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There’s something special taking place in the Kirkby Centre this Make Music Day on Tuesday 21 June.

A fabulous performance of Chopin’s music, intriguing stories of Polish migration and authentic Polish refreshments plus VIP guests will launch not one but two new archive exhibitions!

As part of Knowsley Borough of Culture 2022 Knowsley Archives Service and Merseyside Polonia are delighted to invite you to join the Famous and Unknown: Discover Polish Migration Stories launch event in Kirkby Library, the Kirby Centre from 6pm on 21 June.

The exhibitions tell the fascinating stories of two Polish people, each migrating to the UK at pivotal times in the Polish migration story, one the World renowned musician Fryderyk Chopin, the other Stefan Skura, a blacksmith who came to Prescot in 1947 as part of the Polish Resettlement Corps.

Don’t delay booking your place for this free event as spaces are limited.

Cllr Jayne Aston, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Resources, said:

“I’m delighted we are partnering with Merseyside Polonia to bring you these two fascinating archive exhibitions charting the tale of two very different experiences of Polish migration.

 

“The launch event, which will be attended by a member of the Polish Consulate and Knowsley’s Mayor, will feature a fabulous performance of Chopin’s music by Jessica Harvey promises to be a great evening. Make sure you don’t miss out and get your place booked today.”

Famous and Unknown: Discover Polish Migration Stories

There will be two exhibitions at Kirkby Library in the Kirkby Centre: the first is the story of Fryderyk Chopin, the famous Polish pianist and composer who was born in Poland and migrated to France in 1831.

This movement was part of Great Emigration of thousands of Poles and Lithuanians, particularly from the political and cultural elites in 19th century. Their exile was the result of the Partitions of Poland, which completely divided the lands of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth between the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Habsburg monarchy of Austria. This exhibition features photographs and an absorbing description of his life journey.

The second exhibition relates to Stefan Skura, who came to Prescot in 1947 as part of the Polish Resettlement Corps. The exhibition includes archive records that describe his life in the area, such as certificates, his soldier’s service and pay book, savings books and photographs and cards. Some of them are written in Polish but translated into English by Merseyside Polonia volunteers.

For more information, contact Knowsley Archives Service on 0151 443 4291 or email infoheritage@knowsley.gov.uk

No more library fines in Knowsley

Library users in Knowsley will no longer need to pay fines if books are returned later than the due date.

Knowsley Library Service’s decision to end library fines on adult loans will take immediate effect.

Already, fines are not charged on e-books or books borrowed by children in Knowsley. Now late fees for adults are being lifted too, it’s hoped even more residents will join their local library, borrow books and enjoy reading.

Along with removing fines, Knowsley Library Service is introducing an amnesty, to encourage residents to return existing overdue items.

Some members may have forgotten they have outstanding loans so all customers with books that are overdue will be called to inform them and told about the amnesty.

Cllr Jayne Aston, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Resources, said:

“Our libraries are welcoming and accessible community facilities, providing a gateway to a wide range of Council and other services, information and opportunities for all.

 “From now on we will not be charging anyone for returning late library books. We’ve never charged children, and I’m delighted that this now applies to adults too. By removing fines we’re ensuring that library resources continue to be accessible to all residents.

 “If you have any overdue library books, just return them to your local library, you won’t need to pay a fine.

 “I hope the end of late charges will mean more residents will take out a library membership, visit their local branch and discover all Knowsley libraries have to offer.”

We are working with literary arts organisation Read Now Write Now who are running free online courses for children to write stories about what they think life will be like in 2050 thanks to funding by Arts Council England and support by ourselves.

These Zoom based courses are for children aged 9 to 11 years and will last for 4 weeks.

Led by author Charlie Lea, young writers will be guided on how to write amazing stories, looking at top tips and lots of literary devices and techniques to help on the way.

These stories will then be displayed online, in libraries, recorded and presented onto YouTube & Spotify and there will be an opportunity to read out stories at a special storytelling event.

