Search results for ""aurora""

Winner of the 4th Virginia Prize for Fiction • A thought-provoking new novel from Dipika Mukherjee, Virginia Prize for Fiction winner, Aurora Metro Books' biennial prize to encourage and promote new writing by women. • Mukherjee's debut novel was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize (2011) and republished as Ode to Broken Things (Repeater, 2016).

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To celebrate Aurora Metro's 30th anniversary as an independent publisher, 20% of profits will to go to the Virginia Woolf statue campaign in the UK. This is a revised edition of the publisher's inaugural publication in 1990, which won the Pandora Award from Women-in-Publishing. Inspirational in its original format, this new edition features poems, stories, essays and interviews with over 30 women writers, both emerging authors and luminaries of contemporary literature such as: A.S. BYATT, KIT DE WAAL, CAROL ANN DUFFY, PHILIPPA GREGORY, JACKIE KAY, MADELINE THIEN, CLARE TOMALIN, SARAH WATERS, and the great-niece of Virginia Woolf herself, EMMA WOOLF. Together with the original writing workshops plus black and white illustrations from women illustrators. Guest editor Ann Sandham has compiled the new collection.

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Jimmy Vandenberg, a decorated Vietnam war veteran, works alone in his garage, servicing the classic American cars of his youth, while struggling to forget the traumas of war. Abandoned by a nation still shamed by defeat, Trump's call to 'Make America Great Again' speaks to Jimmy's anger and resentment - and he is hooked. His new-found politics drives a wedge between him and his wife, but a chance visit by the son of a fallen comrade makes him doubt his convictions and leads to a moment of understanding and redemption.

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Taking place over a delicious two-course Chinese meal, From Shore to Shore blends live music, drama, English, Cantonese and Mandarin to tell an uplifting story of love and loss, struggle and survival. Three stories, three lives, three journeys, to find a place called home. Cheung Wing is escaping from war, Mei Lan’s had enough of the potato peeler, and Yi Di wants the impossible – her parents’ approval.

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• A play about history, identity and migration. • Originally produced by Visible Ensemble Theatre Company, who explore the issues that affect older people in the UK. A kaleidoscope of stories about war, displacement, revolution and liberation taking us on an emotional journey across three continents. Based on the actors' personal and family experiences, the stories interweave and overlap, exploring moments of joy, sadness and laughter set against key historical events over the last hundred years. Poignant, moving, funny, inspiring, this is the first piece of work created by the Visible, a new ensemble, dedicated to putting older performers and their rich lives centre stage.

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When Patrick McGoohan first starred in Danger Man in 1960 and as ‘Number 6’ in cult show The Prisoner, industry insiders hailed the arrival of an enigmatic genius and Hollywood beckoned. But who was this man who worked as a chicken farmer and bank clerk before becoming a hugely successful actor simply by chance? In this up-to-date biography Rupert Booth reveals the true character of a man whose off-screen behaviour matched his fiery on-screen persona. Why was he so puritanical, refusing to even kiss a woman for any part he played? Why was he so controlling over his work in The Prisoner and other productions? A timely exploration of the man whose declaration ‘I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, de-briefed or numbered!’ continues to resonate with audiences decades after it was first uttered with such conviction.

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Celebrating the centenary of the birth of James Baldwin with this wide-ranging volume of short essays, reflections and poetry. This moving collection demonstrates the significant legacy of the writer and activist who spoke truth to power during the era of the fight for Black civil liberties in the US, and after.

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A unique collection of three plays by Olympic coach and best-selling author Tom McNab. They cover the dark world of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the final days of George Orwell, and an imaginary relationship between Orson Welles and Leni Riefenstahl. ORWELL ON JURA A vivid portrait of the ailing Orwell as he struggles to complete his final novel 1984. In his dreams he is visited by the characters of his past works who address him for the last time. WHISPER IN THE HEART Valencia 1955 and a down-at-heel Orson Welles engages another troubled soul, Leni Riefenstahl to assist him in a pelota-based BBC documentary. Two of the greatest filmmakers of their day share the peaks and troughs of their troubled lives. 1936: BERLIN As Nazi Germany prepares for the greatest propaganda success of the decade - the Berlin Olympics - American sport considers a boycott. In the USA, journalist William Shirer takes the lid off the political infighting and the dilemma faced by legendary athlete Jesse Owens.

