John Dean's Blog (176)

Eric's second novel is published

The second novel written by author Eric Foster, a member of the Darlington-based Inkers writing group, has been published and is the latest stage in his fictional re-telling of the life of Ireland’s patron saint.

Becoming St Patrick – His Mission (Troubador) sees Patrick’s ten-man mission arrive by boat in the Irish Kingdom of Brega, where…

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Added by John Dean on March 1, 2024 at 7:05pm — No Comments

Alwyn goes into print with new book

Inkers member Alwyn Foden has gone into print with his new book Queues A Life Line.

The book tells the story of Stanley McEwan, a pun on ‘Standing and Queueing’, who despairs at his life spent in queues. 

As a youngster, life is full of promise but rapidly descends into a frustrating humdrum.  He falls out with his son and his…

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Added by John Dean on December 16, 2023 at 9:45am — No Comments

New anthology is published

Inkers, a long-established collection of writers who gather fortnightly in person at the Friends’ Meeting House in Darlington, as well as online, have published their latest anthology.

A Thread of Raindrops and Other Stories contains short stories in various genres, many of them featuring a satisfying twist.

From crime to romance, and…

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Added by John Dean on September 3, 2023 at 1:56pm — No Comments

Author to stage book event

Darlington author Eric Foster is to stage an event to promote his first novel, which has recently been published and is based on a fictional re-telling of the life of Ireland’s patron saint.

Becoming St Patrick has been published by Troubador Publishing and Eric will talk about the book during the event on Wednesday March 15 at The Quakerhouse, in…

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Added by John Dean on February 13, 2023 at 12:22pm — No Comments

Author’s debut novel tells patron saint’s story

The first novel written by Darlington author Eric Foster is due to be published on January 28, based on a fictional re-telling of the life of Ireland’s patron saint.

Inspired by a long-standing love of Ireland, Becoming St Patrick has been published by Troubador Publishing and is based on extensive research conducted by Eric over several…

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Added by John Dean on January 4, 2023 at 10:42am — No Comments

Books raise funds for hospice

Author Keven Shevels, a member of Darlington-based Inkerman Writers, has now published three novels in his darkly comic Dogsbreath series, which are available on Amazon.  Proceeds from sales are donated to St Teresa’s Hospice in the town.

The books are:

The Haddock Flies At Midnight - A contemporary novel tracing thirty days in the life…

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Added by John Dean on August 20, 2022 at 10:30am — No Comments

Arts festival appearances

Group members are delighted to be taking part in this year’s Darlington Arts Festival, featuring in two events.

Inkers Creative Writing Collective presents ‘The Other Side Of The Door.’ An entertaining hour of prose and poetry.  A door represents a world of possibility, a passageway from one world to another. Come and listen to tales of…

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Added by John Dean on April 11, 2022 at 9:30am — No Comments

Bud talks sense of place

Interested in crime fiction? Then check out Inkerman Writer Bud Craig talking about his craft in the latest instalment of the free Tall Tales Mysteries Mug Shots series of films. Bud, one of the Book Folks stable of writers, talks in particular about sense of place. You can watch the interview at …

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Added by John Dean on May 11, 2021 at 1:34pm — No Comments

Hats off to Bud

Inkerman Writer Bud Craig is celebrating after his short story Hats Off to Larry was commended in the Elmbridge Literary Competition. The theme of the competition was music.

In the story, in 1960 Salford teenager Jack finds the girl of his dreams. Over the next three years, Jack changes as does pop music, the Everly Brothers and Del Shannon giving way to the Beatles.

Jack plans a year in France after A levels and sees a whole new world opening up. Girlfriend Cathy, who…

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Added by John Dean on April 1, 2021 at 1:26pm — No Comments

A wander down the street that gave the group its name

One of the anthologies produced by Darlington-based Inkerman Writers gives a clue as to how they got their name.

The anthology of short stories, titled Inkerman Street, was based on the demolition of a fictional northern street and the stories of the people who lived in it.

The book, which features a variety of stories ranging from…

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Added by John Dean on February 26, 2021 at 11:33am — No Comments

Inkerman Writers among authors to back new venture

An exciting new initiative has been launched featuring online interviews with popular crime fiction authors.

Mug Shots is run by Tall Tales Mysteries, a leading UK murder mystery company based in the Darlington area of County Durham.

The idea for Mug Shots happened when Scottish-based crime writers Jackie Baldwin, Ian Patrick and John…

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Added by John Dean on February 12, 2021 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Success for Mike

Inkerman Writer Mike Watson is celebrating after one of his pieces was named runner-up in a short story competition.

The competition was organised by Durham Wildlife Trust, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The Trust organised the writing competition to add to the celebrations and the theme was how Nature has affected, or changed, your life, with a word limit of 500.

Mike, who receives a £25 book token and a coveted Golden Badger Badge, said: “It’s…

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Added by John Dean on February 9, 2021 at 11:59am — No Comments

Gus Keane returns!

The latest crime novel from Inkerman Writer Bud Craig has been published by The Book Folks.

Stealing Time is the latest run-out for his private investigator Gus Keane and is much to be recommended.

You can find out more, and purchase the book on Kindle or in paperback, at  …

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Added by John Dean on February 9, 2021 at 9:28am — No Comments

Bud Craig's latest novel is published

Inkerman Writer Bud Craig has had his latest crime novel published by The Book Folks.

