Legend Press

Announcing the 2009 Luke Bitmead Writer's Bursary

After the fantastic success of the first Luke Bitmead Writer’s Bursary last year, Legend Press and Luke’s family are pleased to announce the opening of entries for the 2009 Writer’s Bursary on today, Luke’s Birthday. The award was set up shortly after Luke’s death to support and encourage the work of fledgling novel writers, with the top prize being a publishing contract with Legend Press.

We are pleased to be continuing this brilliant bursary for a second year, and hope to follow in the success of last year’s winner Andrew Blackman, who published his debut novel On the Holloway Road with Legend Press in February.

Submissions from writers will be accepted from today 13th May to 31st August 2009, with the winner announced in the week of 27th October 2009.

Only adult fiction is eligble for this bursary, no children's books or non-fiction. The judging panel will consist of Luke’s mother and sister, Legend Press and also two best-selling authors; top Swiss fiction writer Zoe Jenny and UK novelist Sam Mills. Entrants must be aged 16 or over. There is no upper age restriction for entry but all submissions must be from first-time, non-published authors – particularly those who are talented but whose personal or financial circumstances are making it especially hard for them to focus on writing as a career.

Novels must be already completed before entry. Unfinished manuscripts will not be accepted. Please submit 3-4 sample chapters initially by email to bitmeadbursary@legendpress.co.uk 

Writers must also submit a personal statement outlining why they would particularly benefit from the bursary. This will form a key part of the judging process.

The 2008 bursary received hundreds of entries and we look forward to reading your work and discovering more talented authors.

For all enquiries please email bitmeadbursary@legendpress.co.uk 

Tom, Lucy and Lauren

Introducing Andrew Blackman...

Last Thursday Andrew Blackman was awarded the first Luke Bitmead Writer's Bursary, along with a publishing contract with Legend Press for his fantastic submission On the Holloway Road. The novel will be published some time next year. Here is a picture of Andrew being awarded his gigantic cheque by Luke's mother and sister Elaine and Tiffany.

We look forward to working with Andrew and publishing his excellent novel!

Lucy

Winner of the first Luke Bitmead Bursary announced

Unpublished author Andrew Blackman, from North London, has been announced as the winner of the 2008 Luke Bitmead Writer’s Bursary and was awarded £2,500 as well as a publishing contract with Legend Press for his novel On the Holloway Road. Two additional prizes were awarded on the night to 2^nd and 3^rd place writers James Higgerson and Andrew Kirby. The shortlist of 11 authors were selected by a judging panel comprising Legend Press, best selling authors Sam Mills and Zoe Jenny and Luke’s family, from hundreds of submissions.

 

We are delighted to announce Andrew as the first winner of this fantastic award. Life is often incredibly tough for aspiring writers if they do not have the financial backing to match their ability, no matter how talented. This award goes someway to addressing that balance and helps turn ambition into reality. From working with the unforgettable Luke, I know he will be delighted at the opportunity the bursary creates and we can’t wait to start working with Andrew on his superb novel.

 

Lucy and Tom

 

 

 

20 free tickets available for Luke Bitmead event...

On Thursday 24th July, at an exclusive event in London, we will be announcing the winner of the 2008 Luke Bitmead Writer's Bursary and celebrating the re-release of White Summer. The event wil be held in The Yorkshire Grey on Grey's Inn Road, Central London.

We have 20 free tickets to give away for this exclusive evening to the first people who email me at lucyboguslawski@legend-paperbooks.co.uk. (Up to 5 tickets are allowed per person).

If you are unable to make it to the event, why not purchase a copy now at the special discounted price.

Order your copy now - £5.99 

Lucy

To re-launch WHITE SUMMER!!!!

Something I've been struggling to keep quiet for a while – we are thrilled/excited/delighted to announce the relaunch of WHITE SUMMER on 28th June. It will be backed by a major publicity campaign and the huge following for the author, Luke Bitmead, who tragically died in October 2006, aged just 34. Following the hugely charismatic and talented Luke’s death, the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund was set-up by Luke’s family to support fledgling writers, particularly those battling adversity to achieve their writing dream. The first beneficiary of the Fund is due to be announced in May.

WHITE SUMMER, a fast-paced, hliarious and stylish comedy, was originally launched in May 2006 and was the first novel commissioned and published by then newborn baby Legend Press. The novel generated a large cult following, partly through Luke’s nationwide book signing tour (many great, timeless memories from that summer with Luke). We also now expect to benefit from our own rapidly-risen profile and the widespread interest in Luke’s hugely entertaining and skillful work to take this book to the next level, which it fully deserves - to make it a major, major hit.

Luke was also the co-author, with Catherine Richards, of HEADING SOUTH, which launched in May 2007. Another brilliant novel!

We have discussed the prospect of relaunching WHITE SUMMER, with a wonderfully vibrant new package, for some time and couldn’t be more excited. Luke is widely acknowledged as one of the most talented young writers to emerge in recent years and it is a tragedy that he died so soon after the launch of his wonderful first novel (I also have a very good story about when he first sent the novel to me - will reveal shortly). At the time it was described by one of the main buyers as 'the best book of its type he'd came across' and now is the time to see the novel and Luke’s writing achieve its deserved success.

