Making Twitter Work For You

Kevin Danson picks up some top Twitter tips…

Laptops, Smartphones and iPads were being unloaded as people found their seats for the Twitter session at Cornerhouse. The weather outside was dreary but the tapping on the keyboards inside was cheerful. 

The workshop was lead by Mr. Digital Guru, @technicalfault- aka Josh. Starting with the workshop hastag #makeitwork, Josh began by telling us the basics of how to make your Twitter account…work. First valued tip, have an active account.

Josh explained - ‘Twitter is a community’. You shouldn’t turn your face from someone who is tweeting you just like you wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) if that person was stood in front of you. Twitter’s motto is: "we believe that the open exchange of information can have a positive global impact and are inspired by stories of people using Twitter to improve the world in unexpected ways". We, as tweeters, are connected. So the vital rule here is respect.

From the idea of engaging in conversation with your virtual neighbours, the majority of tweets should aim to be replies to others' tweets. This can help you to build up a following. Mixed notions appeared when the subject of follower quantity came up. Some thought they had to follow as many people as possible, since social media is all about collecting numbers, others admitted they prefer to select who they follow so their timeline doesn’t get over polluted with spam or simply, random crap.

Another interesting debate started around the question of tweeting at weekends. Certain Twitter users thought the weekend was a time when you don’t really look at your timeline - while the rest admitted how visiting their tweets on a Saturday and Sunday provided a distraction from boredom, or simply a chance to catch-up with news they missed throughout the week. The lesson here is that everybody has a different routine - just do what suits you best.

Josh’s advice on retweeting was to not retweet too often - it isn't fresh content - and try to keep your fresh tweets within 120 characters so you allow those who wish to retweet you give their own intro or spin on your news.

 Here is a flash list of apps and websites recommended…

• Buffer – Excellent for scheduling tweets of interesting content allowing your followers not to become flooded with information.
• Paperli – Create a daily paper of interesting content from a random selection from those you follow (I adopted this after the workshop and it is a perfect way for me to find relevant content to my interests in a paper format). It mentions those the content has been added from allowing room for shoulder rubbing and conversation.
• Twitter provides its own link shortening tool, but you can also join bitly. Not only will it reduce your links, it will show you details of the clicks you get from your tweets. Pretty handy. You can also link Buffer to bitly and schedule tweets to go through the bitly site already shortened.
• Tweet Grader is an ideal tool for businesses. You can track your tweets and see the fluctuation of followers. Observe what you’re doing right or change how you’ve gone wrong.
• Another site useful to businesses is TweetReach. From one tweet you can check how far that message went through your followers’ accounts and their followers and their followers… you get it.
• Twitilist gives you the chance to create lists and sort the ones you follow into categories. They sync up with the app you choose to access your Twitter account with, filtering information you wish to view and provide others with recommendations in public lists and keep your personal ones private.
• Suffer from a guilty conscious? TwitCleaner will do the dirty work for you. It scans the ones you follow and through a report with different categories, separates the wheat from the chaff. People change, interests change. If the info you’re getting no longer interests you, say adieu.
• And there is more than just Twitter.com to provide you with access to your tweets. Some that were suggested from Josh were Tweetbot (iPhone/iPad), Echofon (Mac) and Tweetdeck (Android). If you know of any others feel free to let us know below.

Now for the top tips…

• Links in tweets attract more clicks when placed at least 25% into the tweet.
• Words which have been registered to attract viewers are ones like ‘via’, ‘@’ ‘RT’ and ‘please’. Action words are attractive also. My new mantra is; more verbs, less nouns.
• Hashtags are a great way to bring together an event. With our #makeitwork hashtag, the knowledge of the workshop quickly spread and those who searched this tag quickly learnt about the skills Josh was departing on us.
• Since Manchester is ranked as the third biggest Twitter using city in Europe (oh yeah), it has landed its name on the cities to trend. Make sure to choose it as your trending city. 
  
  
  Happy Tweeting! 
  
