Three days of talks, lectures and workshops in beautiful Småland

From 3-5 July, 2020, SmåBUS will be organizing the second International Children's and Young Adult Literature Conference in the heart of Småland, Sweden. This upcoming edition is themed around Inspiration & Responsibility and will involve a number of lectures, workshops, a museum visit, various children’s activities and an international illustrators’ exhibition. The organizers call it “an inspiring cultural movement working in the spirit of Astrid Lindgren.” Speakers include Flemish author Bart Moeyaert, laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2019, which is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for youth literature.”

Like those fizzy yellow treats, Tee Francis’ poems are often bittersweet - and sparkle with wit.

She explores the personal and the political: poems about cotton buds, left-over Christmas trees and insomnia jostle with a cleverly rhyming Ode to Jeremy Hunt and a satirical monologue in the voice of a Brexit-voting ex-pat who – surprise, surprise - prefers to live in Spain. There are tenderly erotic love lyrics (Hymn for Him, Communion, Silent Treatment) and poems which celebrate the beauty of the Dorset countryside where she lives (On Walking to Fleet Church). There are some very funny poems which were written for Spoken Word performance but, even on the page, made this reader laugh out loud (Slots, Forbidden Pleasures).

We often talk at Lapidus events about the potential for social prescribing.  People say how wonderful it would be if GPs had more understanding of the potential of CWTP and related practice to promote health and well-being.

I feel really lucky to have been at the Mslexicon event in Leeds last weekend (12^th/13^th July). It was a dynamic and supportive conference for women who write and I can honestly say I have never experienced anything like it in my life before.

Call for practitioners, researchers and PGR students researching:

• Hunger and food poverty
• Gender and gender equality
• Decent work and economic growth
• Partnerships for sustainability

…become an author in the world´s largest editorial project on sustainable development, "Encyclopedia of the Sustainable Development Goals".

In any given week, you probably spend much of your time meeting external obligations: delivering work projects, running errands, caring for family members, responding to friends’ requests for help. These are important priorities, but if you aren’t paying attention, they can take all of your time and energy – leaving nothing left for what you need.

 Jhilmil Breckenridge spoke with Stephen Gillatt about the issues of mental health and men and how society does not allow vulnerability in men. Stephen has recently written a mental health memoir as he wants to get more men talking about mental health.

We are seeking expressions of interest from individuals, groups and organisations in hosting a workshop as part of a new project, Day of Access, which explores place-awareness.

Heal Yourself With Journaling Power By Mari L McCarthy (140pp, 12 chapters)

Mari McCarthy was a business consultant in the USA until a bombshell 18 years ago when she was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Following the loss of function and feeling in the right side of her body, she soon faced up to the harsh fact that prescription drugs and the conventional medical approach weren’t working. She set out on a journey to take control of her own health and began a practice of journaling, difficult for her because she had to learn to write with her left hand. Quite remarkably journaling enabled her to ditch the drugs and expand her life in many new directions including singing, walking, meditating and writing.

Love & Loss: creative therapeutic writing on relationships

Monica Suswin

Cabin Press

In this short book, Monica Suswin explores the universal experience of love and loss – and how creative therapeutic writing can help us make sense of it.

We are delighted to invite you join us at our online international consultation for research funded by the TS Eliot Foundation!

Our aspiration is to co-create a new creative practice framework with a diverse group of professionals including words for wellbeing practitioners, health professionals, psychologists, teachers, counsellors, social workers, and educators across all levels.

How did you come to writing for wellbeing?

I have been writing and journaling all my life. Early on, I realised the power in putting things into words, and writing helped me to heal when my mother committed suicide. When I left my second staff journalism job to go freelance in 2001, I used journaling, along with studying lyric writing and acting, to unblock myself creatively. Later, I trained in life coaching and teaching and set up a successful English tutoring practice. Through this, I discovered that I had a talent for helping people to overcome the fears, blocks and shame that can stop them from fully-expressing themselves in writing.

 “To the 18-year-old kid I stopped on SR10”

That’s the start of an open letter written by a police officer in North Ridgeville, Ohio a few months ago. The short missive, which directly addresses a young man caught doing 100 mph in a 65-mph zone, is an interesting example of expressive writing in letter form. The officer describes the speeder’s reaction when he was stopped; expresses anger at his disregard for the possible consequences of his driving; talks about past experiences with fatal crashes involving young people who were going too fast; and relates his own feelings about having issued the speeding ticket.

Project Lush - a one day writing spa with Stephanie Dale and Kate Pawsey.

Sunday 16th June in Bradford-on-Avon. Saturday 22nd June in South West Wales.

Great news! Lapidus International has managed to arrange a deal with Balens to insure your work as practitioners in writing for wellbeing. This insurance will give you peace of mind if you are running writing groups or selling your services as it covers three areas:

* Professional Insurance. This covers alleged malpractice, such as a complaint about your practice and where there may have been a breach of your professional duties.

* Public liability. This covers accidental injuries to third parties, and third party damages.

* Product liability. This covers accidental injury to third parties caused by your products. This category may not seem that relevant for us, but in cases where members combine writing with other activities this may be very useful.

The Educating Creatively conference is a brand new creative conference for education, cultural and creative professionals, teachers, artists and practitioners. The conference will explore and celebrate creative education, incorporating cultural practice into education, the study of creative practices, and the connection between those and wellbeing. This will be a space to bring together creative and education practitioners to celebrate, share and learn.Conference is in Chester at Storyhouse 

CALL FOR PAPERS NOW OPEN UNTIL MARCH 31st! Submit below.

Carolyn Shanti is the author of ‘Trap, Prey, Lust’. The novel is based on the true story of her own childhood, where she was brought up in a wealthy and privileged family in England. A secluded and idyllic mansion, surrounded by acres of private property was where she spent her childhood years. It was also a place of dark shadows and sexual secrets. Her father, a prominent businessman in the fashion industry was a member of a well-known occult society. As a young child, Carolyn suffered ritual sexual abuse and was raped, not only by her own father but members of the society. She was ‘groomed’ and the use of mind control techniques were put in place to work against her remembering the abuse or the perpetrators of these acts of violence.

MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes - The Metanoia Institute

Introductory Workshop Day on Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes

These 1-day workshops give participants the opportunity to explore the personal and professional qualities involved in the practice of Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes.

I’m a third-year student carrying out research on the potential links between Vedic Meditation (VM), Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (CWTP) and emotional wellbeing. I’m looking for a practitioner of Vedic Meditation (VM) – preferably someone who is at the intermediate level - to volunteer to participate in my MSc dissertation.

The Board of Lapidus International has been working hard to provide members with value for money for their membership fees.  We have an enthusiastic team of volunteers and self-employed contractual staff working to deliver a more accessible and lively online presence, guidance, advice and useful materials.