Figment Books

03/10/2024

A really fun project to announce for National Poetry Day, with thanks to the Culture team at that Tolbooth Stirling and with the support of Stirling Libraries and Archives

In this immersive experience, enjoy a 7-minute series of film poems by Stirling Makar, Laura Fyfe, and discover whether the combination of poetry, meditation and music affects you.

Opening this weekend!

And in the adjoining room, some poetry postcards and pamphlet packagettes and insights and reels from my time as Makar, as thanks to those who’ve come along.

It’s been a special experience, putting these memories together, reflecting on the last four years of poetry.

Quite a thing.

02/10/2024

When typesetting goes wrong…

Anyone else’s bush in need of a creative boost this morning?

(NB. Other guides on how to defeat procrastination and increase your creativity are available)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Laura-Turnbull-Fyfe/author/

09/08/2024

Thanks again Atrium for all the work you do in supporting and raising folks’ voices!

Dog .. .. Lapsed parachutist Laura Fyfe suffers from a chronic low boredom threshold. Her pamphlet ‘The Truth Lies’ is available from Red Squirrel Press. She lives in river deep, mountain high Stir…

01/08/2024

Here are the details of the next free workshop I'm looking forward to providing: with the wonderful Stirling Photography Festival.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/i-come-from-tickets-948993694687?fbclid=IwY2xjawETY_RleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHW1Er6TGqJJE1-AumBXnGW152EJP-Qq1JxB6aeSJmWJ45MCDuAn9kPQyUg_aem_Wa_E2UZ6sKGtBa7ga5qINQ

Holidays provide a great opportunity to get away from the usual daily routine, have fun, and reflect. On where you might go next, but also on where you've come from. What home means, where home is, what your roots are and where you choose to put them down.

Laura

25/04/2024

Just been asked to do an interview for Radio Scotland about a poem (written in celebration of Stirling’s 900 year anniversary).

Tomorrow morning. At the castle.

8.45 am

Live…

😱😱😱😱😱

Listen in to hear me spluttering and stuttering and probably swearing and getting myself banned off the radio forever.

23/03/2024

For Earth Hour tonight

18/03/2024

Forth Friday
22nd March 7pm
The Book Nook, Stirling

Venturing to Southern climes from their North East fastness (well, Aberdeen) in a Forth Fridays first, Pushing Out the Boat – 'probably the best regional literary magazine in Scotland' – presents an evening of poetry and prose by contributors to their latest issue, including our very own Forth Fridays host Laura Fyfe.

She will be joined by poet and Pushing Out the Boat team member Judy Taylor, introducing the magazine and the other readers, including the wonderful Emma Mooney, Tom Murray, Matthew Keeley, Dorothy Baird and Morag Smith!

Grab your tickets here:

Tickets for our March Forth Friday are now available. Our March Forth Friday is something a little different! Venturing to Southern climes from their North East fastness (well, Aberdeen) in a Forth Fridays first, Pushing Out the Boat – 'probably the best regional literary magazine in Scotland' –...

15/03/2024

On in the background, while I catch up with emails.

And it’s not difficult to spot certain patterns in the books banned in so many states in the US. It begins with some 10 yr olds speaking very eloquently on just that.

Any I haven’t read already have gone straight onto my reading list.

06/10/2023

Things that make a wee poet awfie happy:

- You’ve run out of copies of your pamphlet
(surely there must be a stash somewhere -
no? I’ve definitely sold more than expected!)

- Your publisher sends you nearly the last of
theirs. Apparently people still want them?!

- Your publisher just about needs to order a
THIRD reprint (whit!!!)

I’m immensely grateful to Sheila for publishing my first pamphlet, and to all who’ve ordered them from her. I hope you’re enjoying them.

You can grab your copy here if you like. It would make this wee poet ecstatically chuffed to have a third print run!

https://www.redsquirrelpress.com/product-page/the-truth-lies-laura-fyfe

———

“Elegant and spare, Laura’s poems have beauty with a bite.” Billy Letford

“There’s a raw physicality here but a rare lightness of touch” Alan Spence

“A bit close to the bone!” - Aunty Mabel

26/07/2023

Tonight, on Zoom, with the Federation of Writers (Scotland).

Come along for a welcoming, playful workshop. Explore how to find ideas and consider how to experiment with them when they appear. Come away with the seeds of several ideas for future poems (and possibly stories too).