  Kevin Danson is an English Literature student at MMU who likes to share his ramblings. Read his blog Pebbleddash and follow him on Twitter @pebbleddash

Backlash Against Payday Lenders

Words by Neil Harrison

A nation-wide backlash against payday loan lenders is set to get underway today (Saturday, September 7th) as a wave of protest hits the streets of many major towns and cities across the UK. The action, which is being co-ordinated by The People's Assembly, will see high street branches of certain high-interest loan companies occupied by protesters.


The move comes as it was revealed this week that one payday loan company, Wonga, makes over £1 million in profit per week at, it is felt by many, the expense of some of the most vulnerable in society. According to the organisers of today's protest,


“The interest that these outfits charge the poorest is robbery - but not considered a crime. This Saturday the People's Assembly is encouraging peaceful occupations of high street payday loan shops to expose these companies for what they really are - thieves who prey on the poorest.”


It is understood that the action in Manchester is set to be filmed by documentary makers from BBC3.

Occupied today?: A Manchester loan shop

They are particularly keen to hear from young people aged 18-30 who may have been adversely affected by this type of money-lending service.



The protest will meet at Market Street, Piccadilly at 1pm before moving on to occupy the city's loan shops brandishing props and banners. For more information on this and more events, visit the People's Assembly Facebook page.



If you are having difficulty with loan companies or spiralling debt, support can be found at The Citizen's Advice Bureau.

Neil Harrison is studying Social History at Manchester Metropolitan University, he is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player. Follow him on Twitter @looseriver

People Power Set To Take Over Northern Quarter

Words by Neil Harrison

The first time Manchester's Northern Quarter hosted The People's Assembly Against Austerity, back in May of this year, resulted in not only the largest regional turnout since the movement's inception, but also ‘the largest political meeting in the city since the miner's strike.’ Now it's back, and, buoyed by the success of the huge national meeting in Westminster last month, it is set to be bolder and brighter than before. 

This Saturday (27th July) will see a range of venues across the Northern Quarter, including Oldham Street's Central Hall, Matt And Phred's and Nexus Art Cafe become platforms for speeches, discussions, art installations and workshops- all designed to unify a broad spectrum of anti-austerity campaigns.

Owen Jones speaks at the first Manchester People's Assembly

Among the attendees will be writer, Owen Jones, who, as well as speaking, will also welcome a large number of protesters against bedroom tax to the event, who themselves will have completed a march in the city earlier in the day. 

  



Also speaking will be Ismail Ertuk of Manchester Business School, Annette Wright of the Public and Commercial Services Union and representatives from Show Racism The Red Card—an anti-racism educational charity.

The overall aim of this latest People's Assembly meeting is to confront, and to challenge, what many recognise to be a socially damaging agenda –by which austerity is the prime motivator—in a lively and engaging manner. Therefore, inclusive workshops which will tackle education reforms, NHS privatisation and a range of other subjects, will run throughout the day giving everyone a chance to have their say. 

Alongside all of this there will be poetry from Birmingham's exciting young poet laureate, Stephen Morrison-Burke and an 'interactive art project' by local artist and animator, Anna Morris, who explained, “What we are planning to do is to use the idea of the People's Assembly logo, the red and green speech bubbles, and get the people there to write down their most personal and important reasons for being part of the day. Then we are going to photograph those people... and create displays which will initially go up in Nexus Art Café, then hopefully in different places all over Manchester.”

 

June's National People's Assembly meeting which was attended by over four thousand

“Once each person has written down their reason for being there, they will eventually take home another person's. We hope that this will help to get everyone thinking about the importance of the People's Assembly to others. So, even though there may be differing political opinions between individuals, it will help to reinforce the idea we are all there for the same reason.” 

The organisers of the Manchester People's Assembly say they are keen to welcome any individual, group or organisation with opinions, ideas or practical help to share and contribute to the event and to the organisation as a whole. For now, the important thing is that people attend on Saturday, get involved and enjoy all the things this promising—and free!—day has to offer.

