Oh my good God. I'm fast becoming a very nerdy, if not nasty, pedant. But what can I do? Even here in Kerry, land of wordsmiths, the plague of misspelling continues to wreak havoc.
I could blame a primary school education which placed great emphasis on correct spelling, tables and mental arithmetic. Is it safe to assume that such education has long disappeared from our system?
Listowel Writer's week celebrates writing. It is obvious from the official 2010 festival website that spelling is not high on the list of attributes a writer should have. I may be wrong, perhaps 'internatinal' and 'promotinal' are the correct spellings here in Kerry.
Who knows.
14 comments:
You are being pedantic and sad. Do you know that Listowel Writers Week is run by volunteers and one or two ladies in the office. They are brighT, charming and welcoming.......and you worry about a typing error and label it a spelling error.
Enjoy the banter at Listowel when you quit reading your dictionary.
>Highroller. I fully realise the voluntary nature of Writers' Week. You will note that they get the apostrophe correct!
You must also be aware of the number of teachers, both working and retired, who help the committee. A festival devoted to words should take more care.
With regard to pedantry, I only refer to bodies holding positions of influence.
And I most certainly will enjoy the festival.
Without a shadow of doubt in God's entire world.
Greetings. It's good to find you, and read your comments.
I guess the world is divided into those who regard it as important to present writing well and those who don't?
Fortunately we don't all agree.
As this is the 40th Listowel Writers' Week, it would be good if the Festival was presented especially well. The founders are looking on.
>Paul. My point exactly. Maybe I can forgive spelling errors at the local supermarket, but a writing festival?
I think you have done Listowel Writers' Week a service: you have noticed mistakes and taken the trouble to urge improvement. You could have done nothing. Now you have generated attention to the issue of what Writers' Week stands for. We can all make spelling mistakes. It would be great if everything associated with Writers' Week reinforced the work of writing well. I hope the people responsible take your effort in the best spirit.
By the way, do you know the Listowel Writers' Week Fringe Blog? It's independent of the Festival and aims to be the best ever blog of a literary festival.
Highroller,
You are combative indeed. The banter in Listowel during Writers' Week in wonderful to be sure. Will you be there this year?
>Paul. Thanks for your comment.I wish the Festival well, I mean it no harm at all.
I will be there!- and I found your blog. A link is going up.
Am i wrong or did you spell "writers' week" correctly in your original post?
Not being pedantic, you understand?
>ling's bard. you are absolutely correct. It should be writers' week.
No, you are not being too pedantic. My point is (and I have said it already) that bodies using words professionally should be careful.
If I or you make a mistake it is no big deal, as they say.
You can see that the site has been corrected, which is a good thing.
I am not the best speler in de world. I admit it.
See you at the festival!
Paul,
Nice to hear from you, and I'm not combative.....remember I wrote in your Moleskine the first night in John Bs.
You never know where you bare talking, and yes the lady in the office said thanks when I let her know there was a spelling error.......and they fixed it. Now can we all widh the Dublin launch of Writers Week in Dublin on Tuesday GOOD LUCK.
Highroller,
I'm still recovering from the surprise. You wrote in my Moleskine last year in Listowel? We met for the first time, by chance, in a Listowel pub. I must go find that notebook because it's suddenly become even more precious.
If I had one thing to say about Listowel Writers' Week, I'd say it happens in the space in between the organised literary events. It's almost all chance meetings with strangers. The atmosphere is all.
Of course the programme matters. The committee is essential. But what I remember most are the unexpected goodies - like you writing in my book.
Then the internet re-connects us. A good squabble brings us back into the same orbit.Greetings
That's Listowel Writers Week for you. I'm the one that's doing the MA in Writing at NUIG.
Got it now Paul,
ha ha
Highroller,
You have knocked me over with a feather. Now the pieces slot into place. You are indeed well placed to be a sort of conduit between outsiders (like me) and Listowel local.
Kerryview, this is a good person who has already played an important role in developing Listowel Writers' Week Fringe Blog.
May I offer you both an opportunity to help that blog do justice to this year's Festival. We need content to make the blog WOW. Plenty of room for your contributions from now on, and during the Festival itself.
No offering too small.
Interested? Willing?
This just proves that they didn't bother to properly proof read the brochure before it went to the printer, which is alas all too common these days.
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