It will also be pleasing on a personal level as Luke was the first novelist I commissioned having started the company and he was an amazing part through those first key months - it was difficult to accept that my phone wouldn't ring any minute for another passionate and entertaining conversation on promoting the book or anything else that came to our minds. Later on reflection I realised how important and special his absolutely unswerving faith in Legend Press was - we probably wouldn't be here without it.

I would also like to thank Luke’s family who have been consistently supportive and amazingly active in the drive to continue to push Luke’s writing, through the most difficult of times. They also deserve to see Luke's writing reach the widespread success it deserves.

Can't wait to re-launch this book and will be calling on everyone for their support - one read of it and it will without doubt become the book of your summer!

Tom

Reminder that entries for the Luke Bitmead Bursary are now open

Hopefully lots of you have already looked at the criteria for the Luke Bitmead Memorial Bursary and are thinking about entering your novel and personal statement for consideration. For those of you who haven't come across it yet, you can read more on our webpage here or at www.lukebitmead.com

The bursary has attracted media interest both inside the world of publishing and outside, with Luke's local media continuing to show his family and the Memorial Fund wonderful support.

If you have any queries about the bursary simply send an email to bitmeadbursary@legendpress.co.uk and one of the team will get back to you.

We've already had several fantastic-looking entries in that look great and we're looking forward to starting the judging process in March. We know how proud and excited Luke would be about this bursary and it's great to feel we're still working with him.

Emma

Luke Bitmead Bursary in the Bookseller

We were very pleased to announce just before Christmas details of the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund, which has been set-up by Luke family in the amazing author's memory to support fledgling writers. We were delighted to be able to offer a publishing contract to the first winner of the annual award, in addition to the £2,500 prize. Details have now been sent around and we hope there will be a fantastic response to this great opportunity. It was also nice to see it featured in The Bookseller headlines This is a fantastic initiative and I hope it goes from strength-to-strength.

Tom

Making mental health issues less of a taboo subject

It's been a year now since the wonderful and sorely missed Luke Bitmead died and since then not only have his family updated his website - www.lukebitmead.com - and plan to award the first bursary to a fledgling writer in 2008, they have also been generating some more newspaper coverage about Luke, his writing and his illness.

Luke's Mum, Elaine Hanson, and his sister, Tiffany Orton, are working tirelessly to raise the profile of mental health issues and to stop them being such a taboo subject. A photographer visited Elaine on Monday accompanied by a journalist to get an update on how the fund is going and the article was posted online yesterday at www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk (simply search for Luke Bitmead or click here.)

And finally, and most movingly, here is the email that Elaine sent out to all supporters of the Memorial Fund:

THE LUKE BITMEAD MEMORIAL FUND
First anniversary 27 October 2007

www.lukebitmead.com

Luke's fund continues to grow.  We thank you for being generous and compassionate enabling us to create something positive out of our tragedy.  The untimely passing of our treasured Lukey B will leave us always with sadness in our hearts.  It is inevitable.  Along side our sorrow we will cherish and revere the memories we hold of Luke.  The essence of Luke was fired with determination and tenacity to achieve his dream of being a published writer.  How proud we his family were at the launch of WHITE SUMMER 2006.  Little did we know he would not be with us for the launch of HEADING SOUTH in 2007. 

It remains so hard to believe we will never sit round a table with him again sharing a meal that he would have helped create.  Recounting stories of his days traveling, the people he met, the adventures he had.  All told with wit and exuberance.  He hid the depression he had struggled with for eight years.  He did not want to be a burden to others.  So it is with people who are victims of suicide. 

Thomas Joiner the Bright-Burton Professor of Psychology at Florida State University who has dedicated his professional life to becoming an expert on suicide - for the past 16 years, as a scientist studying, researching and seeking answers as to why people destroy themselves.  He is now one of the foremost authorities on the subject.  "There is an idea that suicide is a mode of death that stands apart from others, but there are clear reasons why people die by suicide," says Joiner.  "Just like heart disease, if you understand it, you can prevent it." 

I have shared this with you because as well as presenting a bursary for fledgling writers we also want to support suicide research aimed at reducing the rising figures for death by suicide in this country.  We have been privileged during this past year to hear from many families who have also been devastated by loss of a loved one in this tragic way.  Luke's fund will seek to help eradicate the stigma attached to suicide.  To speak openly about mental health issues allows the opportunity to support each other and learn which  gives the possibility to begin to understand better.  We know changes have already been made at the hospital where Luke died.

The Coroner's inquest will now not be until next year.  So far, we have not spent any of the money that has been donated.  We are at the building stage and we want to spend your money and Luke's royalties in the most productive way possible.  In my work as a psychodynamic counselor I have a golden opportunity to discover how we can be most effective and powerful. 

We hope you will continue to support Luke's fund in any way you can.  His books will make great Christmas presents and reading some of the hilarious scenes out loud would add to the Christmas cheer!!!  We have up-dated Luke's web site and will do this more frequently now.  Please continue to send us messages, e-mails, phone calls what ever is easiest for you.  Together we can achieve something amazing that we can all be proud of and we are enormously grateful to know you are with us on this special journey.  Thank you from Luke's family.

Elaine Hanson

You can buy White Summer and Heading South from the Legend Press online shop and also from www.amazon.co.uk among other good online retailers. You can also find copies of both in many branches of Waterstone's and Borders and it can be ordered in store.