The Cooperative were amazed by the positive response to the 'Respect 'Loved by You' Awards'.
The awards generated lots of interest: 8,753 nominations were received and the awards reached over 2.5 million people on Twitter with lots of support from community groups, celebrities and charities. The winners of the awards were those that received the most nominations.
The awards were an opportunity for people from all over the UK (anyone in the world could vote too) to vote for their favourites in 27 diverse categories. Categories ranged from 'LGBT Charity of the Year' to 'Inclusive Event of the Year'. We worked hard to ensure all areas of life and interests were covered in the categories, and to ensure they had a real community feel.
"We believe the awards offer a rare opportunity for the smallest community groups and events to be celebrated alongside the biggest. We don't think there are enough opportunities to celebrate the inspiring work and positive impact of more isolated and community based groups, events and initiatives."
Winner of the Mslexia Novel Competition 2012, longlisted for The Desmond Elliott Prize 2013 and the Polari First Prize for First Book 2014. It was also winner of the Cooperative Bank 'Loved By You' LGBT Book of the Year 2013.
"Gentlemen and Ladies! You have come on a very special evening. How happy I am to welcome you to this Palace of Curiosities on such an auspicious occasion. What luck! What serendipity! For tonight we have mirth! Wit! And Jollity! We humbly offer for your discernment Wonder Unparalleled, Incredible Feats of Daring. Step inside for The Wonders of the Age! See The Lion-Faced Woman and The Marsyas of Modern Times, Star Attractions at Professor Arroner's Astonishing Marvels!"
The Palace of Curiosities: UK / Commonwealth all formats available (hardback, paperback, audio, ebook)
"Fabulously strange historical debut... a romp filled with sheer demented fun." - Suzi Feay
'The Palace of Curiosities is a jewel-box of a novel, with page after page, scene after scene, layer after layer of treats and surprises. Garland is a real literary talent: definitely an author to watch.' – Sarah Waters
'Garland's lush prose is always a pleasure.' – The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/apr/06/palace-of-curiosities-review
'Garland has woven an alternately brutal and beautiful story about love and belonging in a vividly conveyed underworld, rich in carny phantasmagoria and lyrical romance.' – The Metro
http://metro.co.uk/2013/03/27/3560891-3560891/
'The bewitching Palace of Curiosities will appeal to fans of Angela Carter & magic realism alike.' - Good Housekeeping
'Fantastic... It's an intriguing tale in which the narrative deftly alternates between the two lead characters, drawing readers ever deeper into a world that is horrifying and dazzling but seems every bit as real as our own.' – Creative Tourist
https://www.creativetourist.com/articles/reading-and-writing/liverpool/in-the-land-of-publishing-persistence-is-king-rosie-garland-gets-a-break/
'Garland has produced a fascinating and delightful book. A cross between Philip Pullman and Angela Carter, she takes us on an evocative and wonderful journey full of magical delights and stunning set pieces... she made me gasp with the audacity of her ideas and smile with the light beauty of her prose.' - GScene
https://issuu.com/gscene/docs/gscene_jun13?e=1754316/5558671
'The characters are fascinating, and Victorian London is vividly captured, and of course the language sparkles like sharp-cut jewels.' – Elizabeth Baines
http://elizabethbaines.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/rosie-garlands-launch-of-palace-of.html?spref=fb
'A stunning piece of work, with strong themes of identity, acceptance of the Other, and a touchingly unique love story between two fabulous main characters. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the benchmark against which the rest of this year's debuts will have to measure themselves.' – GoodReads
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/454021227
Before Eve is born, her mother goes to the circus. She buys a penny twist of coloured sugar and perches on the edge of her seat to watch the heart-stopping main attraction: a lion, billed as a monster from the savage heart of Africa, forged in the heat of a merciless sun. Mama swears she hears the lion sigh, just before it leaps... and nine months later when Eve is born, the story goes, she doesn't cry – she meows and licks her paws.
When Abel is pulled from the stinking Thames, the mudlarks are sure he is long dead. As they search his pockets to divvy up the treasure, his eyes crack open and he coughs up a stream of black water. But how has he survived a week in that thick stew of human waste?
Cast out by Victorian society, Eve and Abel find succour from an unlikely source. They soar to fame as The Lion Faced Girl and The Flayed Man, star performers in Professor Josiah Arroner's Palace of Curiosities.
Set in 1850s London, this is the story of Eve and Abel; both freaks of nature searching for escape. It explores what it's like to be different, and traces their struggle for self-discovery on the boundaries of what is perceived as human.
On 12th July 2023 I was made a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature! It was something I never imagined in a hundred years.
