East Midlands Arts is now Arts Council England, East Mdlands. The information on this page is not necessarily up to date (last updated 2001)

East Midlands
Directory of Writers and Storytellers

Writers' Information Pack

Foreword

Literature Development Officers
- Derby City
- Derbyshire
- Leicester City
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham City
- Nottinghamshire

Naomi Wilds
Derby City Council, Development and Cultural Services, Roman House, Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1XB
Phone: 01332 715 434
Fax: 01332 715 549
Email: naomi.wilds@derby.gov.uk

Naomi Wilds can provide you with a newsletter sent by post 4 times a year with details of live literature events, projects, competitions, writing group events and general news about literature activities in Derby City, including details of Festival of Words (every 2 years). Writers can also go on an email list to receive more frequent email updates about residency opportunities, funding schemes, bursaries, competitions and other regional/national opportunities. People should contact Naomi with details of which list (either or both) they would like to go on and details of any special interests. You can contact Naomi in writing at Derby City Council, Leisure Services, Roman House, Friar Gate, Derby DE1 1XB, by telephone on 01332 715434, or by email at naomi.wilds@derby.gov.uk
Please provide your name, full address and email address where possible.

Geographical Area covered
Derby City

Short biography
Naomi Wilds studied English Literature at the University of Leeds, leading to an MA by research in science fiction and feminism. Her interests in many artforms and audience development led her to work at Leeds Film Festival, Harrogate International Music Festival, West Yorkshire Playhouse and East of England Orchestra before moving on with literature in August 1999 as LDO for Derby City.

Areas of Activity
Based in the Arts Department at Derby City Council, the Literature Development programme acts as a support network to writers and literature promoters in the city. It initiaties cross-artform collaborations which involve groups of all ages and backgrounds in literature activities, often working in partnership with other arts providers and the city libraries to foster an environment in which literature is accessible to all.

Major Events of the Year

• The Festival of Words, October 1999: Derby City's first Literature Festival. A 31 days long feast of workshops, discussions, exhibitions and events featuring writers and poets living and working in Derby plus national figures such as Linton Kwesi Johnson, AL Kennedy, Roger McGough, Don Paterson, Ian McMillan, Deborah Moggach and Hilary Mantel. The Festival aims to raise the profile of literature activity in Derby, attracting new readers and writers to get involved with words. The Festival ties in with Black History Month, National Children's Book Week, National Poetry Day aand Hallowe'en, with events and workshops specifically linked to each theme.
• Windrush Carnival Arrival Here Derby: This collection of stories, poems, recollections and hopes was written during Derby's Carnival weekend in 1998. It commemorates 50 years since the arrival of the Empire Windrush with the stories of Derby's early Black community pioneers and celebrates the traditions of carnival with poems, photographs, thoughts and recipes. Three writers and performance poet Dave 'Stickman' Higgs worked with people from Derby's Afrikan Caribbean community to create this thought provoking and inspiring text.
• Normanton Park Poetry Mosaic: This permanent piece of public art was created by children from four Derby primary schools, working with poet Mark Gwynne Jones and ceramicist Alun Lloyd Jones. Extracts of poems and riddles on themes of wildlife and parks are set in mosaics in the park. The children were involved at every stage, crafting over 400 poems through workshops and helping design sections of the mosaic. The installation of the mosaic was begun by the children on National Poetry Day in October 1998 and was completed by the end of November.