BACK TO BASICS WORKSHOPS

Places are getting snapped up quickly for our three Back to Basics: Poetry Workshops. Book early to avoid appointment. These three sessions will be perfect for those looking to embrace poetry early on in their writing, or diversify into a different genre if they have mainly concentrated on prose up to now.

It costs just £5 to take part in the session and there is also a Pay What You Can option.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/federationofwritersscotland?fbclid=IwAR3Th3d8yk5Dqd-FdV1h_jtiXZAAN8vrVkyBvC05Mhye2jqX15VAATFPsXQ

08/05/2023

Many of you know I procrastinate so much about my writing (just as so many writers do!)

I've been reflecting today on the difference between:

finding the time to write
vs
making the time to write

Here are 5 ways to embed a writing routine in your life - as well as an exclusive writing retreat offer with Gartmore House:

http://www.lauraswriting.online

And if you'd like to sign up to regular(ish) writing advice and news, you can do so here: www.figmentcreativity.com

03/03/2023

Woohoo! A wee flurry of books about to wing their way across Scotland (and Ireland!)

Available in person and from here:
http://www.lauraswriting.online/poetry.html

02/03/2023

Happy World Book Day! The perfect time to announce the birth of a new book.

One of the most exciting (and scariest) experiences a writer has is when a big box of books arrives at your door and you can't wait to see if what's inside reflects everything you'd hoped for. And I'm so chuffed with what arrived yesterday!

So - introducing for the first time in paperback...

Motherhood: of love and loss

see here to peek inside:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKe_9TsrDus

This beautiful wee book is about those aspects of motherhood we can all identify and sympathise with: the big events and the special tiny moments that stay with you. The love and the frustration, the humour and the heartbreak.

The poems and stories inside are deeply personal to my own life (I have in here Riley's first word) but they are also a testament to the support and shared experiences we find in our families and communities.

If you’d like to order a copy for yourself or a loved one, you can do so here. http://www.lauraswriting.online/poetry.html

Postage is free for the next few days and if you'd like me to send it to a loved one, I'll gift-wrap it. Just be sure to add that info to your order!

(NB. this is the 2nd edition, new with more poems)

23/10/2022

Coz the times they are a changin’

Aside from the political chaos though, here’s one wee positive in my neck of the woods.

If you’d like to join me on this masochistic journey or trials and tribulations and celebrations and commiserations - with writing tricks and treats, follow my writer page:

Laura Fyfe - a Page in the Life of a Writer

22/10/2022

So my football poem ‘In Concert’ was shortlisted for this year’s Bridport Prize! I’m right there on the list (a bit further down 😁) with the winners, runners up and highly commended poets! I can’t WAIT to read their work.

📚❤️📚

Thanks to
- the Tolbooth team,
- Janie Meikle Bland of Picture the Possible
- photographer Rab Fyfe
- and my Falkirk High colleagues who helped with the research

The poem wouldn’t have been written without you! ❤️ ⚽️

11/10/2022

I’ve had a busy time of it recently. As well as the usual fun, I’ve been lucky enough to lead a writing workshop with the Strathkelvin writers in Bishopbriggs and was the headliner at the warm and welcoming Balloch open mic.

At both, people approached me to say how helpful the wee lockdown writing workshops had been for them in setting up a regular writing practice.

It’s lovely that this still happens. You just never know how things’ll affect people when you put them out there. And it’s incredibly gratifying when people make the effort to tell you that something you’ve done has been of some support.

Here they are, still (and always) free for folk who’re in need of prompts and some guidance on getting started.

https://figmentcreativity.com/writingchallenges.html

15/02/2022

It’s been far too long…

since I’ve seen my wee writing groups! So here they are, for 4 weeks only, in March.

Suitable for aspiring writers and those who feel they’re in a creative rut and need rescuing.

https://figmentcreativity.com/workshops.html

find out more about how we can support your writing and creativity in tailored one-off sessions or blocks of courses

13/12/2021

I’m well-chuffed to be leading this free workshop on Thursday night!

It’s going to be a cracking opportunity to reflect creatively on what we love about where we live. And there’s the chance to be published as part of a collective poem about Stirling!

All are very welcome to join the fun.

Stirling Makar Laura Fyfe is inviting everyone across the area to unleash their inner creativity and share their 25 words for ’25.