To register for the event please visit: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/6958588325/eorg 

You can follow Manchester People's Assembly on Facebook and Twitter @PplsAssemblyMcr

Neil Harrison is studying Social History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player. Read his blog LooseRiverand follow him on Twitter @LooseRiver
 

Graduates Enjoy Their Day In The Sun

Words & Videos By Neil Harrison

Photographs By Jason Cooke & Bethan Grant

Manchester's latest graduates celebrated in the sunshine - following their end of year ceremony at a packed Bridgewater Hall.

In spite of the heat, humanities students from Manchester Metropolitan University wore caps and gowns to receive their accolades in front of proud family and friends, before heading back to MMU's Business School for a well-deserved champagne reception and prize-giving ceremony.

Video: James Draper, of MMU's English Department, congratulates recent Humanities graduates and explains the importance of the work done by the faculty.

Dr. Aidan Arrowsmith, also of the university's English department, addressed the successful graduates in attendance directly, adding,

“I wanted to say how hugely impressed myself and my colleagues are with how hard you have all worked to get to where you are today. Some of you have put in super-human efforts, it's really quite inspiring for us.”

The day also saw veteran journalist and T.V. Presenter, Dame Joan Bakewell, return to her home town to receive an honorary Doctorate of Letters from MMU. She said,

“I have great memories of catching the bus into Manchester form Stockport to visit the Central Library or the Free Trade Hall. To see, today, one of the great cities of 19th Century Europe flourishing once again is wonderful.”

Video: Photographs from MMU's Humanities Class of 2013 Graduation

For more information visit mmu.ac.uk

Neil Harrison is studying Social History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player. Read his blog LooseRiver and follow him on Twitter @LooseRiver

Hats Off To The Kids On Campus

Words by Neil Harrison, photographs by Sophie Bannister

CHILDREN FROM THREE LOCAL NURSERIES don caps and gowns to celebrate their graduation from pre-school - at a real university.

As part of a ‘fantastic day’, youngsters from Didsbury Pre-school, Macintosh and St. Mary's Day Nurseries received their diplomas from staff and students at Manchester Metropolitan University, before throwing their mortarboards aloft in celebration.

Unanimous in praising the event, over 200 proud parents and nursery staff were in attendance to cheer on their little graduates. Manager of Macintosh Day Nursery, Sarah Wildon said,

“The children have absolutely loved it. We have been coming here for the end of term graduation for three years now and every year we get great feedback from the parents. We'll definitely be coming back next year.”

St. Mary's manager, Lyndsey Walkden, concurred, adding:

“All the children have been really excited all day, every five minutes they were asking 'can we go yet?' It's just so great for the kids to end their experience of pre-school with an event like this. It's nice having the links with the university and being able to put on such a special day at the end of the year.”

One of the organisers, MMU's James Draper, explained why it is so important for the university to reach out and engage with the local community,

“Kids Unlimited, the company which runs the three nurseries here today, are a sponsor of MMU's Children's Book Festival. Events like today show that the relationship between the university and its sponsors needn't be simply a financial one. Integrated into that relationship is a genuine community outreach programme, one which benefits everyone, but most of all the kids here today—what a great way to make young people comfortable within a university environment at an early age.”

One of the beaming parents, Natalie Goodair, herself an MMU graduate, certainly agreed, saying,

“The ceremony is such a wonderful way to get children interested in university life. My daughter is three years old and she's here today, running around and having a fantastic time. She has decided she wants to be an artist.”

“Days like this are something that they will remember fondly and they will always associate with university—it’s like planting a seed.”


Neil Harrison is studying Social History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player. Read his blog LooseRiver and follow him on Twitter @LooseRiver

Manchester Represented At National 'People's Assembly Against Austerity' Meeting

Words by Neil Harrison

Representatives from Manchester meet Owen Jones at the People's Assembly in London on Saturday

REPRESENTATIVES FROM MANCHESTER WERE AMONG a 4000-strong crowd at ‘The People's Assembly Against Austerity’ in Westminster, London at the weekend.

