OVER TO OUR REPORTER AT THE SCENE.
PLAY AT 2010 EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL
'Tangents' co written with Elizabeth Fuller will be performed by Clax Youth Theatre at the 2010 Edinburgh International Fringe Festival.
DATE: 7th August
Time: 11am and 4pm.
Venue: Out Of The Blue, 30-36 Dalmeny Street Edinburgh.
Tickets £3.50
Fringe Box Office: www.edfringe.com
PLAY PERFORMED
'Tangents' co written with Elizabeth Fuller performed by Clax Youth Theatre at D'nisi Cafe as part of Clackswrite Writers Festival, 20th and 21st March 2010.
POEMS PUBLISHED
Two poems 'You Have To Step Through The Door' and 'You Wonder' published in the Brownsbank Anthology. All the poems in the anthology were inspired by Brownsbank Cottage the last home of Chris and Valda Grieve.
Thanks to the editors Tom Bryan, Linda Cracknell and Andrew McCallum, for all their work in putting it together.
BRECHIN CREATIVE DAY
Myself and Gerry Cambridge took part in the Creative Writing day at Brechin High School on the 1st March. Gerry ran poetry workshops. I ran short story workshops. Students from the High School and surrounding schools took part in the workshops. Thanks to all the staff and students who made it such a successful day.
WINTER WORDS FESTIVAL
Just back from running a three day workshop culminating in a reading at this years prestigious Winter Words Festival held at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. The festival ran from 29th January 2010 to 7th February 2010. Other writers who appeared included Alasdair Gray, Don Patterson, Julie Donaldson, Christopher Brookmyre and Mairi Hedderwick.
Thanks to everyone who took part in the workshops.
More details can be found at: www.pitlochry.org.uk/page187.php
PENTLAND WRITERS' GROUP
To celebrate their 10th year the group ran three short story competitions. I was judge of the Young Writers competition. The judges for the other two competitions were Sean Black and Carl MacDougal. Results at: www.west-linton.org.uk/content/competition-results
NORTHERN WRITES CREATIVE WRITING CONFERENCE
Ran workshops on playwriting at the Northern Writes Conference on the 15th September 2009 . The event for 6th Year pupils from all over Aberdeen district was an all day event and was held at the Kings College Conference Centre, University of Aberdeen.
Other writers include: Des Dillon; Susie Maguire; Jules Horne; Beatrice Colin and Tom Bryan.
Also read my own work at the event.
THE MUSTER LITERARY FESTIVAL
Gave a talk on contemporary writing in the Scottish Borders at the Muster Literary Festival at Bowhill, Selkirk on the 26th September 2009.
UPDATE ON PLAY READING.
The Director John Carnegie, the actors Claire Dargo and Grant O'Rourke did a fantastic job. A great turnout--they had to bring out more chairs. A good reaction to the play, and a very useful Q/A session afterwards. A big thank you to all involved especially the forementioned and Judy Steel.
PLAY READING
SINS OF THE FATHER (a winner of the Rowan Tree Playwriting Competition.)
Directed by John Carnegie, and perfromed by Grant O'Rourke (Slab Boys; Hermiston; Outlying Islands.) and Claire Dargo (Outlying Islands, and currently shorlisted for the STAGE awards for best actress on the Fringe in the play CRUSH.
Friday 4 Sep 2009 - 13:00
£5 (inc lunch)
EASTGATE THEATRE, PEEBLES.
You can book tickets:
by visiting the box office, at Eastgate Theatre and Arts Centre, Eastgate, Peebles, EH45 8AD
by phoning the box office on 01721 725 777
The box office is open Monday to Saturday from 10am till 5pm, and for one hour before shows. Payment can be made by cash cheque, credit or debit card, and your tickets can either be posted or held for collection.
See www.eastgatearts.com for further details.
A big thanks to Chris Dolan and the Playwrights Studio for all their help in developing the play.
PLAY-- 'SINS OF THE FATHER' A WINNER OF THE ROWAN TREE PLAYWRITING COMPETITION.
The competition was the first of its kind in the South of Scotland. It drew entries from Wigtown in the west to Kelso in the east from both established and new writers.
The results of the competition were announced at a special lunch time event at the Eastgate Theatre in Peebles on Thursday 7th May 2009.
