Young Mr. Dhand has a lot to answer for in my view. It is (almost) exclusively down to him that I have been distracted from my own shabby attempts at writing and, instead, have been absorbed in the world he has created in his debut novel. Despite being born abroad and spending my early years…
The Kerning (proposed first chapter)
Before The mercury had climbed steadily all week. Dawn came to Willow Forge and, creeping alongside it into the new day, came the inescapable threat of the thermometer reaching record highs. The heat, and that damned dry wind, certain to bring yet more discomfort to the town and it’s residents. A fifth consecutive day of…
BCAFC fixtures 2017-2018
It’s that time of year once more; the day that footy fans look forward to with anticipation as the football league fixtures for the coming season are released. As in recent years, I’ve put them into an iCal format which I have made public to anyone who wishes it: see the link below. When I…
Thirteen Word Poem #01
The final exercise from my creative writing class last week. To write a thirteen word poem; it simply has to contain thirteen words over two or more lines. Thirteen is a number Oft thought unlucky. It’s also a poetry style. Apparently. Gavin Dimmock. April 7 2017
Tanka #01
Another exercise from my creative writing class. To write a tanka, a Japanese poem that contains five lines with thirty one syllables in total, five in line one, seven in line two, five in the third line and seven syllables in both lines four and five. Here is mine. I’ll drive to Bury With my daughter tomorrow To…
Haiku #01
Once again, an exercise from my creative writing class. This time to write a haiku; a Japanese poem that contains three lines with seventeen syllables, five in line one, seven in line two and, finally, five syllables in line three. Here is mine. I wrote a poem In my writing class today I wish I…
Acrostic Poem #01
Another exercise from my creative writing class. This time the challenge was to create an acrostic poem; a poem where each line begins with a letter that spells out a word. As ever, my mind is never far away from Bradford City, so I immediately chose that as the basis for my acrostic poem. My…
The Kerning. (Early chapter)
***This is a chapter (draft at moment) that I intend to appear early in my story, “The Kerning”.*** September 1972. The boy. The boy had been taught not to cry. To show no weakness at any time. It wasn’t that his parents were cruel to him. Far from it, his mother and father adored him…
Derek the Sheep and the Deeds of Darkness
An exercise from my creative writing class. Randomly select ten fiction titles and create a piece of prose or poetry that incorporates them. (The titles I selected are at the end of this piece – I managed to get most of them into it. Started on Friday 24 March 2017). ************************************************************************ Derek the Sheep and the Deeds of Darkness…
#TeamTwenty
When Saturday comes and the sun burns high From up in a pale blue Yorkshire sky. We leave our house, we lock our door Heading to that place where ‘oft before We’ve cheered and laughed, we’ve sworn and cried And played our part in the magic inside That place of steel and concrete, of wood…
Waddle was a Bantam.
***THIS PIECE WAS PROMPTED BY AN EXERCISE FROM MY CREATIVE WRITING CLASS. WE HAD TO USE SEVERAL RANDOM PHRASES AND WORDS TO INSPIRE US TO WRITE A PIECE. MY PHRASES AND WORDS FELL KINDLY FOR ME AND BROUGHT A DAY FROM TWENTY YEARS AGO BACK TO MY MIND.** Saturdays in January are very special for…
NetGalley#04: “Behind Her Eyes” by Sarah Pinborough
This was a review copy kindly provided by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. “Don’t trust this book. Don’t trust this story. Don’t trust yourself.” So reads the strapline for this book. However, I urge you to trust me and I implore you to beg, borrow or steal a…
“The Kerning” – revised chapter, 30/01/2017
Present Day The sign on the window had grabbed his attention, its words proclaiming ‘THE BEST COFFEE & PIE IN TOWN!’ He loved coffee, and who didn’t like pie? But more than the promise of not only good coffee but THE BEST COFFEE IN TOWN, he was drawn to the sign itself, the words hand…
BANTAMS EURO DREAMS FALL APART
****(My match reports from our Premiership days – 2000-2001)_ ##### – Match 06 – InterToto Cup Semi Final Second Leg – August 2nd 2000 – Bradford City 0 – Zenit St. Petersburg 3 (Ugarov 68, Gorovoy 75, Tarassov 85) – (Agg 0-4) Bradford’s debut European run came to an end as they were well beaten by…
Gavin Dimmock. Writer. 