It's a tremendous honour, & a testament to the quality of my writing. To say I am thrilled is a huge misunderstatement.
https://rsliterature.org/fellows/rosie-garland/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/12/royal-society-of-literature-aims-to-broaden-representation-as-it-announces-62-new-fellows
Delighted to get the opportunity to talk to Manchester Festival of Libraries about the importance of libraries in my life!
And there are many more –
Watch all the short films featuring four accomplished Manchester creative practitioners who have worked closely with libraries over the course of their careers.
Hear how libraries can support artists, writers, dancers, musicians and more to create original work, access valuable resources, gain practical support and inspire creativity.
These films aim to highlight the rich creative diversity of our libraries, and pave the way for emerging artists to head to their local library for ideas and insight for their next big project.
You can view all the films below.
https://www.manchestercityofliterature.com/event/creatives-in-libraries/
Absolutely thrilled to announce this new film poem – created over 2021 in collaboration with amazing filmaker Jane Glennie. Inspired by the life of dancer and choreographer Tilly Losch, the film explores notions of erasure, strategies for persistence and the centrality of creative expression for the life of a woman in perpetual motion.
We are delighted with the reception the film is receiving! A list of film festivals is below.
AND there’s a ‘Book of the Film’!
'Because Goddess is Never Enough (Peculiarity Press, 2022)
Available from Blackwell’s (Waterstones, Amazon, etc)
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Because-Goddess-Is-Never-Enough-by-Rosie-Garland-Jane-Glennie/9781912384167
Flick through the book here –
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zzDN5KKbUccqPZsQ7
Film festivals & events 2022 that have selected & featured 'Because Goddess is Never Enough'
Moving Poems May 2022
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected as one of ‘the best poetry films on the web’
https://movingpoems.com/2022/05/because-goddess-is-never-enough-by-rosie-garland/
Fringe Arts Bath Festival 27 May - 12 June 2022
Bath’s annual free festival of visual arts
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected for WORDPLAY programme
https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/festival-2022
https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/wordplay
Tranås at the Fringe International Arts Festival 2-9 July in Tranås, Sweden
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected for the LIVING FEMININITY programme.
https://www.atthefringe.org/film-program-2022
Women X Film Festival 2-4 September in Darlington, UK.
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' - Honourable Mention
https://riannepictures.com/womenx
Women Over 50 Film Festival
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – nominated for Best Experimental film, selected for the AT MY CORE programme
https://wofff22.eventive.org/films/62e15892943cb70054a692d9
https://wofff.co.uk/2022/08/wofff22-films-announced-find-out-more-about-our-fantastic-official-selections/
Athens 10th International Video Poetry Festival 28 September - 1 October 2022
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – screened 29th September within 'Feminist Struggles' programme
https://theinstitute.info/?p=5226
HOME Manchester, Filmed Up 28th September 2022
‘Because Goddess is Never Enough’ selected for Filmed Up programme.
https://homemcr.org/event/filmed-up-sep-2022/
The Feminist Film Festival, Bucharest, 13-16 October 2022
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – Official Selection
https://filmfreeway.com/TheFeministFilmFestival
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival October 17th, 2022
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected for the Art & Experimental Films programme
https://filmfreeway.com/SunderlandShorts
Zebra Poetry Film Festival, Berlin 3-6 November 2022
'Because Goddess is Never Enough'.
We are very proud to be selected for Zebra, the oldest and largest international festival of poetry films.
https://filmfreeway.com/ZEBRAPoetryFilmFestival
https://www.haus-fuer-poesie.org/en/zebra-poetry-film-festival/home-zebra-poetry-film-festival/
Still Voices Film Festival, Ireland 9-13 November 2022
'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – Official selection Experimental
https://stillvoicesfilmfestival.com/
It's 40 years since The March Violets released our 1st 7" EP (seriously, FORTY).
So it’s a great time to announce that this tasty 5 CD Box Set is now up for pre order from Jungle Records!
The Palace of Infinite Darkness - In addition to all the singles plus all the extended versions, the box has six excellent BBC sessions, 23 tracks with 9 unreleased songs (also reissued as Big Soul Kiss 2LP yellow vinyl after a sold-out RSD release). Then there are two whole discs of unreleased demo sessions – one from the early period 1982-84 and another from 1985-87. Founder-member Rosie Garland recounts the band’s story in a 44-page booklet.
Check out the link:
https://smarturl.it/MV5CDbox
A wonderful experience – for the first time, I co-tutored a residential writing week for the prestigious Arvon Foundation! It was such a thrill to work alongside inspiring co-tutor Keith Jarrett and electrifying guest reader Jay Bernard.
A very special week. I won’t forget it.
Monday June 27th - Saturday July 2nd 2022
Totleigh Barton, Sheepwash, Beaworthy Devon
https://www.arvon.org/writing-courses/courses-retreats/residential-writing-week-queer-poetry/