Crisis requires creative writers

Crisis have put out a call for creative arts volunteers in London to facilitate inspiring workshops for homeless people over Christmas.

Specialist arts volunteers who would feel confident in leading creative sessions, including creative writers, are urgently needed.

Crisis welcome around 2,000 homeless guests in nine centres during the Christmas period (23 December to 29 December). Volunteers are asked to commit to two shifts.

For more information, visit www.crisis.org.uk/volunteering or telephone 0300 636 1000.

Terry Pratchett's latest breaks 2011 sales record

In the first three days following its release on 13 October, the 39th Discword novel sold 54,687 copies in UK retail outlets.

This figure makes it one of the fastest-selling adult fiction titles since records began. The only authors to top him for initial sales are Dan Brown's 2009 The Lost Symbol and Thomas Harris' 1999 Hannibal.

In the next issue of Writing Magazine, Terry Pratchett talks at length to editor Jonathan Telfer about writing, his landmark 50th novel and why he wouldn't want to win the Booker.

Click wins employment award and gains some well deserved kudos!

The Clink Charity’s excellence in the recruitment of people from diverse backgrounds has been championed at the Springboard Excellence Awards 2011 with presentation of the esteemed Diversity in Employment Award.

The award is fitting recognition of The Clink Charity’s ongoing campaign to fund food preparation and service skills training initiatives for serving prisoners and to promote the value to society of employing ex-offenders into roles within restaurants, hotels and other skilled hospitality professions. For offenders who have wound up in prison through poor judgement and displaced morals, rehabilitation can be the difference between total life transformation and re-offending. Many former inmates experience considerable difficulty reintegrating into society because of the attitudes of others.

The stigma of imprisonment and long absences from work on CVs has a tendency to put employers off hiring former prisoners, exacerbating social exclusion and increasing the risk of a return to crime. As a charity, The Clink is making significant strides to engaging with the industry and in partnership with The Clink’s generous and committed ambassadors, Vic Laws and Giorgio Locatelli, together with other valued supporters, industry connections are being brought through the doors of the restaurant and invited to enjoy The Clink concept first-hand. We think that's just, well, fabulous.

Free recruitment Webinars!

Reading-based Recruitment Software company 2LS has announced free recruitment Webinars!
The first 25 minute session will be held on 23rd November, focussed on the subject of properly qualifying a vacancy, will be an invaluable crash course in ensuring a successful first step in any recruitment process.

Delivered by recruitment training expert Ross Williams, the Webinar will be lively and thought-provoking, with time for questions and answers to finish. The development of the 2LS Webinar series comes following the recent release of the 2LS Recruiter’s Toolbox, a collection of free recruitment tools including an online recruitment calculator and the 24 page Recruiter’s Book of Checklists.

The 2LS Vacancy Qualification Webinar will be held at 12.30pm on the 23rd November. To register free for the event, please go to http://2lswebinar1.eventbrite.com.

Unbound Books the way forward?!

Have you heard of unbound books? The idea of unbound books it that authors and readers decide which books get published. On the Unbound site, authors pitch their ideas directly to readers. If readers like what they read, they can pledge their support to help make the book happen. Everyone who supports an author before they reach 100% of the funding target gets their name printed in every edition of that book.

There are a number of levels against which readers can choose to pledge their support. The level they choose denotes what they receive once the book is completed; i.e. a signed copy of the book, or an invitation to the book launch. Every level includes a digital version of the book and immediate access to the author's shed while they write the book, and supporters of projects that don't reach their target receive a full refund.

Unbound is a new way of connecting with writers. Most of the writers on the site are well known, others will appear there for the first time.

What's different is that instead of waiting for authors to publish their work, Unbound allows readers to listen to their ideas for what they'd like to write before they even start. If you like their idea, you can pledge to support it. If the website hits the target number of supporters, the author can go ahead and start writing (if the target isn't met readers can either get their pledge refunded in full or switch their pledge to another Unbound project).

It is a fantastic idea for readers and writers alike!

Country pub poets called!

Vintage Inns are holding a competition, judged by Anderw Motion, for poets to co-author an eight-line poem celebrating country pubs

The competition is inspired by Andrew Motion's poetry for Vintage Inn's latest press campaign about rural pubs.

Poets are asked to enter lines for the poem via a poetry competition tab on Vintage Inns' Facebook page. Andrew Motion will chose the best line submitted each week, which will then be added to the poem and uploaded ready for the next line. Each winner will get a famed copy of the eventual poem, and a meal for four with wine at a local Vintage Inn.

The poem so far reads:
The muted brilliance of autumn leaves
The wind’s deep voice soft-tickling the trees

Weekly submissions close on Thursdays at 5pm. The competition is currently running, and closes on 5 December.

To enter, go to: www.facebook.com/vintageinns

More CQC inspections on dignity and nutrition

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have today announced that they will be inspecting a further 50 NHS hospitals and 500 adult social care services as part of their work on dignity and nutrition.

The original Dignity and nutrition review took place between March and June 2011. The Care Quality Commission reviewed 100 NHS hospitals using teams of CQC inspectors, practising and experienced nurses and Experts by experience.

The 50 NHS hospitals that will be inspected next year will be a combination of hospitals that raised concerns during the original review and a new sample of other locations.

The CQC will also look at dignity and nutrition in 500 care homes around the country. These inspections will start early next year and they hope to involve people with experience of these services. A national report is planned for the autumn.

We will publish more details about these inspections shortly, as information becomes available.