Welcome to the Easter 2012 issue of PlantaPress Magazine! I am a confirmed chocoholic, and I love the novelty of egg shaped chocolate at Easter! I don’t know about you, but I like it cool and crispy from the fridge— no melted sludge for me! Jennifer M Smedley Director of PlantaPress
PlantaPress
Magazine published by PlantaPress ©2012
www.plantapress.com Distributed 3 times yearly, to bookshops, libraries, schools, and anyone else who wants a copy! If you wish to advertise in this magazine, or have any suggestions/complaints about it, please contact: enquiries@plantapress.com Printed in the UK by Tangent Plc, London W1W 7NR Photo of Jennifer M Smedley: ©Anna Mavrakakis 2011
While you’re munching your latest Easter egg, why not turn to page 4 where you can read my Interview with amazing local actress Lynne Fitzgerald. She told me all about her Desperate Scousewives theatre show (no connection whatsoever with the TV programme) and her current projects. One of these is a show called Catfish Therapy (see ad. opposite) which opens on 30th March—get your tickets now! Read all about the latest PlantaPress title for Under 5s The Lazy Seagull from page 13, along with an über cute excerpt and details of where to buy. Regular columnist and white witch Yvonne Moore-Singh gives us a fascinating History of Easter, from page 20, and when you’ve finished reading that step back in time to 1920s Norway, and find out more about my debut novel Snøfjell Long time professional book editor Yvonne Wilson lends us valuable insight into the work she does on page 30, and we end this season’s issue with a very Lazy Competition on page 32! See you in the Summer!
Happy Easter!
Lynne Fitzgerald and the REAL Desperate Scousewives...
L-R: Lynne Fitzgerald, Clare Bowles, Philippa Goodwin and Lynn Francis.
‘Desperate Scousewives’ is the immensely popular theatre play written by Lynne Fitzgerald, and it was selling out North West theatres long before the unconnected TV show of the same name hit UK screens. The two shows have no link with each other whatsoever, and if you go along to see the next performance run of Lynne’s hilarious stage play at The Actors Studio, Liverpool this July, you’ll see exactly what we mean! For now, though, make a cuppa, curl up and read on to enjoy our exclusive interview with the original Desperate Scousewife herself…
Lynne, with her partner Steve Simpson.
So, Lynne, where were you born and brought up, and what was your early life like? I am Liverpool born and bred, and was lucky enough to be bought up in the leafy suburb of Mossley Hill with my Mum Dad three brothers and one sister. We had a wonderfully happy childhood, spending our days exploring the local fields swinging from ropes on trees, and generally getting up to mischief.
Did your family background influence your theatre work ? I was sent to private elocution lessons two nights a week, along with my sister, at a very young age, and I first appeared on stage at the age of four. At first, I found I wasn't suited to it at all, and I was far too shy to perform in front of crowds. That said, I liked nothing better than devising comedy sketches with my sister and we performed them in front of Mum, Dad and friends during family gatherings. I often think now how my parents friends must have thought, ‘Sit down you precocious little brat, we’re trying to have a adult conversation here!’ but unluckily for them my Mum enjoyed us entertaining them, so we went on and on and on…
You clearly found your niche in comedy then, at a young age? With coming from such a large family, and always vying for attention, I just fell into the role as the funny one and went along with it. I felt my place in the world growing up was to make people laugh. I found it did make me popular and, as my confidence grew, it was just a natural progression for me to move into stand up comedy — it’s kind of in me.
Does anyone else in your family have the performing bug? I am the only member of my family that performs and writes, although I would love to get my son Frankie on the stage as he is hysterical. If I could manage him, I could make a killing, but getting on stage is the last thing on his mind, despite the fact that he is also an extremely talented
musician. He’s pretty handy with his computer skills too, and designs all my posters, so keeping it in the family‌
That first time you performed/wrote for stage - how did it feel? I am very opinionated and love writing my own material so stand up was a perfect place for me to express myself and my views. It is a great starting board towards writing for others and there is nothing better than hearing another performer deliver your material. I tend to get a bit anxious with other performers timing though, and because of this, some people would say I can get more than a bit controlling. I have had the pleasure and good fortune to have some great Liverpool actors perform my work, and they will tell you that I often find myself going over each word searching for the perfect delivery, which can be quite annoying. I am also self deprecating though, so I can see my faults and laugh at myself too!