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Following the success of Classic Fairytales: retold for the stage which has seen productions of the plays performed internationally, the volume features another three sparkling adaptations of best-loved tales for family audiences.

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"Scars are like medals. They show we have taken part in the life." Crocodile Seeking Refuge is the second play to be inspired by author Sonja Linden's writing residency at The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.

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Translated from the French play 'L'Aide Memoire'. One fatal morning, Jean-Jacques' door is left ajar. A strange woman slips through the crack in his orderly life. Is she a squatter, a wanderer or a woman from his past? As Jean-Jacques' tidy flat is rapidly invaded, his inner space is also beseiged. What started as a comic encounter changes his life forever.

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Do you believe in paradise? Do you believe in family? Do you believe in god? Do you believe in war? Commissioned and toured by the Theatre Centre, Leo Butler exposes war and its aftermath among a group of confused young people in this George Devine Award-winning piece of theatre.

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"[In the laboratory] they thought I was the new janitor." - Clarice Phelps, Nuclear Chemist. "Why do I get a tenth of the funding that men that have projects at large corporations do?" - Mary Lou Jepsen, inventor. "I asked 'why isn't there a girl character for me to choose from?'. At first, they laughed. Then, they got annoyed at me and started having design meetings and not tell me where they were." - Sheri Graner Ray, videogame designer. 50 Women in Technology is a full-colour book celebrating female pioneers and trailblazers in STEM. It features 25 extraordinary women scientists from Ada Lovelace to Emmanuelle Charpentier, as well as 25 exclusive interviews with incredible women who are leading the way in the fast-paced world of technology today including 2023 Nobel prize winner Katalin Kariko. Includes: Amalia Ballarino (Nuclear Engineer), Ana Oliveira (Crop Genetics), Anais Engelmann and Megan Hale (Design Engineering), Anda Waluyo Sapardan (Medical Tech/Healthcare), Anna Lukasson-Herzig (Computing/AI), Brenda Romero (Video Games), Clarice Phelps (Nuclear Chemist), Claudia Brind -Woody (IT), Coty Craven (videogames/IT), Emily Holmes (Neuroscientist), Gretchen Andrew (NFT Artist), Ida Tin (FemTech), Katalin Kariko (Biochemistry), Kasia Gora (Food Tech), Maria Carolina Fujihara (Environmental Tech), Marita Cheng (Robotics), Mary Agbesanwa (FinTech), Mary Lou Jepsen (Imaging/Healthcare), Morenike Fajemisin (FemTech), Odunayo Eweniyi (Financial Tech), Rumman Chowdhury (Internet Algorithms/Data Science), Sheri Graner Ray (Videogames), Stephanie Willerth, (Bioengineering), Tan Le (Medical Tech) and Yewande Akinola (Sustainability).

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When Rosa, an impoverished Filipina domestic worker, finds herself enslaved in London, she is desperate to escape her servitude - her faith and love of Karaoke dancing can only sustain her so far. After two futile attempts, with the help of fellow Filipina Angel, she finds freedom at last, only to be trapped once more within the UK immigration system as an illegal immigrant. Written by Carolyn Lloyd Davies with Franchezka Cunanan, 'Can't See For Looking', opens on 18 October, Anti-Slavery Day, at the Cockpit Theatre and runs until 4 November. This fast-moving and shocking drama is based on extensive interviews with five Filipina domestic workers rescued in London from modern slavery. The play is inspired by these true stories and not only highlights the prevalence of hidden slavery in a village, town or city near you, but also how reluctant we are to report it, because of what it would cost us to confront our neighbours, employers or friends with such uncomfortable truths.

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Acclaimed one-woman play with music that weaves the life and writing of Virginia Woolf with songs by British women composers who were Woolf's contemporaries. It reveals Virginia's troubled childhood, her views on literature, the Bloomsbury group and the challenges women artists face.

