Liquor Is Quicker is a fanzine covering the Birmingham music scene. Emphasis on the zine as this type-written, hand-crafted publication looks like a historical artifact from the early 80s. Nine issues have been published on a shockingly regular basis and all are available to download as PDFs. Print copies can be picked up at various venues and shops in the city.
Future plans include expanding their coverage to Coventry, Wolverhampton and Walsall. I’m hoping these plans don’t involve getting a DTP system.
The 4Talent Inspiration Sessions are a series of events held in Birmingham where 15 attendees get to work with at least four top creative in their field for a day “sharing ideas, discussing working practices, and learning from the best in the business”. Here’s the current schedule. Click on the links for details.
23rd April: Film
25th April: Animation
27th April: Advertising
30th April: Magazine production
2nd May: Design and Multimedia
4th May: Documentary
As places are limited for these free events you’ll need to apply and be assessed by a judging panel. Email inspiration@ten4magazine.com to be informed of when the applications open.
The quality of speakers looks very high, including the folk from eboy, which is why their illustration is on the right there.
Submissions are open for the fourth Birmingham Words anthology to be titled Perfectly Formed with the only requirement being pieces are less that 300 words long.
We don’t want anything slapdash or hasty. When you’ve got up to an absolute maximum of 300 words (and we’re going to be strict on this) you can’t afford to waste them. So we don’t want any flash fiction that has burst forth in a feverish moment and that is sent to us unedited, bearing all the marks of its short and traumatic birth. We want stories that are beautifully crafted, poised and, well, perfectly formed. The subject matter is open.
The deadline for submissions of 17th March. Full details are here.
The anthologies are distributed as free PDF downloads with three already available.
Issue 5 of Ten4 magazine, the creative industries publication produced in Birmingham, will be in the stores on Thursday. You can buy it from Borders or Virgin nationally or pick it up free at various outlets and bars in the city including the Custard Factory, Jibbering Records of Moseley and The IKON. Look for the above cover by The Boy Fitz Hammond.