The event, which made headline news, was attended by numerous political figures and activists – including Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone and Unite General Secretary Len McClusky, who called for ‘mass industrial action’.

Among the speakers was Stockport's own Owen Jones (pictured with members of the Manchester delegation). The Chavs author and Independent columnist has been touring the country speaking at local People's Assembly meetings, the largest of which was held at Manchester's Central Hall, for months. He had this to say ahead of his speech on Saturday morning:

“It's an incredible turnout. This is the biggest anti-austerity meeting since the [financial] crisis began. What this is about doing is building a united, broad movement. This is just the beginning – it's a launchpad.”

“In the months ahead we'll see local groups protesting [and taking] direct action. We're going to send a loud, clear message to the government – enough is enough.” 

Attendee of both the regional and national meetings, David West, of Manchester, added:

“Manchester hosted the largest People's Assembly in the country before today, with over 700 people in attendance, so it is only fitting that we are well represented here in London.”

“There are groups here from Salford University, local councils, Manchester students, local bedroom tax campaigns and many other groups affected by the cuts.”

To find out more about what went on at the People’s Assembly in London click here. 

Neil Harrison is studying Social History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player. Read his blog LooseRiver and follow him on Twitter @LooseRiver

Celebrating Young Writers' Talent

The Portico Young Writers' Competition: A celebration of writing talent in the North West.

Although you’ve probably passed it a dozen times without realising it’s there, the Portico library has sat on Mosley Street in Manchester for over two hundred years. And this week, something quite special was happening there.

For the past four years the Portico Library, with support from Manchester Metropolitan University, has run the Portico Young Writers Prize, a writing competition for 14-19 year olds across Greater Manchester. But this isn’t just a writing competition; it is a project in which entrants are selected by their schools and teachers (each school entering selects two ‘laureates’ from their most talented young writers), who are then mentored by students and alumni of MMU’s Writing School and undergraduate English and Creative Writing programmes.

Humanity Hallows has been invited down to attend the launch of this year’s competition, and find out a bit more about the prize.

Buzzed in through the door, up a few flights of steps and into the main gallery of the library, I was greeted by Richie, an MA Poetry student at MMU’s Writing School currently interning with the Portico. He administrates the prize, and took up his internship after being involved as a mentor in a previous year.

“The mentors are all at the back with Sherry,” he informs me. “We’re expecting the young writers in about half an hour.”

It’s hard to take in the Portico in one glance. If you can imagine the ‘classic’ image of a library, then the Portico certainly fits. The Gallery room is skirted with floor to ceiling bookshelves, each lined with crackling, leather-bound books. It is a perfect setting for an afternoon of writing workshops to kick start the competition.

I make my way to the back of the Gallery. Sherry sits with a group of mentors, talking them through the afternoon’s event. Sherry has been the Writer in Residence at the Portico for the past two years. Also a Creative Writing Lecturer at MMU and a published children’s author, she has overseen the project since its inception. Later, when I manage to grab her for a quick chat about the competition and the project, she explains the workings of the prize, and the mentor/mentee relationship that makes it such a unique competition.

“The Portico has always wanted to have a young person’s prize alongside their main adult prize. What makes this distinctive from other competitions for young people is that we are looking for excellence. We are looking for the best talent in young writers in Manchester.

Writing can be pretty scary for young people, as it can for anybody, so MMU provide each entrant to the Portico prize with a personal mentor, who is an MMU student who’s had experience of creative writing workshops and who are writers themselves, who they can contact for support to help make their writing the best it can be before submitting it for the competition.”

For the moment, however, she is finishing running over a few points before the young writers arrive. The student mentors all look eager to get started. For some, this is their second year mentoring a young writer, but for most this will be their first time.

I speak with Sophie, an English Literature student at MMU. “I would have jumped at the chance to get this sort of help when I was younger... the young writers are going to feel so supported with their work...”