Making A Killing is a British murder mystery featuring Private Investigator Gus Keane, the fourth book in which he has featured. The ebook is available now, the paperback will come in a few days.

In the novel, a…

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Added by John Dean on May 27, 2020 at 10:04am — No Comments

Book sales help hospice

Congratulations to Inkerman Writers member Keven Shevels, who is donating proceeds from sales of his comic novel The Haddock Flies at Midnight to St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington, County Durham, to help it through these difficult times. An adult comedy, the book recounts thirty days in the life of a town hall housing official in the north of England…

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Added by John Dean on April 2, 2020 at 9:38am — No Comments

Talking of love...

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Added by John Dean on July 2, 2019 at 2:44pm — No Comments

Festival events



Crime writer John Dean, a member of the Inkerman Writers, will be among those authors staging events at Darlington Arts Festival, during National Crime Reading Month in May. They are:

Title: An Introduction to Crime Fiction – Writing workshop

Event details Best-selling crime novelist John Dean is to run an Introduction to Crime…

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Added by John Dean on February 25, 2019 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Inkerman Street anthology is launched

Darlington-based Inkerman Writers have produced their latest anthology of short stories, Inkerman…

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Added by John Dean on May 29, 2018 at 8:49am — No Comments

Michael Jarvie book is published

Check out Michael Jarvie's book set in the dark underbelly of the art world, which can be bought at https://www.amazon.co.uk/BLACK-ART-Nesbos-Headhunters-Larsson-ebook/dp/B076KK1SJS  …

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Added by John Dean on December 15, 2017 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Open mic to be held at new venue

Got a story you want to read to other people? Trying something out with a novel and not sure if it works? Or simply like listening to original writing, some of it never heard before?

Prose, poetry, drama, film scripts, the Open Mic team want to hear it all. Simply bring along your piece and read it out. Eight-minute slots for each reader.

The events are part of the programme supported by Darlington for Culture (DfC), held on the last Thursday of each month (excluding July,…

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Added by John Dean on November 7, 2017 at 11:00am — No Comments

DfC

The Inkerman Writers are members of Darlington for Culture (DfC), which was set up  in 2010 to help save Darlington Arts Centre from closure.

Its members include representatives of arts and community groups.

DfC was established after the centre’s owner, Darlington Borough Council, announced that budget cuts meant that it would have to withdraw its subsidy from the Arts Centre.

Although the centre closed, the organisation remains active - more at www.darlingtonforculture.org

 

Publications

Welcome to the site created by the Inkerman Writers to showcase our work.

Based in Darlington, North East England, and having celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2013, members have enjoyed success in a variety of arenas, including winning, and being shortlisted and highly commended, in short story competitions, having novels published and publishing the short story anthology A Strawberry in Winter, which can be obtained by visiting the website www.blurb.com

The group's second anthology of short stories, Christophe's Farewell and Other Stories, can be obtained, cost £4.95 plus postage and packing, from

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/2173759/4a79a32f5cf205f6bfd37b6f1df30e33900a5ab0?utm_source=TellAFriend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=2692827

The Inkerman Writers latest book, Out of the Shadows, which was launched as part of the 2013 Darlington Arts Festival, is on sale. The book can be ordered direct from

http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/4204019-out-of-the-shadows

The group also produced The Last Waltz, a double CD of short stories, available by contacting deangriss@btinternet.com, cost £5 plus p and p.

Several of our writers wrote original one-act plays in a collaboration with the Green Theatre company, which were performed at Darlington Arts Centre early in February, 2012.

 

Darlington-based Inkerman Writers have produced their latest anthology of short stories, Inkerman  Street, based on the demolition of a fictional northern street and the stories of the people who lived in it.

The book, which features a variety of stories ranging from horror to comedy, was launched to a large audience at the Darlington Arts Festival Literary Day on Saturday May 26 and begins like this:

Inkerman Street is still and graveyard-hushed tonight, the terraced houses cold behind boarded-up windows, silent sentinels among a sea of wasteland. No one lives here now and tomorrow the bulldozers will move in to flatten the houses to make way for the Council’s Grand Plan.

“Although the people are long gone, the houses still have life. Peek into one of the bedrooms and see on the wall a painting of a seaside scene, brightly-coloured boats bobbing in the harbour, fishermen pipe-smoking in the noonday sun and seagulls wheeling high above the choppy waters. In the roaring silence of the night, you can hear the screeching of the birds and taste the salt air, acrid and herring-sharp at the back of your throat. It is an illusion; the bedroom is empty and the blooms on the faded wallpaper have long since wilted.

“The air in the houses is musty with neglect yet but a few months before, these were bustling homes filled with frying bacon and steaming irons, whistling kettles and playing children. The houses witnessed all these scenes for more than 150 years. Behind their curtains were enacted a thousand stories but tomorrow they will be destroyed because Inkerman Street is the last of its ilk.

“Now, on the eve of the street’s death, the people who once lived here have returned, gathering solemn and silent in the mist, the ghosts of the past come to pay final tribute….”

The anthology can be purchased at http://www.blurb.co.uk/bookstore/invited/7524452/bae89c993c98ec8c8b37b12d6b9b37ecced5dec3

 

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