What is your favourite performance to date? There really isn't a performance I haven't enjoyed - I love being on stage, and entertaining the masses. I’ve worked on some great plays including the one woman show Bunty the Bouncer which started life in a nightclub and ended in a six week run at the prestigious Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh, Also The Salon which started life at the Theatre Royal, and transferred to the Royal Court Liverpool where I met some of my greatest friends.
Liverbirds.com followed where I got to work with comedienne Chrissy Rock and I always appear in my own written work too.
Four Girls And A Caravan, written by myself and my partner Steve Simpson, was a highlight and we had such a great time creating the piece. Steve definitely contributed more of the script than I did though— he was the true driving force behind the show. We had a fantastic cast and it was performed in one of my favourite theatres—the St Helens Theatre Royal. It was a huge success. My new show Desperate Scousewives has just finished a successful run at The Actors Studio Liverpool, followed by a sell out at The Theatre Royal.
A little known fact about Lynne… People do see me as a comedy performer, and so they should, but they are also surprised to learn that I am actually Shakespeare trained! This was quite a shock to my audience and critics, following my success alongside Louis Emerick last year in one of the best acting jobs I have had to date - the play TWO by Jim Cartwright. OK it's not Shakespeare but it is a very demanding script, with two actors playing fourteen different roles in a very fast turn around. It’s a fantastic and hilarious play with a huge slice of deep drama thrown in for good measure, and was a real challenge to the actors. Louis and I pulled it off good style - we had amazing reviews and great local critical acclaim. I absolutely adore working with Louis Emerick , he is such a powerhouse actor, indeed one of Liverpool's most talented actors .We have worked on three plays together and really get on well. There is a real respect between the two of us . Come judge for yourself anyway! The play TWO is on The St Helens Theatre Royal between 18th and 20th May
with a matinee on the Saturday. There are FOUR PERFORMANCES ONLY so get your tickets!
What inspired Desperate Scousewives? I was working on Night Collar at The Theatre Royal with cast member Clare Bowles. We had not worked together before but shared a dressing room, and really hit it off. One night, Clare told me that she and her husband, John Coventry, had this title for a play, and had tried to push it around but nobody had taken them up on it. When she told me the name, and asked me if I was interested in writing a play around it I just loved it and that was it. I went away and wrote the play, meanwhile, Clare and her John created some fantastic lyrics to put to songs, and soon Desperate Scousewives was born. I know I can speak on behalf of all the cast when I say we had a fantastic time working on the show, and the audiences loved it . I not only wrote the show, I also directed it — an experience I really enjoyed (there's that controlling thing in me again!) Desperate Scousewives the play as far as I am concerned is nowhere near its last outing, and this July it is returning to the Actors Studio where it first sold out. I am also presently working on Desperate ScouseGUYS the play. And already have a fantastic male cast lined up.
What else is coming up for you, this year? I am currently in rehearsals for Catfish Therapy written by Ian Moore. I’m working with Suzanne Collins and I love her to pieces. We’ve worked together on three or four shows now, and she is not only beautiful but is also extremely talented. The play is part of the Write Now festival created by Ian.
Left: Lynne with Catfish Therapy costar Suzanne Collins.
It’s a psychological thriller and is a really challenging script. I feel totally drained after rehearsals, but it is a great chance to see myself and Suzanne in straightforward acting roles.
You can catch Lynne Fitzgerald in the following shows, over the next few months. These are sell out plays, so get your tickets fast!
CATFISH THERAPY by Ian Moore The Actors Studio 30th MARCH, 2nd APRIL, 6th APRIL. Booking: 0151 709 9034
TWO by Jim Cartwright The St Helens Theatre Royal 18th 19th 20th May with Saturday matinee. Booking: 01744 756 000 or visit www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com DESPERATE SCOUSEWIVES by Lynne Fitzgerald The Actors Studio 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th JULY and 11th 12th 13th 14th JULY Booking: 0151 709 9034
And keep an eye out for her new show, which is coming to The Actor’s Studio in AUGUST...
NEW TITLE: The Lazy Seagull is a heartwarming ‘coming of age’ tale for Under 5s, released this season by PlantaPress.
