Wilde International Network Newsletter May 2013

I am a writer, thatâ€™s what I am.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted success as a writer. I didnâ€™t consider fame. Being famous wasnâ€™t a part of my dream. All I wanted to do was write the type of books I wanted to read, and write them well. I write womenâ€™s or commercial fiction â€“ theyâ€™re my true passion, me being a womanist! My love affair with words began quite early with the quotes my father would use on us, his children in response to our questions.

â€˜Daddy, can I go to the disco?â€™ I eagerly asked for three consecutive weeks. On the third week daddy responded with; â€˜Enthusiasm is the gas of life, step on it but keep your feet on the break of self control.â€™
Well, of course I had no idea what he was talking about at the time, but over the years, and especially when the writer raised her head within me, I realized that my fatherâ€™s quotes had been feeding my creativity. It wasnâ€™t out of the ordinary for Daddy to answer one of my questions with a poem, long or short, but it was always one of the classics by Browning, Byron, Keats or Shakespeare.
You see my father was educated in colonial Jamaica, taught by middle class English teachers and he carried their ethos for written and spoken English. He wouldnâ€™t tolerate Jamaican patois being spoken at home, so you can imagine when I, being the baby of the family, took the Philosophy of Language module as part of my Masters and went on to prove Patois as an authentic language within its own right.

Daddyâ€™s other love was the radio, BBC Radio 4 to be exact, and so I grew listening to the Archers and shows that went way over my head. However itâ€™s no coincidence that I completed Media Studies at university, specialising in Radio Broadcast and then went on to do a Masters in Creative and Transactional Writing, coming across the literary works of all those writers my father use to quote. This, people showed me the power of the soil in which we are nurtured and in which we grow. It showed me the subliminal messages we pick up in our childhood and how they influence us, for good or otherwise.

And if I could take you back to my childhood home, you wouldnâ€™t be surprised at my outcome. The bookshelves with my fatherâ€™s poetry books, the stacks of Encyclopedia Britannica, the Readers Digest and selections of dictionaries, his history and geography books, there was enough to keep a child like me fascinated for years. Writing truly provides the solace in a storm and no matter how tired I am, as the saying goes - the bed and laptop want me equally. My need to write overwhelms me at times, throws my emotions into chaos and when this happens I have to be still. Do nothing. Iâ€™ve learnt not to be frustrated with doing nothing, not to feel guilty about wasting time, now I just soak it up and enjoy it.

Weâ€™re launching Every Woman Inspired Expo at the Jamaican High Commission on 18th July 2013, from 5:30 â€“ 9pm. For those of you who donâ€™t know what EWI is, take a look at the website, www.everywomaninspired.org

If you havenâ€™t booked your holiday for this year and youâ€™re considering where to go, consider coming to Jamaica with a group of inspirational women. Weâ€™ve had a number of queries from women who say they donâ€™t have anyone to room-mate with â€“ donâ€™t worry about that because if you enjoy making friends and donâ€™t mind sharing with a like minded woman, then your problem is solved.

The early bird discounts ends on 24th May so itâ€™s not too late to book your ticket. In fact on 11th May from 10am â€“ 5pm at SN Travel, you have the opportunity of securing your ticket with Â£150 deposit. You can also get more information about the easy payment plan because we know times are challenging. Weâ€™ll be sharing more information about the speakers over the coming months, and youâ€™ll enjoy them all.

I first attended the launch of Images of Black Women, which was held at the BBC, hosted by Sylviane Rano nine years ago and Iâ€™m so proud of Sylviane for keeping the passion burning and promoting women film makers. This year it begins 3-11th May so check out their website www.imagesofblackwomen.com to see the array of films on offer, and please attend and support the film makers.

The latest news from the Bridport Prize

If you havenâ€™t already entered, there are just over 37 days left to submit your winning poems, short stories and flash fictions! Judged by Wendy Cope for poetry, MichÃ¨le Roberts for short stories and David Swann for flash fiction, there is a prize fund of Â£15,925 to be won.
For full details, please see competition rules and entry instructions. If you havenâ€™t yet registered on the new site you will need to do so before you can enter the competition.

Taking place on 5th May 2013 at Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, W6 9JT, another chance to sample products and attend the natural cultural hair, health and beauty event. With a special selection of seminars, services and stalls, our radio show, Wilde Talk will be covering this event, so see you there!

The launch of Protect The Girl Child took place on Saturday 13th April and we were left truly humbled by the speakers, who were all very knowledgeable and informative. This is only the beginning - the campaign continues with the Wilde annual sponsored walk, taking place on Sunday 30th June, from Little Venice along the canal to Primrose Hill.

Please feel free to join us in raising funds for rural women and girls in Jamaica, whilst losing any extra pounds that needs a little help to shift.

May Issue