A call to any of you who would like to write, or have already a written piece to submit for the World Book which is being published by Alice Smith School through a grant from UNESCO.
The work needs to be submitted to me on Word whether is be poetry or prose and your school name, full name and theme needs to be included as a "header" on the top. Poetry can be in any form you like.
Here are some ideas on the themes from Alice Smith School:
Please bear in mind that the themes we have selected this year, as with those for last year’s book, are a general outline only. Our principal interest is in writing which is lively, original, provocative, technically innovative, sharp, distinctive, entertaining, authentic….
We have included a sixth theme this year, ‘As I Please’, named after George Orwell’s old column for the New Statesman, which specifically invites stories or poems which don’t fit the broad outlines we have given. This can also be a place to include other pieces of writing that you generate within or outside of the curriculum. We hope you like the ideas we have included but please don’t feel constrained by them or obliged to follow any of the ideas included here! We look forward to receiving your entries to the World Book 2009 and making it a wonderful collection for us all to share and learn from.
Barriers
Nonfiction:
The US election and barriers to involvement in it; gender and the election, Hilary Clinton’s rejection, Sarah Palin’s acceptance; race and the election, traditional barriers encountered by Obama…
A study of famous physical man made barriers in the World; Great Wall of China, Berlin Wall, Israeli/Palestinian wall, US/Mexico wall, the Wailing Wall, Hadrian’s Wall, city walls worldwide…
Nonfiction study of natural barriers; mountains, oceans, desert
Disabled or differently abled? Personal or second hand accounts of barriers or overcoming barriers; argumentative/discursive essay writing on this theme
World without borders?
Language barriers; possibly writing looking at overcoming language barriers; work which includes aspects of other languages for effect as in ‘Search for My Tongue’ by Sujata Bhatt.
Poetry and Prose Fiction:
Poetry which focuses on barriers to happiness or fulfilment; social barriers, educational barriers, family barriers, economic barriers, geographical barriers, cultural or religious barriers
Literary linked writing, re-creative or critical essays:
To Kill a Mockingbird, The Curious Incident of the dog…., Of Mice and Men, Sylvia Plath ‘Dying is an art…’
For The Fun of It
Nonfiction:
Is fun overrated? A chance for some quirky or light hearted writing with a message.
Is learning/school fun?
Study of comical figures. Charlie Chaplin to Chris Rock….Jackie Chan…
Study of humourous cartoons – The Simpsons, Peanuts, Gary Larsen…
Essays looking at humour in literature: Chaucer; Shakespeare’s comedies; Restoration comedy; ancient comedy: Aristophanes, Horace; modern comedy: John Kennedy Toole, Roald Dahl, Betsy Byars
Poetry:
Limerick, haiku, nonsense verse, nursery rhymes, acrostic, concrete poetry, riddles, humorous verse, poems inspired by humorous verse (Roger Mc.Gough, Wendy Cope, Brian Patten, Benjamin Zephaniah, Pam Ayres…), re-created humorous versions of serious art or literature, light hearted or satirical takes on famous works (the sixty second Hamlet on YouTube, Not My Best Side by U.A. Fanthorpe )
Prose Fiction and Literary links
Fictional or re-creative writing with humorous or fun twist as in Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected
Macabre fun; essays or re-creative writing, or stories inspired by enjoyably scary writing such as E.A.Poe’s tales of Mystery and Imagination, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Skin Deep
Nonfiction:
Racial studies ; Apartheid and Mandela, Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, Gandhi, Hitler, Obama on race- the significance of skin to people
Why race does/doesn’t matter. A chance for provocative argumentative writing or balanced studies of racial issues.
A study of a race or ‘skin’ related issue locally; possibly colonial expansion in South America, the effect of oil on tribal groups in Nigeria
A study of a related area; scarification, superstition related to albinoism/albinism
Racial concepts of beauty. African, European, American, South American and Asian ideas of beauty/ fairness of skin.
Snakes and reptile skin shedding compared to animal skin shedding
Literary essays on texts dealing with issues of race
Poetry and Prose fiction:
Writing inspired by writing dealing with race: Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Alan Paton, Athol Fugard, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, John Agard (Half Caste), Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Shirley Lim…
Appearance and reality; writing which explores the world within or how surface appearance often conceals
‘Inside Out’ or ‘Beneath the Surface’
Heroes
Nonfiction:
Huge potential to write about heroes of all sorts: Political, Celebrity, Antiheroes, Sporting, Literary, National
Issues about the way that heroes are created or inappropriate/fallen heroes: Becks and Posh, Britney, O.J.Simpson, Terrorist or Freedom fighter/ hero?
Studies of Superman, Batman, and the TV programme ‘Heroes’…or the people who created them…
Heroism and War
Everyday heroes; people who achieve extraordinary things, a portrait of a friend or family member
Poetry:
Elegies for lost heroes, praise poems for individuals or groups of people, Odes
Prose fiction:
Stories which feature ordinary hero characters or or focusing on individual acts of courage, strength or heroism.
Superhero stories, fun pieces creating plausible or absurd superpowers
Satirical writing highlighting the difference between those accorded heroic status and those not
Only Connect
This is principally an opportunity to showcase writing in poetry, prose fiction or nonfiction which explores links between subject areas in a curriculum. A chance to include Historical writing, essays from Geography, Art, Theory of Knowledge……
Non Fiction :
A study of connections in society; freemasonry, political dynasties, organizations that cross boundaries or overcome conflict
‘Ubuntu’ – non fiction on international attitudes towards society and connectedness
A study or criticism of E.M.Forster
Fiction and poetry:
Stories highlighting the importance of connections between people or places or things
A sense of place
Stories and poems inspired by the theme of connections and consequently of the outsider or disconnected (could be based upon literature studied: Camus, Steinbeck, Mark Haddon, Maya Angelou…)
As I Please
Any nonfiction pieces which don’t fit loosely or otherwise into the categories we have selected. These can be coursework pieces, or pieces composed entirely independently. This is included as an encouragement for those who don’t like the themes selected and want to spread their wings or develop their own ideas.
Please submit to handinmywork@gmail.com before April 1st.
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