The Janus Report for the Creative Café 2011 / 2012

2011 has seen a handful of new cafes come into the project but even more importantly there are another half dozen people out there looking for and managing to identify them. Several writers are getting interested and I’ve spoken to quite a few about setting up as a writer in residence in a café.  The most popular ideas are:

·         Running a creative writing workshop

·         Holding a creative writing clinic

·         Just writing

·         Selling and signing books

Unfortunately we didn’t get the funding we applied for but some of the writers and cafes have found innovative ways around that.   

I’ve actually enjoyed visiting one or two new cafés and chatting to the owners / managers about the project.  

CaféLit is trundling along nicely and bringing in come good stories. I’ve almost finished the copy edit on The Best of 2011 and although I’d read all of the stories before, I certainly enjoyed reading them again.  I think we achieved what we set out to do – provide stories that go with a cuppa in a café. I’m delighted with how well the drinks match the texts.  So thanks go to Debz Hobbs-Wyatt for her excellent editing.   

For 2012 I’m keen to get more cafés, writers and other creative practitioners involved. I’m keen to get CaféLit into the cafés.  I’m toying with story cards and story pamphlets also. I’m hoping to fund this by selling advertising. Also, I’d like to send attractive notices to the cafés alerting customers to the Kindle version of The Best of and to the online versions.  

I’ve started a Chip-in campaign to raise funds to cover the cost of having a logo designed and getting some stationery printed. Gradually, we’ll start producing merchandise that the cafés and their customers can buy.