Manchester Blog Awards - 2007
- 11 Oct 07, 01:18 PM
I can now put a big fat tick next to “Go To Matt And Phreds” on my To Do list. Actually perhaps I’ll just make it a little one as although I did go to Matt and Phreds I didn’t hear any jazz. Or eat pizza.
I was there for the second Manchester Blog Awards. The standard of writing this year was excellent and I feel sorry for those poor guys who had to judge it – hang on, I was one of those poor guys who had to judge it. Seriously, there is something going on in the Manchester Blogesphere and that something is writing talent.
I was chatting after the awards to Chris from Mancubist. He was saying the same sort of thing (although he would as he won one of the awards). “Everyone seems to have a background (in writing) – a writer looking to publish a novel or a journalist looking for another outlet.”
As you would imagine Chris is well pleased with his award, “I’ve never won anything before”, apparently not even the egg and spoon race at school, despite those long legs. “(The Blog) is basically about what I read about Manchester that isn’t covered elsewhere in the media or on websites, so I just post them up myself so people know about them.” Chris’ Blog – Mancubist won the Best Arts and Culture Blog.
Before any of the awards were announced another Chis, Chris Killen, read some extracts from his Blog – Day of Moustaches. In the break I could hear people discussing Chris’ reading and I knew we’d made the right decision in awarding him Best Writing On A Blog. Afterwards Chris was obviously made up, “I’m quite chuffed. I wasn’t expecting it.”
Chris admits that the Day of Moustaches is just a publicity tool where he posted a chapter a day of a story called “Untitled 'Supermarket Nightmare'”. For Chris that was just a bit of fun, but it did get him noticed by The Friday Project who specialise in finding new writers through Blogs. Chris has just signed a writing deal with them for a new novel.
So the bar has certainly been raised for next year’s Blog Awards and if I know the Manchester Bloggers they’ll be up for the challenge.
Full list of Manchester Blog Awards Winners:
Best Personal Blog: Single Mother on the Verge
Best New Blog: Rent Girl
Best Arts and Culture Blog: Mancubist
Best Political Blog: Politaholic
Best Writing on a Blog: Day of Moustaches
Manchester Blog Awards Tonight
- 10 Oct 07, 03:10 PM
Just a quick post to remind everyone that the Manchester Blog Awards take place tonight at Matt & Phreds Jazz Club, 64 Tib Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1LW (map). There's more information on booking a ticket for this free event on the Manchester Literature Festival site.
You'll find the shortlist of nominees over on Manchizzle. Good luck!
The Air-Raid Shelters Beneath Our Feet
- 2 Oct 07, 01:43 PM
Like many other large cities in the UK, there are a series of air-raid shelters beneath the streets of Manchester. They're usually sealed off (and we wouldn't recommend gaining entrance yourself as that would probably be illegal and dangerous) and long ago forgotten.
Thankfully, my RSS reader doesn't tend to forget so I came across an old post I'd originally missed over on Mancubist that points to a forum post where you can find photos of some of the shelters under our feet.
My favourite has to be this one showing a Manchester City Police poster with a list of rules for those using shelter.
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