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Valerie featured in WHY POETRY MATTERS, a documentary by Griff Rhys Jones, activating a new random haiku in Hackney Lido, on inflatable beach balls. She is keen to try this on a bigger, oceanic even, scale. Anyone interested in helping this happen?!
'a fresh and talented new voice in crime-writing,' Ann Cleeves. 'a darkly intriguing debut,' Val McDermid.
FREE EVENTS TO LAUNCH THE ROTTING SPOT: watch out for more! Library/festival gigs are reading events, BORDERS are book signings.
BORDERS YORK, 6th June, 1-4pm: Morpeth Library, 10th June, 7.30; BORDERS LONDON OXFORD ST, 13th June, 1-4pm: Whitburn Library, 19th June, 1.30-3: BORDERS EDINBURGH, 20th June, 14: Sunderland Friendship Festival, 4/5 July tbc: Whitley Bay Library, 21st July, 7pm; Newcastle Central Library, 29th July, 6pm...
Valerie's first crime novel is published by Red Squirrel Press (http://www.redsquirrelpress.com/index.php?rottingspot). It's about skull hunting, binge drinking Geordie charvas, William Blake, and features Erica Bruce, homeopath detective. Fab news, it's been selected as one of New Writing North's Read Regional titles promoted across the region, between June 1st and October. Valerie won a New Writing North 'Northen Writers' Award' (Northern Promise) for the novel, including mentoring by top agent and editor Lisanne Radice, and has also had editorial advice from CWA Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award winner, Ann Cleeves. Valerie has had successful book signings and readings at Blackwells Newcastle, Borders Newcastle, London, York, Team Valley, Edinburgh, and many libraries.
EVOLVING WORDS RESIDENCY. Valerie is the Newcastlel area poet in this national project.
Valerie has been working with a group of young people in the north east, with science explainer Rella LaRoe from the Centre for Life in Newcastle, and Customs House South Shields, to evolve (see what I did there?) a performance of their poems, raps and songs, inspired by Darwin and his Origin of Species. This nationwide project, helmed by Elizabeth Lynch, is funded by Wellcome Trust. The group have performed as part of Centre for Life's Newcastle Science Festival, and at Customs House Theatre South Shields. More to follow, including a short film to be made, until culmination in November, in London.
Our This Fatal Subject exhibition at Old Operating Theatre Museum, London, Jan 27-Feb 27 2009, was listed as a Guardian Guide Pick of the Week! More details below or http://www.thisfatalsubject.org/weblog/ . The Wellcome Trust Arts Award funded Phase One, R&D, of this project resulted in some new multi-media work, by Valerie and artist Susan Aldworth, both resident artist/writer at Gordon Museum in London. Fab animated poetry film by Susan of Valerie's kinetic poetry sequence, which undergoes 'cell death' (apoptosis) to change meaning, projected art and poems. Phase Two, production and public engagement, we hope will follow in 2009.
BBC Radio 3 play: 'NOWT TO LOOK AT' by Valerie Laws, was broadcast Saturday 25th Oct 08, 9pm - 9.45, to great responses from aal ower! The severed head of a disfigured Tyneside woman speaks from a jar, giving a wry, often funny, look at the two young people who find her body... Directed by David Hunter.
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