The judges of the competition were Julie Ellen of Playwrights Studio Scotland, Judy Steel of Rowan Tree, and the actor Michael Mackenzie.
What happens now?
I work with the Playwrights Studio in Glagow to develop the play with the plan for readings of the play later this year.
COLLABORATION WITH GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART.
Text/sculpture partnership with Glasgow School of Art installed Sunnyside Cemetery Alloa.
BOOK PUBLICATION
Play ' Can You Hear Me? to be published by Fairplay Press in an anthology of plays I Confess.
How to buy: http://www.fairplaypress.co.uk/plays/maggie_rose.html
Poetry collection below reviewed in Chapman 109.
' the encounter with Neal Cassady's widow, forever carrying his memory, alone merits the modest price.'
'The Future is Behind You' is published by Selkirk Lapwing Press. If you wish to order a copy details below, or contact myself.
'The Future is Behind You' by Tom Murray
ISBN 09531219 1
Price £2.50
Selkirk Lapwing Press
Lower kirklands
The Glebe
Selkirk
TD7 5AB
Also for sale at: www.scottish-pamphlet-poetry.com under Selkirk Lapwing Press.
See Poetry section of website for samples from the book.
WORK PUBLISHED/PERFORMED.
In November 2008 I was asked to write a poem to celebrate the opening of the new Clackmannanshire Bridge. You can find it here: http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/transport/bridgepoem/
I have a short non fiction piece on the Scottish Book Trust Website under their 'Days Like This' project.
Title: Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants. Go to http://www.scottishbooktrust.com
Story 'Return of the Child' published in Scheherazade 30.
Play 'Just Like Us.' Directed by Elizabeth Fuller and performed by Clax Youth Theatre performed at Lornshill Academy 16th February, 2008.
Story ' Peace at Last' in issue 18 of Aesthetica
Story 'Ghosts Inside The Head.' published NOW in Northwords Now. Issue 6 Summer 2007.
Some very good fiction and poetry in this issue: includes a celebration of Sorley Maclean; Poems by Dilys Rose, Chris Powici and Donald S Murray. Available in Borders Books, Scottish Poetry Library and Blackwells Bookshop in Edinburgh, and elsewhere. It's FREE.
Poem 'My Father', Highly Commended in the 'Inspired? Get Writing!' competition run by the National Galleries of Scotland. Read at award ceremony 19th April, Hawthornden lecture Theatre, National Gallery of Scotland, on the Mound, Edinburgh.
Poem 'The Storyteller' published in FIRE 27.
Poem 'Isaac Babel' published November 2006 in Markings 23.
Poem published in Haiku Scotland December 2006.
Poem ' School Dance' published in Both Sides of Hadrian's Wall anthology. Others featured include Julian Colton, Tom Bryan, Dorothy Alexander, Helen Farish and Tom Pow. Edited by Robert Leach the anthology is published by Selkirk Lapwing Press. See Links page for details.
Three poems: 'Victor Mature is Dead'; 'Memory of Dancing'; and ' New York New York' showcased on issue 16 of Laura Hird's webpage www.laurahird.com . To read: http://laurahird.com/showcase/tommurray.html
Also published in same issue a musical appreciation of Dr Feelgood. To read: http://laurahird.com/bestrecords/drfeelgood.html
Story: 'Short story about...' published in American magazine The Write Side Up January 2007.
WORKSHOPS: CURRENT OR RECENT
OCT 2008-- Brechin High School Creative Writing day. A brilliant day. From ten o clock in the morning till 3pm (with the occasional break.) I ran workshops on playwrighting with pupils ranging from P7 to six year studies. Also there was Gerry Cambridge doing poetry, and Andy Shanks songwriting. This was the second of these 'creative days'. (See below.) The school plan to publish an anthology of the work produced in the new year.
April 2008-- Concluded a series of workshops with six year studies pupils at Hawick High School on prose and drama. Have worked with various groups of six year studies pupils from 2004.
March 2008-- Brechin High School Creative Writing Day. Along with writers Gerry Cambridge and Christine Du Luca worked with pupils from Brechin in a Creative Writing day held at Brechin High School. This involved both Primary and High School pupils