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A grime-theatre mash-up. Too black for my white friends, but too white for my Black friends. Growing up mixed race in Newport, I fell into a cloud of grey. Absent Black father, ducking the police, working out what it means to be a man. I was struggling to find my place in the world and in danger of spiralling out of control. Then one moment changed my life. Created from grime culture and inspired by Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Skepta and Kano, The Making of a Monster is Connor's story. Reviews: "Connor Allen's startling grime-theatre mash-up is as emotionally raw as it is playful and imaginative" - The Stage "Honest...funny and tender" - South Wales Life "Astoundingly raw" - Wales Theatre Review "One of the best things I've watched all year" - Aleighcia Scott, singer "Connor is not only annoyingly talented. He is the thing that most writers try and fail to be: Absolutely genuine." - Bryony Kimmings, performance artist "Connor Allen is one of the most generous, gracious souls I've ever been lucky enough to meet. The story of how he came through tough times to become the man he is today will be an inspiration to ever" - Gary Owen, writer

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To coincide with a performance at Tara Theatre in March 2018 • Asian play set in post-war Korea • Deals with child sexual abuse • WINNER of the ‘City of Melbourne Award for Original Play’ Production History The Prodigal Daughter of Korea was the recipient of the City of Melbourne Writer’s Grant for best original play, the original production at Trades Hall theatres in Melbourne received strong reviews. Due to public demand, it transferred to Chapel off Chapel for a further run. The play then travelled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the full thirty days, gaining further praise and broad attendance. The text was then fully revised and is published here for the first time.

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A thought-provoking quest to find a singular voice. The genocide in Rwanda shocked the world. Back then, Ery Nzaramba was only a teenager and his family's escape to Europe turned him into a "survivor". How should he now respond to questions about who he is and where he comes from? In this autobiographical one-man play, performed to acclaim on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the author journeys back to his Rwandan childhood. With the help of a cassette player, he brings to life nearly a dozen characters, exploring memories of kinship, cultural attitudes and personal identity. Both funny and poignant, the play highlights not only the intolerance that can breed violence and war but also the importance of power and privilege in the struggle for survival.

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Stage adaptation of the classic tale with songs and original music by Conor Mitchell. In this theatrical version of the much-loved tale, we follow Mowgli, the boy-cub, as he meets Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther and fights the terrifying tiger Shere Khan. After life in the jungle, can Mowgli ever return to his village?

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Artists, painters, writers and discerning travellers from royalty to rock stars have long been attracted by the region’s bright light, perfect climate and joie de vivre. Take the road less travelled as you find out more about the extraordinary range of places and people who’ve found inspiration in the mountains and valleys, rocky coves and verdant islands.

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The quality and range of Theatre for Children and Young People in the UK is one of our greatest cultural assets. This essential book provides the first ever guide to the wealth of talent and creativity displayed by over 150 professional companies involved in theatre for young audiences.

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Takes the art of acquiring the freebie to a whole new level of absurdity. Rejoice as the customer service departments of multinational corporations are fed ridiculous stories to make them part with T-shirts or other logo-bearing bounty. Whether he’s playing the system or just playing games, James Spence demonstrates his comic genius via his uniquely entertaining emails.

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The astonishing women involved in the Actresses Franchise League set up their own theatre companies and engaged with the battle for the vote by writing and performing campaigning plays all over the country. They launched themselves onto the political stage with their satirical plays, sketches and monologues whilst at the same time challenging the staid conventions of the Edwardian Theatre of the day. The legacy of their inspiring work to change both theatre and society has survived in the political theatre, agitprop and verbatim theatre we know today. Introduced and set in an historical context by Dr Susan Croft together with a chronology of suffrage drama.

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Now Kathryn Bigelow has made history as the first woman to win an Oscar for directing, is this a new era for women filmmakers? The figures suggest otherwise. Seeking to redress the imbalance between male and female film directors, Celluloid Ceiling explores inspiring new work appearing in the USA, the UK and globally. Highlighting emerging women directors alongside ground-breaking pioneers, this is a one-stop guide to the leading women film directors in the 21st century and those who inspired them. From Oscar-winning action director Kathryn Bigelow to emerging strong voices from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Laos, particular attention is paid to women making films in traditionally male-dominated areas such as action, sci-fi and fantasy and to works with a new take on the violence and pornography of the horror genre. This book shows that the changes overturning current business and artistic processes are opening up new opportunities for women film directors who are determined make the most of these. The contributors represent women making film Africa, Latin America, Europe, USA, Asia and India, with new voices in Japanese and Middle Eastern cinema, the women directors working in TV, as well as the first woman director Alice Guy Blache, the rise of the independent and the horror aficionados the Soska Sisters, Celluloid Ceiling includes numerous interviews and b/w photographs.

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These powerful, contemporary monologues share the courage, conflicts and joys of characters facing difficult decisions. Developed through consultation with young people, they offer a range of authentic, memorable voices to stimulate discussion and participatory drama work.

