n quentin woolf

back story

“The provocative words of N Quentin Woolf ring out” – Michelle Harris (reviewer, Landing)

I try to keep track of what’s going on… here’s the (usually slightly out-of-date) story-so-far:

JANUARY 2010

• Founded a new group of writers on the Thames’ South Bank.
• Agreed a longer format for The Arts Show

DECEMBER 2009

• Hosting a day-long workshop on contact improvisation in dance and words
• Launched ‘The Bookshop In Brick Lane’ anthology

NOVEMBER 2oo9

• Hosted live debate between Pen Pusher and Smoke magazines
• Edited two short fiction anthologies
• Have become regular contributor to Bespoke Online
• First translated piece accepted for publication (in both English and French)

OCTOBER 2oo9

• Preparing contact improv/ contact prose workshop
• Published non-fiction book on creative writing

SEPTEMBER 2009

• Have accepted offer to become a regular writer for The Londonist (www.londonist.com); weekly arts feature should start to appear before end of month.
• Writing on occasional basis for the Hackney Citizen (www.hackneycitizen.co.uk)
• A new term of creative writing classes advertised and quickly over-subscribed.

AUGUST 2oo9

• Launched The Arts Show on Xstream East Radio (www.xstreameast.co.uk), an arts magazine show with an East London focus
• Offers made, and gratefully accepted, on short stories by literary magazines including Carillon, The Interpreter’s House, Bespoke, The Reader and Stingray.

JULY 2oo9

• The Brick Lane creative workshops enter their seventh and eighth series simultaneously; we’re enjoying a new collaboration with 93 Feet East in Brick Lane.
• Approaching the final phrase of compiling an anthology of work from the long-established critique group which meets each week in Brick Lane.
• Lionel Shriver, Beryl Bainbridge and Sarah Waters have all confirmed they’ll be appearing at events.

JUNE 2oo9

• Entering the final phrase of compiling an anthology of work from the long-established critique group which meets each week in Brick Lane.
• This month saw the highest ever turnouts at the Brick Lane Book Group and both critique groups.

MAY 2oo9

• Working with Polly Rogers on a non-fiction creative writing book.

APRIL 2oo9

• Churning out short stories.  Big Man, In The Bucket and Man Walks Into A Bar have all gone down well in critique groups.
• Invited to Wilton’s Music Hall to write critique
• Happy to be involved with launch of Bespoke magazine, by Ade Bankole

MARCH 2oo9

• Another new term of creative classes begins, the students stronger than ever
• Collaborating with new magazines UK-wide to set up a showcase in London later this year

FEBRUARY 2oo9

• Structuring a new, international collaboration between writers in Europe and North America.
• Two new performance prose events booked

JANUARY 2009

• Some of my poetry used in a performance at the Robin Howard Theatre, London.

DECEMBER 2008

• Debut of Landing, at the Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone, as part of Cloud Dance: Trilogy.
• Live prose event in honour of Dan Nicolai at Brick Lounge, E1, with readings from poets and prose writers from the USA, UK, Italy and Ireland.
• Groundwork completed for new novel (working title: Complicity).

((picture on its merry way))

Above: Landing at the Cockpit Theatre

(performer: Jordi Calpe Serrats)

NOVEMBER 2008

• Audio recording of a piece of my poetry with Warren Davis

OCTOBER 2008

• First meetings with composer Jack Hurd for collaboration on Landing, a short piece about pioneers, for performance at Evolution / Resolutions in January.

SEPTEMBER 2008

• The Work In Progress critique group has been so popular I’ve started a second group, meeting Thursdays.  Also started a publication workshop for newer writers looking to see their work in print.
• Collaboration with dance company confirmed for stage production later this year.

AUGUST 2008

• New novel begun in earnest.  I’m using a new-to-me scene-building technique based around music; results promising so far.

JULY 2008

• Brick Lane Book Group re-established, with lots of keen readers attending

JUNE 2008

• Writing classes begun in Shoreditch
• Co-operation secured between Shoreditch literary festival (September 27th) and Eastside Books

MAY 2008

• Writing workshops in Wood Green begun on May 21st
• Preparations begun for piece of microtheatre, set in East London.
• Poetry Exchange in preparation for mid-July launch
• Preparations for series of performance readings for July

APRIL 2008

• Weekly writing workshops at Brick Lane launched.
• Oxford Literary Festval – introduced to Philip Pullman

MARCH 2008

• Collaboration confirmed with Tempered Body Dance Company for a series of language-based educational workshops in Canada later in the year.  I will also be writing for a performance piece to be staged in London and Toronto in 2009.
• Preparations to take Not Me Now to Ediburgh
• Some short non-fiction pieces written.

FEBRUARY 2008

• Two performances of the four-person piece Not Me Now performed as part of the Dance Collective showcase at Chisenhale Dance Space, Bethnal Green.
• Excavation of basement in Brick Lane begun, ready for workshops later in the year.

JANUARY 2008

• In Ontario, Canada, my fictive monologue Not Me Now, about a lucid, elderly Alzheimer’s Disease sufferer, was recorded by Laurie Lewis and scored by composer Jack Hurd.  It debuted as part of a collaboration for the Resolution! Festival with choreographer Maddy Wynne-Jones at The Place, King’s Cross.  Reviews were positive.  View it here.

DECEMBER 2007

• Exhibited several short pieces including Five to Birth and On The Folly Of Presumption at Fucking Cool Art, Deptford.

((picture on its merry way))

Above: Not Me Now at the Robin Howard Theatre

(performer: Amy Matthieson)