“But as well for us as students we gain a different insight into the creative writing process...” Dan, studying English and American Literature adds. “We do writing workshops at Uni, but coming from the other side is interesting for us from a technical point of view...”

The mentees begin arriving shortly after that and take a seat under the grand white dome of the Gallery. Beneath the auspice though is a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Everyone is chatting, drinks and sandwiches are in ample supply, and as the Gallery begins to busy, there is a real sense of excitement in the air.

Emily Adams and Rachel Wood are lower sixth form students from Sir John Deans Sixth Form Centre. As hopeful writers, the competition and the mentoring offers a chance not only of exposure and a potential win, but of guidance with their writing.

“It’s one thing to write for coursework but it’s another to show people what you’ve written, and put it forward for judgement. It’s a great opportunity to get advice as well, and get feedback about our work from the mentors.”

It’s a sentiment shared by members of staff and teachers present: “It’s a really good platform for students to get mentored by young enthusiastic writers who can pass on their enthusiasm and their expertise in some way....” says Annabel Lloyd-Hughes, an English teacher from Manchester Grammar School for Girls. “The process is really interesting, and of course there’s the setting.”

For Mr Day, from Christly King High School in Preston, there’s a longer term goal in mind.

“It’s the start of something really,” he says, stood with his school’s selected Year 10 Laureates. “Once we’ve got this we can look at having students down here more. For our students here as well, it’s a relationship they start now, and they can carry this enthusiasm and this link throughout their GCSEs and into their A Levels.”

The event gets started. Sherry matches the mentors with the young writers, and begins the afternoon workshops. After today the young writers and their mentors will meet regularly at the Portico to work on their piece for the competition. They will be submitting their pieces over the summer. The winners, I’m told, will be announced in October.

I slip away from the hubbub and find Lynne Allen, the Chair of the Portico and chat with her about the library, and the wider context of this competition.

“This competition and this project means a great deal to us at the Portico, because many people have lived their lives here and don’t know about us. Our intention is to bring new audiences to the library and engage much more fully with young people of all ages, because they are future. Especially at this time when libraries are under pressure and closing all over the place, we feel it’s very important for us to engage with young people as fully as possible.”

And they are doing so hand in hand with MMU.

“It has to be said that this would not have happened without the support of MMU, the Writing School, English Department and the staff and students who’ve been involved over the last four years,” Lynne says to me.

As I leave to the chatter of workshop talk and the scribble of pens, I’m struck by how much work the Portico and MMU are doing to develop writing talent in the North West. It seems that the Portico, steeped in heritage and history, is very much looking to, and investing in, the future.

The Portico Adult Poetry and Fiction & Poetry Prize has been running for over 25 years, counting Anthony Burgess amongst its previous winners. For more information about the Portico, including its competitions and exhibitions, visit http://www.theportico.org.uk/

For more details of Manchester Metropolitan Universities Writing School and Undergraduate Creative Writing Programmes, visit: http://www2.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/english/the-manchester-writing-school/

Manchester: United

People's Assembly Meeting, Central Hall, Oldham Street, 21^st May.

Over 700 people last night crammed into Manchester's Central Hall on Oldham Street to hear Owen Jones, Mark Steel and a host of others speak out against the coalition government's crippling austerity measures and call for unifying action in opposing them.

Numerous campaigns, trade unions and activists were represented at the event under the banner of the People's Assembly Against Austerity, an initiative designed to 'develop a strategy for resistance to mobilise millions of people against the Con Dem government,' which will culminate in a mass movement at Westminster in London on the 22^nd June.

As the hall quickly filled up, the first hour of the assembly was dedicated to an open mic session, where local people had the opportunity to give voice to their own campaigns and grievances. High on the agenda, inevitably, were bedroom tax and NHS privatisation. Some speakers shared personal, often distressing stories with the audience while others, such as Wow Petition and Living Wage Campaign used the opportunity to garner support.