The character of Lazy is based on a real life seagull, who appeared to be stranded in a car park, close to where joint authors Johnny Parker, and Andrea Foy, live. “I think he must have sat in the same place for at least two weeks” says Andrea Foy (left) “People would throw him food and leave him water, though his parents would dive bomb anyone who got too close. He fast became a bit of a local celebrity, and street pet. Eventually, we saw him tentatively make his first, feeble, attempts at flying, and then, one day, the whole family had gone” She and Johnny would speculate about how he got there, and why he seemed so rooted to that particular spot. “I began to jot down my ideas” she said, “and it was only later on, that we thought it would make a good children’s story”
Johnny Parker (left) is no stranger to writing, and, as The Lazy Seagull demonstrates, has a particular knack for comedy. He started out writing film scripts, and in 2008 he won Best Short Film at the Wirral International Film Festival for his comedy short Beauty And The Butcher. 2008 turned out to be an exceptionally good year for Johnny, as this was the year that he was published in Stories From The City, with two, wonderfully evocative, quotes of his, from it, currently on display at the new Museum of Liverpool. This is one of them:
“Look past the shining new towers and shopping malls, to see what beats underneath...” Johnny also did a bit of travel journalism, back in 2007, blogging about the yacht race for ‘Australia And New Zealand Magazine’ but still describes himself as a late bloomer when it comes to the pen. PlantaPress are just glad that he finally shifted his talented light from under that bushel! Follow up titles to Lazy are in the pipeline as he has some great ideas for kids stories in mind. He’d also like to do some more film scripts, and feels comedy is definitely his favourite genre. We agree—he’s very funny! The illustrator of The Lazy Seagull, Winston Tsang, had an unusual foray into the world of art. He wanted to be a doctor, or a vet, when he was a child, but his mother spotted his talent for drawing, and encouraged him to be an artist instead! It’s usually the other way round for most children, and Winston credits his parents for allowing him to be himself. He showed early promise, winning a competition to draw, for the cover, of a women’s magazine at the age of 7, and he later went on to study Fine Art, alongside science subjects. After a number of freelance placements, around Liverpool and Manchester, he met Johnny at a KIN/ACME event, and now finds himself illustrating his first book! Whilst he says that his main interest is graphic design, he would like to illustrate further books, if the right project comes along. Winston has a particular talent for drawing facial expressions and he says Japanese artist Hayao Miyazaki is a core influence on this aspect of his work.
The Lazy Seagull is available to order, priced £4.49, from all good bookshops. (For more information on Liverpool’s KIN network, visit: www.kin2kin.co.uk)
Exclusive excerpt...
Find Out More, And Buy‌ Lazy the Seagull is too idle to leave his cosy nest, and learn to fly. He prefers to let his mum carry on feeding his fat tum with little silver fish... His contentment turns to confusion, however, when a sudden gust of wind ...picks up both Lazy, and the nest, whirling them from their idyllic cliff top ledge to a grimy old car park. At first, Lazy remains in the nest, sure that his mum will find him soon. A little while later, with no sign of his mum, the local animals take pity on him, and try to tempt him with their own favourite titbits. When not even a cheerful, Gallic hedgehog can slide a slug into Lazy's beak, it seems nothing can be done to halt Lazy's speedy decline into self-pity. It is only when a scary, scavenging, fox decides that Lazy might be tastier than trash, that Lazy realises his salvation is in his own hands, or in this case, wings! Information for Grown Ups: The Lazy Seagull is a lively, humorous, rhyming tale on the theme of 'growing up' Alliteration, repetition, and onomatopoeia, throughout, tickle the story taste buds of young readers, whilst encouraging them to 'learn to fly' by making the best of their talents, trying new things and exploring the world around them. A beautiful addition, both visually and verbally, to any little one's library.
Available now, priced ÂŁ4.49 from:
PlantaPress
Mystery & Magic with Yvonne Moore-Singh
The Secret History Of Easter...
Eggs, Eostre and Pagan Roots
Easter
is said to be the most important festival in the Christian religion even more so than Christmas. Yet, even in this most Christian of festivals the roots of the pagan religion are still entrenched in many of its celebration rites. In fact, Easter gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the spring/dawn which can be spelled Oestre or Eostre, like Eos (Greek) and Aurora (Latin): "(the word Easter is derived from the [Anglo-Saxon] name of Eostre, the Spring-goddess‌.)" – p. 240, An Encyclopaedia of Religion, Virgilius Ferm, The Philosophical Library, 1945. You may also hear Ostara in pagan circles. Additionally, modern gynaecology takes inspiration from the same root, with words like oestrogen, for example. In the spring nature is reborn and renewed, as we see leaves on the trees that have been bare during the winter ,and find many animals waking up from their winter sleep. The Anglo-Saxons would celebrate this season by worshipping the goddess Eostre (opposite page) and all that she symbolises. They would place coloured eggs at the graves of their ancestors, for example, since eggs were the sign of rebirth and fertility. Painted eggs were also given to women who were trying to have a child as the egg is considered by many cultures to be a universal sign of fertility and new life. Prayers would be offered to Eostre, in the hope of being assured abundant crops that year.
