Because CoolTan Arts is putting together a cookbook, this Tuesday, 1^st March, the Food For Mood workshop will be dedicated especially to publishing: taking a look at the different ways to get a book made and out there.

We’ve got two guests coming: a literary agent called Diane Banks who will be able to answer all your questions about the commercial book industry (what agents are looking for; which kind of books are right for the big publishing houses) and one poet and artist (CoolTan’s own Emile Sercombe) whose work has appeared in books from independent publishers, and who has made his own books, experimenting with all kinds of methods.

It should be a big, lively, round-table discussion, so bring your thoughts and queries and come along.  Starts 3pm, at CoolTan Arts, 237 Walworth Road (we’re behind the red door at the end of the alleyway next to the Carphone Warehouse).  See you then!

The first of the two Food For Mood arts and crafts workshops at the Waterloo Community Counselling centre was a great success. The women attending all contributed creative work, conversation, laughter and stories, and everyone tried new skills.

The ladies made drawings in oil pastel and soft pastel on fabric napkins, embroidered napkins, crocheted decorations, invitation cards and still-life drawing, and there was a lovely large free-hand drawing of a woman spinning in a Turkish village amongst the chickens and cows in her yard.

Food is strongly bound up with household activities, table decor and traditional female decorative arts, and talking about these things calls up stories and images from childhood.

Next week (on Friday again, at 3pm) will be the second of these workshops, and women are welcome to attend even if they did not come to the first one.  Please bring an object, a story, a recipe… The workshop takes place at the Barley Mow Welfare Centre in Greet House, Frazier Street, SE1.