In a demonstration of the attention focusing capabilities of the People's Assembly, the first hour also saw members of unions Unite and Unison, as well as representatives of The Green Party and CND, leading calls for strike action and civil disobedience which would 'cross political boundaries,' - to resounding applause.



Photo courtesy of Owen Jones

By the time the main session was due to begin, the audience had swelled to the point where seats had to be made available on the stage, alongside the main speaking panel, much to the amusement of Owen Jones and Mark Steel.

Comedian Steel soon had the audience in fits of laughter with his take on the causes of the economic crisis and the current government's punitive reaction to it.

"From day one of this government it's been 'the debt, the debt, the debt! We're in so much debt! We need to get this money back because we've overspent... and who's got all the money? It's obvious! The poor!'"

“Yet it gains a sort of logic when they say it's the poor who've got the money, when they say there isn't an alternative and that [the poor] are the people to blame:”

“It's the immigrants who are to blame, it's the lollipop ladies. Do you know who caused all the debt? It's the people in A&E ... and particularly those people in comas ... who caused the economy to collapse. So it serves them right if we take their trolley away. on and on it goes...”

He goes on to express his dismay at the ineffectual Labour Party and describes “poor Ed Milliband [as] the amiable chap you meet at a service station who talks to you for a little longer than you want him to ... a Sellotape salesman. ... Surely there is someone who can get up and articulate that anger, that ideology ... in a way that doesn't [involve] looking over their shoulder and worrying about what the Daily Mail says.”

Steel's sarcastic, stand-up style contrasts nicely with next speaker, Owen Jones, who delivers a forthright and impassioned indictment of 'the politics of divide and rule,' before issuing a plea for 'a grassroots movement in every single town and city in the country.'

“It doesn't matter how angry people get. It doesn't matter how scared people get. Without hope, people don't fight back. They yell at their television sets, their anger is directed against their neighbours, but they don't have the confidence to fight back. That is where this [assembly] comes in.”

Jones would later tweet that the event had been 'the largest political meeting in the city since the miner's strike.'

Perhaps star of the event, however, was Salford resident Maria Brabiner, a former council worker who had to give up work some years ago to care for her mother and since 2010 has been unable to find work. She has become a potent voice against the bedroom tax thanks to national news coverage. She began:

“I'm just an ordinary 47-year-old lady affected by bedroom tax. I've lived in the same [two-bedroom] home since October 1978. I've worked all my life, since the age of sixteen. I'm not the stereotype 'scrounger' that the government wants to portray. How dare they call me that.”

“This government has declared war on its own people. I never thought in my lifetime I would see any legislation worse than poll tax but the bedroom tax is the most evil and vicious legislation ... the government should be ashamed. It deliberately targets the vulnerable, sick and disabled. The bedroom tax must be abolished. It is not a case of won't pay, it's can't pay!”

Maria concluded: “To coin a phrase, 'the lady is not for turning,' - well, this lady is not for turning either!”

Cue rapturous applause.

For more information visit thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

Neil Harrison is studying Social History at MMU. He is an aspiring journalist and a terrible guitar player, you can follow him on Twitter @looseriver

Competition Double Whammy!

Do you have a tale to tell?

The Manchester Writing Competition is back and this year it’s bigger than ever with, for the first time, both Fiction and Poetry Prizes running together, and offering a £10,000first prize for the best work in each category. Every one of us has our own story to tell - a unique creation inspired by personal experiences and fuelled by imagination. Stories and poetry give us expressive power and freedom. Is it time to unleash your inner storyteller and commit to paper that tale that’s been lingering in the recesses of your mind, or perhaps display your inventiveness and feel for language through some poetry?

Under the direction of Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, The Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University has launched the 2013 Manchester Writing Competition. Once again this major, international literary competition is encouraging new poets and prose writers from across the globe to display their literary craftsmanship and show the world that poetry and fiction writing is alive and kicking. I asked Carol Ann Duffy and her team at the Manchester Writing School to tell us more about the Manchester Writing Competition.

