Liverpool's charity song contest, Primal Live, prepares for huge event next weekend

FOLLOWING the overwhelming success of its debut event at Camp and Furnace in July, the interactive battle of the bands show will return to the Baltic venue on:- Sunday, 6 October 2024.

The 1st Primal Live event featured 25 talented local acts performing on stage and competing for top prizes whilst raising over £4,000 for The Whitechapel Centre. After interactive audience voting and expert judging from:- The Voice UK's Jake O'Neill and SAE Institute's Duncan Lewis, the winners on the night were Ava Fitz and OTB.

Over 200 applications have been received so far for the next event at:- Camp and Furnace. Selected musicians will be taken on a 7 week artist development course from industry experts before competing on the night. There will be 6 heats of 6 acts and the audience will vote for finalists before expert judges decide the winners.

As a spectacle, Primal Live is a really fun and interactive event for the audience; with quality live music, a party atmosphere and a chance to influence the results of the contest. With it being a charity initiative, there's a chance to win top prizes through raffles and auctions too. The second event has already increased from 25 acts to 36 and it appears the concept has a big future ahead.

Primal Live's Andy Sampson said::- "Our 1st event surpassed all expectations. The audience had an amazing time, the artists excelled themselves and we raised over £4,000 for the homeless of Liverpool. But the key thing that came from it is that it became a project rather than just a song contest or event; the feedback has been incredible and so many people are now involved. This second event is going to be even bigger and better; with 36 artists and a full afternoon of music. We have 1 of the 1st event's artists, Jordan aka OTB, on the team now and SAE Institute's Duncan Lewis again, so this time we'll be offering even more artist development along the way. This isn't just a gig for artists; we will be giving them the tools to take themselves to the next level."

The 1st event saw all artists benefit, whilst winner Ava Fitz won recording studio time and a place on Duncan Lewis' Songwriting Retreat. This next huge event at Camp & Furnace aims to once again provide local talent with a platform, whilst entertaining the audience and raising thousands for The Whitechapel Centre; with even bigger plans following this.

Jordan Francis, aka OTB, summarised:- "The 1st event was such a success and great for all involved. Some of the talent on that stage was unreal and I'm honoured to have been part of it. The fact that I was homeless makes it even more special as it's great to give back to The Whitechapel Centre. Now to be part of the Primal Live team is amazing and I'm looking forward to helping develop the next wave of local talent."

To register as an artist please go to:- PrimalLive.Co.UK, and for tickets please go to:- EventBrite.Co.UK.

Primal Live takes place at Camp and Furnace in Greenland Street, Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, L1 0BYs, on:- Sunday, 6 October 2024, in 2 pm, the afternoon.

Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2024 announces longlist of exceptional literary talent

THE longlist has been announced for the Edge Hill Prize 2024 as the competition enters its 18th year. The £10,000 prize remains the only national literary award to recognise excellence in a published, single authored short story collection. The longlist for 2024 showcases both established and debut writers from the UK and Ireland taking contemporary short fiction to new places.

Sarah Schofield, Edge Hill Short Story Prize organiser, said:- "Short stories are the perfect vehicle to examine and explore both the small and the vast complexities of being human. I love the way a short story can surprise, shock and delight, and offer those epiphanies into lived experiences that we share. The collections on this longlist celebrate multiple perspectives from exciting new names and established authors. Each 1 offers insights into the diversity of contemporary life. Shortlisting will be a difficult and wonderful task for our reading panel."

In alphabetical order, the longlist in full is:-

• Emma Brankin Attention Seekers (Valley Press)
  

• David Frankel Forgetting is How We Survive (Salt)
  

• David Gaffney Concrete Fields (Salt)
  

• Tessa Hadley After the Funeral (Jonathan Cape)
  

• Charlie Hill Encounters with Everyday Madness (Roman Books)
  

• Abi Hynes Monstrous Longing (Dahlia Press)
  

• Clare Ivory Free Therapy (Jonathan Cape)
  

• Timothy J Jarvis Treatise on Dust (Swan River Press)
  

• Josie Long Because I don't know what you mean and what you don't (Canongate)
  

• Malachi McIntosh Parables, Fables, Nightmares (The Emma Press)
  

• Adam Marek The Universe Delivers the Enemy You Need (Comma Press)
  

• So Mayer Truth and Dare (Cipher Press)
  

• Thomas Morris Open Up (Faber)
  

• CD Rose Walter Benjamin Stares at the Sea (Melville Press UK)

Previous years' Edge Hill Prize shortlistees Adam Marek, and Thomas Morris and previous winner Tessa Hadley return to the longlist this year.

The Edge Hill Short Story Prize was founded in 2006 by the world's 1st Professor of Short Fiction, Ailsa Cox. The prize endeavours to highlight and celebrate the diverse voices and talents of contemporary short story writers in UK and Ireland.

Previous winners include:- acclaimed authors such as Sarah Hall, Kevin Barry, Daisy Johnson and Saba Sams.

Over the next month, the longlisted stories will be considered by our panel of readers. A short list will be announced in October, with the winner of the £10,000 prize announced in February 2025.

A new £1,000 Debut Collection Award will also be presented to 1 of the shortlisted authors celebrating the best new voices in short story writing.

In addition there is a £500 prize for the best short story submitted by an Edge Hill University Post Graduate Creative Writing student.

Last year's overall prize was won by Bernie McGill for her collection This Train is For, and she will be 1 of the judges for this year's prize.

Find out more about Edge Hill's Department of English and Creative Arts and the courses offered, including:- BA (Hons) Creative Writing and MA Creative Writing.

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