‘But’ you might add, ‘Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ right?’ Well, the connection has become a very strong and well recognized one, certainly, but the true origin is fascinating. The Christian Easter celebration occurs durng the Spring or Vernal Equinox, when day and night are of equal length, therefore symbolizing balance. Traditionally, Pagans celebrated this time by casting out the old and taking on the new, for example hopes, dreams and projects. It is not the same as Samhain, whch is the Pagan new year, but instead reflects the renewal and rebalancing of light and darkness during this season. This period also sees the resurrection of many pagan gods who symbolically died in the winter and then are reborn in the spring which, of course, we find mirrored later on in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even that most traditionally Christian symbol of Good Friday—the humble and much loved Hot-Cross Bun— is anchored back to the ancient Pagan festival of Eostre. At this time, Pagans would eat special buns marked with a cross to honour the goddess. It is said that the cross traditionally represents the four phases or quarters of the Moon - Full, Waning, Waxing and New—with which Eostre is also associated. Eostre also had a hare familiar or totem, and it is said that she could turn herself in to a hare, if she so pleased. Her lights are carried by hares, and since, like Eostre, the hare is linked strongly with the moon, in the Pagan tradition, it is believed to bring good fortune.
The Anglo-Saxon legend tells how the Saxon goddess Eostre found a wounded bird and transformed it into a hare, so that it could survive the winter. The hare found it could lay eggs, so it decorated these each spring and left them as an offering to the goddess. This is believed to be the true origin of the Easter Bunny! Rabbits are not native to England, unlike hares, but come from the Mediterranena area originally. It was the Normans were introduced Rabbits to England in the 12th century for food and fur. The cult of the Easter Bunny, as evolved from Esotre’s hare, was mainly a German ritual which was taken to America by the New World settlers. Over time, the Easter Bunny was embraced and accepted as part of the American Easter. So, today, how can you call upon the energy of Eostre and the bright positive energy that her season brings? Perhaps you could start by creating a sacred space or, as Pagans call it, an altar. Fill it with bright flowers, candles, sunflowers seeds and other seasonal seeds which you plan to sow in your garden or flower box. Add hare images or statues along with painted eggs to make an offering to the goddess Eostre, asking her to renew both you and the earth and ask her to bless any new projects you are about start, as Spring comes, nature renews and all that was dead is reborn. I wish you bright Eostre blessings, whatever path you follow...
Yvonne Moore-Singh is a white witch, and proprietor of online New Age shop Pagan Charms. www.pagan-charms.co.uk
Snofjell The Making of a Norwegian Fairytale... It was on July 22nd 2002 that, the then twenty-three year old, Jennifer M Smedley decided to put pen to paper, and write a novel set in a country that had fascinated her since childhood. “That first day” she says, “I just wrote what was in my head, to see how far I could get. I could see an old woman sat in a chair, by a fireside, reminiscing about her past, and it just went from there” She set herself a target of one chapter per day, which she mostly kept to, and, a fortnight later, she had written the first eleven chapters. “I was a few chapters in,” she says, “when the title Snow Mountain came to me, and it just seemed to stick. I decided it would be really unusual to put the title into Norwegian, so I looked up the translation, and from then on it was called Snøfjell!” In September 2002, she commenced studies in Classics and Spanish at the University of Liverpool, and the novel languished at 13 chapters for many years. It was February 2009 when a friend suggested she create a Facebook page for Snøfjell, to gauge public response. “I was hesitant at first” she laughs, “But decided to give it a go! I put the first seven chapters up, and I was really surprised by the response I got. Every time I advertised it, the fan numbers shot up, and people of all ages seemed to be interested in it” By the summer of 2010, fan numbers had remained static at 117, and Jennifer decided she ought to do some-thing about Snøfjell, before people lost interest. Her plan to create a low key eBook changed, however, when accomplished Canadian artist Jennifer Llewellyn contacted her over the weekend of 3-5th September
