Poetry magazine for the contemporary sonnet, and other 14 line oddities. All styles of poem welcomed unconventional or traditional, on any topic. The only requirement is that the poem must have 14 lines.

Subscriptions: £6.00 for 1 year - 2 issues (incl. postage). Cheques payable to 14 magazine.

Submissions: 14 magazine, PO Box 253, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2ZF

See website for details: www.fourteenmagazine.com

COURSES FOR WRITERS EVENING, SHORT AND HOME-STUDY

We offer specialist home-study and online courses with personal tuition from experienced authors.

Novel Writing Freelance Writing Short Story Writing Writing a Best-seller Writing for Children Poetry Cartooning Creative Writing Workshops Evening classes in London

For a free prospectus contact:

THE LONDON SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM

126 Shirland Road London W9 2BT Phone 0800 838216 or email info@lsj.org

Full details: www.learntowrite.org The LSJ - teaching success since 1920

From design to distribution

Self-publishing a book is cheaper

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YORK PUBLISHING SERVICES LTD

Tel: 01904 431213 email: enquiries@yps-publishing.co.uk

www.yps-publishing.co.uk

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S B O O K S Specials

AGENDA

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Sleight of hand Journalist Nancy Campbell explores bookmaking, an ancient and developing medium, through three practitioners INTERVIEW 13 Nicola Barker FEATURES 16 A Different View Novelist Maggie Gee considers a major aspect of a writer’s challenge – getting into the heads of her characters The Insider: Ros Ramsay Structure’s the Thing Poet and crime fiction author Sophie Hannah reveals the common ground both genres share

‘I was always telling myself stories. They’d find me under a table, making something up.’

Nicola Barker (as a child, above), Interview, page 13

Regulars Contents: issue 41

STARTERS

Contributors, Letters, News and Views

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INSPIRATIONS

Including: Bernardine Evaristo Clare Jay’s first draft making a poem: Gillian Allnutt talks to Colette Bryce Ursula K Le Guin’s bottom drawer, writing your self with Roselle Angwin, keep going with Bekki Hill

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NEW WRITING

Helen Simpson introduces her winning selections from the Mslexia Short Story Competition

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BOOKS

Including: How to write a bestseller: East of the Sun Literary landmarks: The Idea of Perfection Independent press profile: Snowbooks Writers’ bookshelf by Elizabeth Chadwick

GUIDELINES

The lowdown on quiz writing The joy of…improv

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DIRECTORY

Opportunities: competitions, submissions, retreats, grants Out and About: events and workshops

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AND FINALLY

Julia Hobsbawm’s bedside table

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A fresh spring in our step

A s the greys of winter gradually give way to warmer, sunnier days, here at Mslexia we’ve got lots to celebrate: our Short Story Competition winners; our Cover Competition winner; the launch of the digital version of the magazine; and our 10th year of publication. In this issue, you’ll meet all the winners – and read Helen Simpson’s essay on her final choices – but don’t forget to visit our website for more coverage, and to find out more about Mslexia going digital.

Also inside our new issue we’ve got, along with all of our regular features, an illustrated look at the art of bookmaking;

a canny article by Sophie Hannah on the similarities between writing crime fiction and poetry; an insider’s take on the book industry from literary scout Ros Ramsay; and Maggie Gee’s thoughts on writing from others’ perspectives. Earlier this year, I had a great afternoon chatting with author Nicola Barker – you can read all about it in the Mslexia Interview.

In our regular columns, Editorial Intelligence founder Julia Hobsbawm lets us have a peek at what’s on her Bedside Table and sci fi/fantasy great Ursula K Le Guin pulls open her Bottom Drawer. Debbie Taylor’s ‘How To Write a Bestseller’

cracks Julia Gregson’s East of the Sun code, and historical romance writer Elizabeth Chadwick recommends her most precious reference book.

Finally, it’s time to prepare for our 6th annual Poetry Competition. To get in the mood, visit www.mslexia.co.uk for some stimulating exercises devised by Elizabeth Whyman and geared specifically towards poetry. Ruth Padel is our competition judge, and we are all looking forward to receiving your entries. The final deadline is 24 April, so mark your calendars now!

Daneet Steffens, Editor