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A taut political drama that asks questions about identity, faith and compassion in a society waging a war against terror. • Tony, a policeman, wishes he could turn the clock back. • Jack knows that what’s done is done. • Parvez, a young Asian man, can’t believe that Sara is back from beyond, and this time she seems to have all the answers. How do we live today?

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Inspired by the experiences of refugees in the UK, and set in a refugee centre in London, I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given To Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda, is a funny and moving story about the bittersweet relationship between a I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document.... (Production shot; Finborough Theatre) young Rwandan woman and a British poet as he tries to help her write her story. Juliette is a young Rwandan asylum seeker, determined to write a book on the genocide that killed her family; Simon is a poet whose job is to help people write. I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document... was a Time Out Critics' Choice and was broadcast by BBC World Service as well as touring nationally and internationally. Following a London run and National UK tour, the play received its American premiere at Kansas City Rep in March 2005 and has subsequently gone on to receive more than 30 productions across the US.

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Winner of the Writers' Guild Best Children's Play Award. Holly has to spend New Year with the grumpiest pair of farmers who ever ploughed a field. Luckily, she meets a faery called Tom, whose magic and mischief brighten up her days and transform her stay into a real adventure.

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Shortlisted for the Saga Award for Wit. A darkly satirical vision of a society in which a political party conspires to stay in power at all costs . Grace Fry, bold and beautiful Minister for Women, discovers a plot to suppress the truth by means of spin, murder and manipulation. And what is going on right under her nose in her own constituency? With her own life in danger, will she dare to speak out or be seduced by the promise of a post at the top table?

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Ryan has just got his licence. He's in the car with his mates. Tara likes to go running. She's on her way back home. Neither of them is paying much attention... The harrowing accident that follows impacts many lives. A moving and compelling story of recovery, told by one of New Zealand's foremost children's writers.

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Filmed as Kadosh by Amos Gitai; Selected for the Cannes Film Festival Sacred is the moving love story of a young woman, living in the ultra-orthodox community in Jerusalem. Spurned by her community for failing to conceive a child in ten years of marriage, her husband is forced by custom to reject her. Should she tell the truth about his infertility - or watch while her husband, the son of the Rabbi, marries another?

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Featuring five plays by Dutch women writers (Hella Haasse, Matin Van Veldhuizenm, Suzanne Van Lohuizen, Inez Van Dullemen and Judith Herzberg) this play collection showcases the best plays by women writing in the Netherlands at the time of publication. The Plays A Thread in the Dark by Hella Haasse: This is a profound retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, from the viewpoint of Ariadne. Winner of the Visser Neerlandia prize. “[W]e cannot rephrase it for you. If we Could, why would we trouble to show you the myth?” Eat by Matin Van Veldhuizen: A darkly comic exploration of the lives of three sisters who come together to eat, drink and celebrate the anniversary of their mother's death. Dossier: Ronald Akkerman by Suzanne Van Lohuizen: A two-hander, detailing moments between a patient suffering from AIDS and his nurse. “...the moving story of a relationship between a young man in the final stages of AIDS and his nurse, Dossier: Ronald Akkerman ... tackles the epidemic full-on.” Gay Times Write Me in the Sand by Inez Van Dullemen: A poetic portrayal of a family where layer upon layer is removed to reveal the painful secrets within. The Caracal by Judith Herzberg: A comic one-woman show about a teacher whose complicated love life is revealed through fragmentary telephone conversations.

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This collection features four new plays about war, tyranny and discrimination by Eastern and Central European writers. Includes the plays The Body of a Woman as a battlefield in the Bosnian war by Matei Visniec, Cordon by Nebojsa Romcevic, When I want to whistle, I whistle... by Andreea Vălean, Soap Opera by György Spiró The title of this volume alludes to the history of political double-dealing in a troubled region within southern Europe, surrounded by the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas. G.B. Shaw wrote Arms and The Man about a small Balkan plot in the 19th century. It's in this tradition, rather than in a geographical sense that we use the title Balkan Plots. The plays in this volume are dramatic works which have emerged from, or which take as their subject matter, the struggle of individuals within societies affected by recent political upheaval. The writers explore aspects of freedom and rebellion, ethnicity and discrimination, loyalty and betrayal in situations where conventional attitudes and beliefs are severely tested. In some plays, the conflict is between traditional socialist attitudes and western capitalism. In others, the values and beliefs of the younger generation collide with and challenge those of the older generation. Within each of the plays, the way in which the personal and the political interacts, is very much in evidence.

