamson. Donald is originally from Scotland and is now based in Finland. His entry, ‘Scratching To Be Let In’, was picked by the staff team as their favourite and he wins … Continue reading Dementia and Memory – Winning Entry
Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I’m a part-time senior employment law advisor and a part-time wellbeing facilitator I’ve been told I have 48 hours in my day (or have a Time Tardis) I’m eternally curious (and oh the rabbit holes I fall into!) I have a strong sense of justice and fairness that … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Caroline Johnstone
We continue our poetry theme this week with a blog article from Caroline Johnstone about her experience of being a poet in residence. Just in case it’s escaped your attention, the Autumn Voices blogs are poetry-themed this month because of our annual poetry competition, so don’t forget to enter that! About Caroline A fortified ruin … Continue reading A Poet in Residence spills the beans …
It’s poetry competition time here at Autumn Voices, just in case you didn’t notice us shouting loudly about it all over social media. Throughout October we are running our annual autumn poetry competition, which will be judged by the wonderful Des Dillon, and also celebrating National Poetry Day on Thursday 6th October. This means our … Continue reading Then and Now
It’s Oddfellows Friendship Month and at Autumn Voices we wanted to celebrate the role of friendship as a nourishing and sustaining presence in our lives for those of us lucky to have good friends – whether new, or life-long. This week, 65-year-old Sheila Wakefield, Autumn Voices Steering Group member and publisher at Red Squirrel Press, … Continue reading Friendship
Tell us 4 important facts about yourself: I grew up on the Kings Road in Chelsea in the 1950s and 60s I lived in France for 15 years before returning to Scotland in 2018 I am proud to be a granny and great granny to 14 children I am scared of heights, but I climbed … Continue reading Quick & Quirky Questions with Sara Baker