To join, simply choose one of the courses to attend:

Mondays, 5pm to 6.30pm, starting 13^th June 2022 for 4 weeks

Tuesdays, 5pm to 6.30pm, starting 14^th June 2022 for 4 weeks

Wednesdays, 5pm to 6.30pm, starting 15^th June 2022 for 4 weeks

Saturdays, 11am to 12.30pm, starting 18^th June for 4 weeks.

And contact charles@readnowwritenow.org.uk to book on a first come first served basis.

All sessions will be delivered via Zoom.

There are many ways of contacting the council – many from the comfort of your own home. More information here Contacting the Council – Knowsley News

Self Publishing

 Self-publishing is now the way forward for many authors. It is a quick, relatively cheap process and simple when you know how, but often people hold back because they are not sure how to get started. If this is your worry then these workshops are for you! We will cover every stage of the process from a completed manuscript to holding a published book in your hands. . The workshops will cover both paid and DIY options for:

• Ensuring your manuscript is the best it can be
• Adding extras (maps, illustrations, etc.)
• Having it formatted (eBooks, paperback, hardback)
• The vital importance of cover design
• Which platforms to use (Amazon, iBooks, Google, Kobo, etc.) and each step of how to upload to them.

You will leave inspired and with a clear set of steps to take to get your book published. Specific contacts will be provided (e.g. book cover designers, editors, etc.).

These 2 workshops are for anyone wanting to self-publish. It could be the beginning of your career as an author, a non-fiction book to draw positive attention to your own expertise and your business, or even for the simple pleasure of writing and publishing a book that matters to you, such as a memoir. We will cover fiction, non-fiction and briefly discuss the specific needs of picture books.

 Marketing your Book: the first 10 steps

So you’ve self-published your book: now what? It won’t sell itself: you need to market it. In fact, there are ten great marketing steps you should be taking before you even publish. Put these foundations in place to give your book a head start in finding readers. We will look at:

• The most important thing on which to spend your marketing budget
• Making your book discoverable on Amazon and other platforms
• How to get readers to engage with you for future sales
• Dealing with social media
• After the basics: how to choose what marketing to invest in over time

If you’re about to self-publish, don’t do it till you’ve attended these sessions. There’s a lot of great marketing content that can be placed within your manuscript! You’ll leave with a super-clear list of things to do and in what order to give your book its best possible start. We will think about your aim in publishing a book and tailor marketing ideas accordingly: whether you’re starting your career as an author, using a book as a business communication tool or achieving a dream on your bucket list (such as writing a memoir or a children’s book for your little ones).

What People Said

 Loved it – thank you. Very knowledgeable and experienced tutor, brilliant advice and tips.

 Engaging speaker: honest and real.

 Picked up so many great ideas – can’t wait to put them into practice!

 About Melissa

Your workshop facilitator is Melissa Addey (www.MelissaAddey.com)

Melissa Addey spent fifteen years in business, first as an Innovation Project Manager for Sainsbury’s head office, followed by six years mentoring entrepreneurs for a government innovation grants programme. In 2015 she went fulltime as an author, self-publishing 15 books to date, including fiction, non-fiction and a children’s picture book. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and was the 2016 Leverhulme Trust Writer in Residence at the British Library.

After the two webinars you will be sent the resource-filled slides from our main talk and two free eBooks: Melissa Addey’s Merchandise for Authors, which offers a wealth of ideas for using your book as the basis for developing merchandise and The Storytelling Entrepreneur, to help you tell your business story.

Knowsley Borough of Culture 2022…

Get Ready…

In 2022 Knowsley will be the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture. The year-long programme of events and activities will celebrate everything about culture in Knowsley – from art and theatre to comedy, dance, food, sport and much more.

2022 is Knowsley’s year and it promises to be a special one.

For more information visit Knowsley – Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture 2022 (cultureknowsley.co.uk)

These items have unlimited access.  Anyone can borrow them at anytime.

Did you know that there are lots of council services that you can access online? Everything from applying for a school place or a blue badge, through to booking a pest control visit or bulky item collection – plus a whole lot more – can all be done from any device with internet access. Check here to see what you can do online.