Why is the Manchester Writing Competition so important to you?

"The Manchester Writing Competition offers the biggest prize in the UK, and possibly the world, for new, unpublished writing. And it's open to all writers age 16 or over - both new and established. A key aim of the Competition is to encourage new writing and showcase talent - it is so important that people are encouraged to express themselves creatively. The competition allows us to provide a platform from which we can share, draw attention to and celebrate, exciting, new work, and, in many cases, new voices."

Part of Carol Ann Duffy’s original vision for the Manchester Writing Competition was to establish Manchester as the focal point for a major literary award; many major UK writing awards are London-based and closed to new writing and new writers. Carol Ann felt that Manchester's vibrant cultural and literary scene provided the perfect backdrop to a global celebration of excellence in writing that sees Manchester looking out across the world and inviting writers to join this thriving creative community.

"As National Poet for Wales Gillian Clarke said when judging the first Poetry Prize, 'It’s a delight to give money to poets' - and to prose writers, too, of course. It gives them a massive confidence boost and, in many instances, buys them time out from other commitments - gives them the freedom to concentrate on their writing."

Why has the Manchester Writing Competition changed this year with both Fiction and Poetry prizes running together?

"It was always the long-term plan to run both at once, and we're now confident that there's sufficient interest to do so.  When we've alternated the prizes in recent years there’s always great demand for the strand that’s not running. By running both we can help to ensure that the brightest emerging poets and writers can get their chance to share their work.

"The funds raised through entry fees are put to good use, allowing us to hold author readings and other arts and cultural public events and courses which could not otherwise be offered, particularly as funding has been stripped away from arts and humanities. The Manchester Writing Competition helps us to address any shortfall in what we're able to offer and ensures that creativity in writing is encouraged and rewarded." 

Have any of the previous winners gone on to greatness?

"Many winners and shortlisted entrants have gone on to have their first collections published. Alison Moore, shortlisted for the Fiction Prize in 2009, went on to be shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2012 for ‘The Lighthouse’."

What’s the typical profile of your entrants?

"There isn’t one. Our entrants, like our winners, come from incredibly diverse backgrounds from all over the world. Entrants from as far afield as Australia and New York have been shortlisted and we’ve had entries from 16 year olds to 96 year olds! Creativity has no upper age limit and neither has the competition."

How are the judges selected?

"A member of the team from the Manchester Writing School here at Manchester Metropolitan University always chairs the panel together with two external judges, selected because of the quality of their own work - and we aim to make sure the panels reflect a broad spectrum of tastes. It’s also worth noting that all entries are judged anonymously; the judges are blind to reputations and allegiances, and don't know the age, gender or location of the writer of each piece until the short-list and winners have been chosen. There's also no pre-selection process - every piece entered goes directly to the main judging panel."

What advice would you offer to anyone that’s considering entering?

"Read, read, read! Voracious readers consume styles and techniques and this helps to open up new options for your own storytelling and poetry. But, most importantly, we would urge you to just go for it. Mandy Coe, our joint winner from 2008, had lost confidence in her writing and submitted her entry at the very last minute, with no expectation of getting anywhere - but her poetry struck a cord with the panel, and she won. Mandy credits this win as the catalyst that transformed her approach to writing. It gave her confidence a huge boost and, crucially, afforded her the time to pursue her writing, and she has since gone on to great success."

Could the Manchester Writing Competition be your launch pad? Is it time your tale was told? To find out more about how you could get that break you’ve been looking for go to: www.manchesterwritingcompetition.co.uk   Deadline for entries:  30th August 2013.

Notes to editors: Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is Professor of Contemporary Poetry and Creative Director of the Manchester Writing School and Manchester Children's Book Festival at MMU. She is a celebrated poet, playwright and librettist, has been awarded an OBE and CBE, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. The Manchester Writing Competition is a major, international literary competition that has been celebrating excellence in creative writing since 2008.