On July 1st 2010, Jo Bell, poet and director of National Poetry Day, and David Calcutt, novelist and playwright, are inviting writers from across the country to take part in a new and exciting literary venture. The idea is simple. A writer places themselves in a location where they can overhear other people’s conversations. And it can be anywhere – on a bus or train, in a supermarket, pub or coffee shop – wherever people gather and talk. Then the writer simply jots down fragments of overheard conversations, and uses those fragments as a starting point for a piece of writing – prose, poetry or drama. Guidelines to the length of the work are: 1000 words for prose, 60 lines for a poem, 150 words for flash fiction, and 5 minutes for short scripts. The deadline for submissions is 15th August. Jo and David will then select the best of the submitted work, and post extracts or whole pieces on a purpose-built blog, and publish them in a print-on demand anthology. The anthology will be launched at the Manchester Literature Festival in October, with featured writers reading and performing their work. Although a handful of writers have been commissioned to take part, such as Jenn Ashworth, David Gaffney, Steph Dale, the aim of the project is to encourage as many writers from across the UK to take part, and to create a real sense of community among writers of all kinds and experience, and to especially give emerging writers the opportunity of appearing in print alongside those who are more established. Above all, it is to create an anthology of fresh, vibrant, and original writing of a high standard, through which really do hear the nation speak.
To find out more about how to get Bugging visit: bugged.org.uk
