Local Writer Lies His Way to...

clinch prized spot in prestigious Aesthetica annual

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Winning author Roderic Vincent

The Aesthetica Annual is available from Borders stores and the Aesthetica website now.

Aesthetica Magazine is published bi-monthly and is available through WH Smiths, Borders, University Bookshops and Galleries.

The 2009 Aesthetica Annual Creative Works Competition is now open for entries of poetry, fiction and artwork.

 

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No word of a lie - Ealing writer, Roderic Vincent, has been named one of just 17 finalists in the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition, with a tale that intrigues before you've even picked it up!

Roderic describes Lying, as a true story. But you will have to read the book to discover how the tale of 'someone having an impromptu affair at a conference, with a twist' relates back to him! "If you read the story you will understand in what sense it is a "true story," promised the author.

Roderic is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, who divides his time between running Human Qualities, the Ealing based business psychology consultancy that he started in 1993, and 'writing in the summerhouse at the bottom of my garden'.

"I'm both a writer on Thursdays and Friday and I run a business psychology consultancy on the other days," said Roderic.

He thrives in both his occupations. "I love working to develop leaders and managers in large organisations," he told EalingToday. "In any case, only a handful of people make a decent living from writing. If you are Ian McEwan, then all well and good. It's like music: for every Coldplay or Oasis performing at Wembley and making suitcases of cash, there are a thousand talented people doing a slot on a Saturday evening at The Kings Head. Most people who write professionally earn less than an electrician (that's a fact from a recent survey). Average earnings for electricians - £23,000 and for writers, £16,000. So it's something you do because you love it and because it's in your genes and you have no choice. When I am not writing it eats into my flesh like acid."

Not there haven't been breaks from writing along the way. "I wrote frantically in my twenties, but decided not to pursue it because I believed I had too little experience of life," he said. "There are so many writers who achieve success early, but don't have much to say or any depth of knowledge of humanity to write about. So I went off and had a couple of marriages and a son and built a business and travelled the world and experienced many other things. Then at forty I reduced my time in the business and came back to writing."

As well as short stories, he is putting the finishing touches to a novel. "I've written two novels and am now looking for representation for the second one," he said. "Just in case there are any literary agents lurking in Ealing!"

Aesthetica Magazine is an arts publication with bi-monthly issues covering art, literature, film, music and theatre. Established in 2002 Aesthetica has grown to be sold throughout WH Smiths, Borders and university bookshops nationwide and, in December 2008 the company added a second publication to its fold, the Aesthetica Annual.

The first Aesthetica Annual is available through Borders stores nationwide and will showcase the very best in new artistic and writing talent. The Annual has been comprised of the winning entries of the Aesthetica Annual Creative Works Competition, which received an astounding five thousand entries.

Aesthetica editor, Cherie Federico has seen the Aesthetica Competition grow exponentially since its conception: “It’s been amazing to see the response to the Aesthetica Annual Creative Works Competition among writers and artists, and it’s great to see there is so much enthusiasm for creativity, not only in the UK but around the world. I started the competition to provide an outlet for all the budding artistic and writing talents who would contact me on a daily basis. I saw so many amazing pieces of work that the creation of a special Annual seemed inevitable, but it has been surprising to see just how far the competition reached.”

 

January 30, 2009