2010, having chosen her out of twelve authors to work with, and the project took on a more professional edge. The fans wanted paperbacks, too! So, in order to give Snøfjell the best chance of succeeding in a competitive market, and to gain maximum remuneration for Jenn L, whose extensive credits include computer game Sally’s Spa, and the film Catching Kringle, Jen S opted to set up publishing company PlantaPress. (Since they have the same name, and the abbreviations for Jennifer differ between the UK and Canada, they tend to refer to themselves as Jenn L and Jen S!) Jenn L brought in colourist, Bri Raymond, to assist with Snøfjell’s beautiful artwork. Bri describes the illustration process “Jenn L did all the linework for the illustrations, scanned the images in, and sent them to me. After doing some research into the content of the images (such as the rosemaled chest and clothing) I added the colour digitally. It was an incredibly fun project and I’m very grateful to have been brought on!” It was a highly pressured project, as all three women had barely four months to get Snøfjell ready for Christmas release. “I somehow managed to get Snøfjell from 15 chapters in September to a fully finished, twenty eight chapter novel by early December” Jen S laughs. Meanwhile, in Canada, Jenn L and Bri were burning the midnight oil to ensure the artwork met the December deadline. Within a month of its release on 20th December 2010, Snøfjell was accepted onto the catalogues of major bookshops like Waterstones, Foyles and Blackwells. Just over a year later, there are over 400 fans on the Facebook page, Jen S undertakes her first author event at Waterstones, L1 on 7th April 2012 (Easter Saturday) and the second edition is now in print. Now rare, first edition copies of Snøfjell can be found in The Bodleian Library, Oxford, The Grand Hotel, Oslo, The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, The Royal Norwegian Embassy, London and Chestermere Public Library, Alberta. Jen S has plans to create both a prequel and a sequel for Snøfjell, if public interest continues to grow. Media interest is certainly increasing, and Jen S is set to appear in Mersey Magazine this year.
(See next few pages for a magical excerpt from the book, and where to buy! )
Snofjell (excerpt)
So, that evening, as planned, we crept quietly out of the house at midnight in our warmest clothes, stood under the apple tree, and waited for Stjernskride. It was not long before he appeared. “Children” he smiled, “You’re here! Now, as you say in England, Harriet hold onto your hollyhocks!” With that, he snapped his fingers, and we shot upwards with a whoosh. When we looked down, we found we were flying over the forest next to my grandparent’s house. “Stjernskride!” I shouted, “What if my grandmother looks out of the window, and sees us?” “She can’t see you!” Stjernskride shouted back, “You’re invisible!” We all burst out laughing, and I found I could swoop, and twirl. Espen did the same. Stjernskride looked back, and laughed. “Stop playing, children, and concentrate!” he shouted, chuckling, “You’re missing the views!” Indeed we were! We looked down, to see we were flying over snowcapped mountains, and a wide glistening fjord. Thick forests of deep green fir trees lay in all directions, and, in the distance, we could see a herd of wild reindeer running across a mountainside.
“The reindeer don’t always sleep!” shouted Stjernskride, “Sometimes they’ll travel in the dead of night, usually down to a fjord to have a quick drink…Ok! Turn here and follow me…” We followed him, turning against the wind to the right. The arctic wind was biting, but we didn’t feel it. We were too happy! The navy blue sky was filled with twinkling stars, the moon was bright, and the Northern Lights shimmered, in purple, and gold. We flew on for another few minutes, and then suddenly found we began to drop. I almost fainted with excitement, when I saw why! There, ahead of us, sparkling majestically on the snow- capped mountainside, Kjaerlighet glistened as brightly as the day I had first seen it. We flew lower, and lower, until we landed, surprisingly lightly it has to be said, and our feet were crunching on the soft white snow. It was very chilly. “Come on inside” said Stjernskride, “I’ll open the door. She knows we’re coming…” He unbolted the great oaken door, and we followed him inside… It was beautiful! Espen and I gazed in wonder at the glistening icy walls of what seemed to be some sort of great hall. There were ice sculptures, everywhere, depicting every type of animal, plant, and flower. The smooth floor was tiled with gold, and little twinkling lights flew about, every now and then. “What on earth are they?!” I asked Stjernskride, pointing to the little lights. “Those, my dear” Stjernskride smiled, “are the fairies! They help with just about everything!” “Whom are we here to see?” asked Espen, as we followed Stjernskride across the hall. “The Queen, of all the fairy folk” answered Stjernskride, “Her name is Queen Gresslette. Gresslette means Meadow.” “Is, er, Queen Gresslette expecting us?” I asked him. “Oh, she most certainly is!” he replied, as we neared a large doorway. “Ah, we’re here!” he said, pushing open another large door. We found ourselves in a large room, also made of ice, and full of sculptures. Yet we
