Fictions of Every Kind: Cuts

There's not much to look forward to at the moment, is there? Times are hard and getting harder; every day seems to bring more bad news. Thousands of public sector workers are to lose their jobs, public services like libraries and leisure services are being mercilessly culled in an ideologically-driven scythe-happy free-for-all, and charities, voluntary sector organisations and arts organisations are losing their funding right, left, and centre. The coalition government has acted swiftly in cutting benefits and services to those who need them the most, and in devolving government responsibility from running schools onto the schools' shoulders themselves. The things they're doing are unfair and are going to take years to put right, and if ever you were going to pick a time to emigrate... it could be now.

March's Fiction of Every Kinds has the theme 'Cuts'. Writers and readers can choose to respond to the theme however they like; perhaps you prefer to think about physical cuts, or emotional cuts; perhaps you prefer to think about the act of cutting, whether that relates to hair, or bodies, or trees. Or perhaps you prefer not to stick to the theme at all (many don't.) You will not be thrown out if you don't.

At this month's FOEK we are very privileged to have readings from invited speakers Noah Brown, previously MC of Yes Boss!, and Bradford-based author and screenwriter Michael Stewart. Stewart is a multi-award winning author whose novel, King Crow, has recently come out on Bluemoose Books. He is senior lecturer of creative writing at Huddersfield University, and is director of the Huddersfield Literature Festival. We are very pleased to have him appearing.

Fictions of Every Kind: Cuts is on Tuesday March 22nd at The Library Pub on Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. It costs £3 to get in, and as ever, letterpressed "Words of Encouragement" cards (see illustration, above) are available as gifts for writers who brave the open mic. The night starts with the open mic at 19.30. See you there!