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A unique and essential guide to Media Labs. Gives advice on where they are, what they offer and how to apply. Includes history and discussion of Media Labs and how they will play a key part in the digital world of the future for both film and games development.

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Marsha P. Johnson, Keith Haring, Harvey Milk, Audre Lorde, RuPaul... the names of pioneers and trailblazers who have advanced the LGBTQI+ cause and helped bring about new human rights. This book pays tribute in 50 portraits to the activists, personalities, writers and artists who have advanced the LGBTQI+ movement and celebrates those who have fought and are fighting every day to create a more inclusive and tolerant world. To coincide with a new touring exhibition of Florent Manelli's artworks.

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Alix and Marcus have been brought to The Facility to be "corrected". If their condition is cured they may leave and return to the society. But if they fail, they will be sent to the Other Place. A chilling play informed by real techniques that are used against LGBTQ+ people.

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Thrown off the train for not having a ticket, Mona finds herself, alone, in a rural town at night. Although she is fashionably dressed, she has no money and nowhere to stay. Fortunately, the local schoolteacher, Marin, invites her to stay at his home while he sleeps over at a friend’s place. However, an attraction soon develops. Marin, a keen astronomer, reveals that he has discovered a star which is not marked on any star chart. They share a wonderfully happy night together. But their idyll is soon shattered by the arrival of Mona’s boyfriend, Grig. Will Mona choose to return to her old life in the city or settle for a quieter life with Marin? This play was a hit play in Romania at the time it was written and has subsequently been adapted for film in both France and Russia. Available for the first time in a new English translation by Gabi Reigh.

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• 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of the deaths of two of the world's most famous authors, William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. • Pioneering writer and director, Asa Palomera (“a powerhouse on Melbourne's independent theatre scene”): “I've tried to bring forth the sheer humanity of theirs, to present them as it were in their under wears, to show that the emotions we feel from their work are as human as the emotions they, in turn, experienced when they were alive.” • Productions of The Curious Lives of Shakespeare & Cervantes: Adam House Theatre (Edinburgh, 2010), Bloomsbury Theatre (London, 2010), Thai premiere (Bangkok Theatre Festival, 2014). Staged reading at Tara Theatre (London, November 2016).

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… A South African gunrunner turned Buddhist monk. … A gullible startup millionaire. … His radical feminist ex wife. … Their aid worker daughter. … The young British Muslim she met in Syria. … An ethical Serbian hitman. And an unstable Brazilian cleaner. Modern Britain. Moral chaos. Total nightmare. A new comedy about life in Brexit Britain, the lies we tell to each other – and to ourselves.

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Asif Khan's debut play is a fabulously comic take on the combustion surrounding young British Muslim lives. • Contemporary play about Northern Grooming scandal • Drama suitable for schools, colleges and youth theatres • By author who is a rising star among BBC writers • Asian Studies, Black and Asian interest • Recipient of 2 Off West End Award Nominations for Best Play and Best Supporting Actor • Nominated for an Asian Media Award and and Eastern Eye Award. • Asif Khan nominated for The Stage Debut Awards

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Best Blues Book 2014 by Blues Matters magazine. Have you heard about Eel Pie Island? Anyone with an interest in the history of UK rock n' roll is familiar with The Cavern Club and the role that Merseyside played in the story of the British Beat scene. But on a far-less-celebrated, but no less significant path, over a small bridge onto an island in the middle of the Thames, Eel Pie Hotel, another great 60s club night, played host to acts that would later make a global name for themselves. The Rolling Stones, Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Pink Floyd, The Small Faces, David Bowie and The Yardbirds are amongst the many acts who performed at the legendary Eel Pie Hotel during its 50s and 60s heyday, as did jazz greats like Ken Colyer, Kenny Ball and Acker Bilk, as well as more avant-garde performers like Ivor Cutler. But how did The Eel Pie Club become such a popular venue? What motivated its founder, Arthur Chisnall to create a space where young people could enjoy the music they wanted to, in an environment free from the usual constraints? Why has this thriving West London scene been omitted from rock history when its influence has spread far and wide? Recently, bands like The Mystery Jets have paid homage to Chisnall's fabulous club, playing gigs on the island that launched careers and cemented rock's infamous relationships. The latest incarnation of the Eel Pie Club is alive and well. This book traces the origins of a scene that is long overdue for recognition.

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