were not cold! It helped that a warm fire burned in a nearby hearth, but why the ice did not melt, with the heat, we have never found out. Magic, presumably! At the far end of the room was a great golden chair; a throne belonging to Queen Gresslette. At either side, there was a small doorway. We were standing in the curious room for a short while, when another little man with pointy ears came running out towards us. He was, of course, a nisse, but a little smaller than Stjernskride. “Stjernskride!” he shouted, “Du er har!” Stjernskride laughed heartily, turning to us, “This” he gestured to the other nisse, “Is my brother Glimt, and he says, “You are here!” He turned back to Glimt, “Snakke vi engelsk Glimt?” he asked him. “Oh!” Glimt exclaimed, “Yes of course we shall speak in English. I’m sorry Harriet, I do apologise!” I smiled. “Thank you Glimt” I answered, “My Norwegian is not quite good enough yet, but I am working on it!” Glimt went on, “Well, Queen Gresslette is expecting you!” he said, “We had better go now, before she grows impatient. Please, follow me, and I will escort you to her chamber” He took us through one of the little doors, at the side of the throne, and into a great long corridor, filled with yet more sculptures. There was a particularly beautiful reindeer sculpture, further down, made of ice like the rest of them, but this one had a nose made of ruby. Of course, this was Rudolph...! Glimt winked, “He comes past here at Christmas time, you know! he said. “Really?!” Espen, and I, exclaimed.
***
Want to read more? Buy your copy of Snofjell now!
PlantaPress
Publishing Insider: Book Editor We had a brief chat with Yvonne Wilson (left) who has worked as a freelance book editor for many years. She gave us her personal insight into this line of work. How did you get into book editing? I got into book editing by marriage! An unusual route perhaps, but my late husband Michael, a military historian, was already a published author. When the prospect of my becoming his editor was first mooted, we had only just met, He freely admitted that he was less than happy with his most recent book, and I could see why. I made suggestions on what I would have done to improve it and the job was mine!
Which genres do you work with? I have edited primarily non-fiction military history books, although I have also worked on a couple of action/adventure novels.
What attracted you to this work? I already had a lifelong interest in military history myself and thus it is this genre in which I have specialised, although I have also worked on a couple of novels too. I have a natural flair for seeing the best way of collating and presenting often quite complex information in the most clear and concise logical order. Sometimes the author, who knows the facts so clearly, isn't able to distance themselves sufficiently from the reader who may have no prior knowledge of the subject whatsoever, and taking this into account is crucial. It is an art in itself to be able to do this without appearing to patronise the more advanced reader.
Where did you train? I literally trained on the job. Because I was working with my husband, we were able to discuss the book, its progress and the direction in which he wished to take it, every step of the way, My interest in the subject matter, together with my instinct for how best to present the material, seemed to lead me onwards.
Future publishers always commented on how there were never any changes necessary once the manuscripts were in their hands, so I must have got something right!
The best parts of the job? The excitement of the project itself, the desire to do the material full justice, and the enthusiasm for seeing the best possible finished product.
The worst parts? B The worst aspects were undoubtedly the deadlines! There have certainly been a few sleepless nights over the years!
Do you have any advice for others who want to become book editors? The most important qualities for an editor are patience and a natural flair for the subject matter, but above all the ability to see the bigger picture, to put oneself in the position of the reader and ensure that the material is presented in such a way that all levels of knowledge are catered for. Never assume that the reader has any expertise; it is the duty of the author to pass on his/her own, and the job of the editor to make sure that this is achieved in the most clear and concise way possible. USEFUL LINKS: Society for Editors & Proof Readers http://www.sfep.org.uk/ Universities & Colleges Admissions Service www.ucas.ac.uk Prospects (career profiles) www.prospects.ac.uk Michael Wilson’s book ‘For Them The War Was Not Over’ edited by Yvonne Wilson, is currently available from Amazon, priced £11.89. As the guns fell silent of the Western Front on 11 November 1918, and thousands of men were looking forward to their demobilisation, civil war still raged in Russia. For the Allied forces in Russia, the war was not over ...
Win A Signed Copy Of The Lazy Seagull!
Just tell us what you would do to make Lazy spread his wings and fly, in 50 words or less! Send your entries to: enquiries@plantapress.com Closing date is 12 midnight on April 30th 2012 All ages are welcome to enter, but please ensure you have the consent of a parent or guardian if you are under 18. The judges’ decision is final.
Good Luck!