Paul Speller muses on a harsh lesson for Chief Minister Howard Quayle in his latest Grapevine column for Business365 magazine.
After a bumpy few weeks where the chief appeared unable to take his foot out of his mouth, Paul offers his thoughts in the December edition of the magazine.
You can read the digital edition here.
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Racket over the packet comes a little late
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Paul Speller’s latest work of fiction, Beautiful Dangerous, has been published in the latest Bloodbond collection.
The print version of Bloodbond, published by Alban Lake Publishing, is available now from www.infiniterealmsbookstore.com
Beautiful Dangerous tells the story of what happens when two work colleagues end up in a seedy nightclub and the alluring dancers are not all they might seem.
Paul’s previously published stories have received literary recognition.
Baby Blue Eyes won a national writing award, while The Curious Child featured in a compilation that was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award in Australia.
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Time is running out to buy a ticket for the chance to win your very own Mr Isle of Man.
Manx Litfest, in conjunction with the Family Library, is raffling off an original print of the special character, created and donated by Adam Hargreaves.
Adam, who took over as author of the much-loved Mr Men series of books from his father Roger, created the three-legged Mr Isle of Man for last year’s Manx Litfest.
Tickets for this very special raffle are £5. The winner receives the original drawing in a frame, plus a complete set of Mr Men books. Two runners-up will receive an unfamed print of Mr Isle of Man, plus a full set of Mr Men books.
The Bridge Bookshop, in Port Erin and Ramsey, has donated the books.
Librarian in charge Mary Cousins said: ‘This is a unique opportunity. We are delighted to be able to offer the chance for someone to own the original Mr Isle of Man.
‘But time is running out, so make sure you get your ticket soon!’
The closing date to buy raffle tickets is Saturday, September 29. Tickets are available from the Family Library in Westmoreland Road, Douglas, the Bridge Bookshops in Port Erin and Ramsey and the Lexicon Bookshop and Waterstones, both in Douglas.
Money raised from the raffle will go towards the running costs of the Family Library and Mobile Family Library, which operate as a charity.
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A new piece of fiction by Paul Speller is set to be published later this year.
Bloodbond, a horror periodical belonging to the Alban Lake Publishing stable in the United States, will include Beautiful Dangerous, a new story by Paul, in its next edition, due out in November.
This latest work follows the publication of Paul’s previous stories, the award-winning Baby Blue Eyes, and The Curious Child, which featured in Dimension6, an anthology that was shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards in Australia.
More details about Beautiful Dangerous will be released as the publication date approaches.
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‘Chilling’ short story wins award
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Paul Speller has hit out at the use of data and league tables in connection with school children.
As well as the limited value of data based on narrow metrics, he condemns attempts by some politicians to seek a school-by-school breakdown of figures in the Isle of Man, with the stark warning to parents that it could lead to their children being identified.
He argues in the Manx Independent: ‘The walls of a classroom will tell you much more about what the children are doing than a league table.’
You can read the full article here.
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Dimension6 collection shortlisted for award
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The Family Library is offering a Truly Scrumptious raffle prize.
With support from Microgaming PlayItForward, the library has five pairs of tickets to see this summer’s Gaiety Theatre musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, for the matinee performance on August 11.
Librarian in charge Mary Cousins said: ‘This show, by Taylorian Productions, is bound to be yet another hit, so we are very excited to be offering two tickets as a raffle prize. A big thank you to Microgaming for their support.’
Raffle tickets can be bought at £2 per strip. They are available at the library, in Westmoreland Road, or from the Mobile Family Library.
The family show – about a flying car, its inventor and his family, and the perils they face at the hands of the unforgettable Child Catcher – features favourite songs including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Toot Sweet and many more.
Keep an eye on the Family Library page on Facebook and our familylibrary.im website for all events this summer.
The Family Library is run as a charity.
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Paul Speller has called out MHKs for being too late to start expressing concern about the future of the Steam Packet.
In his Grapevine column in the latest edition of Business365, Paul points out that concerns expressed over the government’s decision to buy the Isle of Man Steam Packet might not have been such a worry if Tynwald members had bothered to debate the sea services strategy a year earlier.
You can read the June edition of Business365 online here.
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Dimension6 collection shortlisted for award
Prize-winning short story is re-published
Back to main news index.
Paul Speller takes a look at the bewildering world of Legislative Council elections in the latest issue of Business365 magazine.
In his Grapevine column for April, Paul muses on how there can be a system where those who have a vote, can cast as many votes as there are candidates.
You can read Paul’s Grapevine column and the digital version of Business365 magazine here.
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An animation course is one of many special events taking place at the Family Library during the school holiday.
The Animania animation course will be held across four sessions, on April 3, 6, 10 and 13, running from 1.30pm to 3.30pm each day. The package of four sessions costs £15 and booking is essential.
There are many other events at the library too. Slime Time sessions will be held on April 4 and 11 from 10.30am and on April 5 and 12 from 1.30pm. Each session is £3 and, again, booking is advised.
Also, on April 10, there will be a Manx Bird Life bird feeders and mobile workshop, from 10.30am-midday. The session costs £3, booking required.
To book a place at any of these events call in at the library or ring 640650.
The library is also holding a Spring Has Sprung Challenge on Wednesday afternoons, from 2pm. Admission is free.
Librarian in charge Mary Cousins said: ‘We look forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and some new ones at our events – and calling in to take advantage of our games collection and, of course, browse the many thousands of books!’
The Family Library, which is closed for the bank holiday weekend, is next to the children’s playground in Westmoreland Road, Douglas, visit the website www.familylibrary.im or call 640650. You can also follow events via the Family Library page on Facebook.
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Paul Speller takes a look at the future role of the Legislative Council in his latest column for Business 365.
He suggests a stronger role in scrutiny and a lesser role in government may be the future for the unelected upper chamber of the Manx parliament.
The column also notes that one of his previous predictions regarding the precarious position of a government minister turned out to be portentous.
You can read all of Business 365 online here.
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