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Michael Dickinson

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Last week's position: 8465

first registered 08.05.08

last online 10 days ago

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about me

Born in Durham, England in 1950, Dickinson spent early years in Kuwait where his father worked for the Kuwait Oil Company.

Trained at Manchester School of Theatre 1969 – 72 and worked for several years as an actor, mostly in Fringe theatre.

In 1979 he traveled overland to India to work for a short time with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, where he lost his faith in the Catholic Church. (SEE BOOK - 'A TRIP TO TERESA')

Since 1986 he has been living in Istanbul, Turkey, where he makes a living as a teacher of English.

Apart from writing, Dickinson puts his hand to collage and has had several exhibitions of his work, examples of which can be seen at his website http://yabanji.tripod.com/

- In February 2010 he was found guilty of 'insulting the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan' with a collage caricature, and forbidden to make further such caricatures for 5 years or face a prison sentence.

Dickinson is currently on probation.

favourite books

Lolita
Don Quixote
The Turn of the Screw
Everything by Knut Hamsun
Kafka

my websites

http://yabanji.tripod.com/     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dickinson_(ar

HarperCollins is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

my books

THE BIG IF

Michael Dickinson

Against a background of the New Cross Massacre, I.R.A. Hunger Strikes, Brixton Riots and Royal Wedding, an Anarchist goes crazy in Margaret Thatcher's 80's Britain.


“If … you should see someone wearing a badge like this while all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then we’d like to let you know what it means. It stands for International Front, is the brainchild of one Michael Dickinson from Durham and is the symbol of what he hopes will one day become a movement. To publicize IF and its aims (troops out of Ireland, nuclear disarmament, abolition of the Monarchy and other commendable notions), Dickinson handcuffed himself to the altar rail of St. Paul’s last Monday. The police were called and unlocked him with a skeleton key.”

TIME OUT Rumbles News 1980

 

The Confessions of Judas

Michael Dickinson

The execution of a scapegoat in Roman-occupied Palestine results in the birth of a false faith that will conquer the Western World.


´An ingenious fictional theory´ The Guardian

´A brave book - Pick this one up´ Birmingham Post

´Swept me along´ Books Ireland

´Clever and cynical´ Sunday Tribune

´Controversial - A novel promising to stir up a hornet´s nest...´The Newcastle Journal

 

CRUCIFICTION

Michael Dickinson

This is the dramatized version of my novel 'The Confessions of Judas', preceded by a short synopsis of the play.


The story began as a play but was first published as a book by Brandon Books, Ireland in 1994. It works very well as a piece of theatre, and I'm looking forward to seeing a production by a brave theatre company some time in the future.

 

FAIRY-TALE PLAYS

Michael Dickinson

Famous fairy-stories adapted as short plays. Written in rhyming- couplets.


SHAKE YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR DAZE
AND HAVE SOME FUN WITH THESE SHORT PLAYS!

GOOD TO READ – AND THAT’S A FACT
BUT BETTER STILL – THEY’RE GREAT TO ACT!

SO DON’T JUST SIT THERE FEELING LOW –
LIGHTS! ACTION! MUSIC! ON WITH THE SHOW!


 

A TRIP TO TERESA

Michael Dickinson

A pot-smoking gay Catholic makes an overland pilgrimage from England to India in 1979 to work as a volunteer for Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.


Readers comments:

"..the most gripping piece of writing I have so far encountered on this site... seems to capture the very essence of the narrator's experience... fresh and immediate...

"... maintains the interest throughout, with suspense and a wealth of fascinating and sometimes gruesome detail.. The sexual, spiritual, drug and foreign-place themes are very well handled; there is something to think about, vicarious experience to enjoy, if perhaps with a shudder sometimes."

"...well worth publishing.. "

"... interested me hugely.. ..a good read."




 

CONFESSIONS OF JUDAS -THE SCRE....

Michael Dickinson

The Untold Story.


The screen version of my novel 'The Confessions of Judas' ('The Lost Testament of Judas Iscariot' - published in 1994 by Brandon Books, Ireland.)

 

WHAT FLORA WANTS

Michael Dickinson

A sequel to Henry James' classic 'ghost' story, 'The Turn of the Screw'.


Ten years after the tragic death of her brother Miles, 20 year-old Flora decides to track down the governess she considers responsible, and take revenge...

Readers comments:

"If you liked Henry James you'll love this. It captures the spirit of his work and has the same lingering menace (and promise)."

"excellently written... a real sense of foreboding."

 

HOME THOUGHTS FROM ABROAD

Michael Dickinson

Scathing articles about Britain from an ex-pat socialist living in Istanbul, first published in America's Best Political Newsletter, COUNTERPUNCH. .


Articles about the behaviour of the British Royal Family, Her Majesty's Government, Church, Police, and Social System, seen through the eyes of a traitorous Englishman in exile.

 

NOT CONSTANTINOPLE

Michael Dickinson

Articles about Istanbul life published in COUNTERPUNCH eventually lead the English author to see life in a Turkish prison.


Little did Michael Dickinson know, when American political newsletter COUNTERPUNCH accepted and published his first article, that it would eventually lead to his arrest and detention in prison, an escape attempt at midnight chased by a gun shooting cop, pleas in the British Press for Tony Blair to ask the Turkish Prime Minister for clemency, and a demand for change in Turkey's laws against Freedom of Expression.

 

ON POPES, POLITICS, AND PROTES....

Michael Dickinson

Articles on politics and religion published in 'America's Best Political Newsletter, COUNTERPUNCH.'


Armaggedon a little angry...

 

Yahuda'nin Yorumu

Michael Dickinson

This is the Turkish translation of my book 'The Confessions of Judas'.


The Turkish version of Judas's explanation of what really happened that night in the garden of Gesthemene.

 

THE STONE OF DESTINY - SCREENP....

Michael Dickinson

The story of dedicated Scottish nationalist Ian Hamilton's daring raid on the heart of 1950's England to return the Stone of Scone to Scotland.


I wrote this screenplay in the early years of this century after reading Ian Hamilton's account of his raid on Westminster Abbey in 'The Taking of the Stone of Destiny', but when I sent him the script I was informed that the story was under copywrite and a movie contract was already being negotiated. A few years later the film, 'The Stone of Destiny', was released. I haven't seen it yet, but I wonder how the script compares to mine?

 

IN JAIL IN ISTANBUL

Michael Dickinson

Ten days internment in Turkey.


The prison diary of a British artist, jailed for 10 days for 'ınsulting the dignity of the Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdoğan' with a collage picture.

 

WHAT FLORA WANTS - the screenp....

Michael Dickinson

A sequel to Henry James' 'ghost story' THE TURN OF THE SCREW.


Flora, now grown, tracks down the governess to avenge the death of her brother Miles.

 

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latest

Lenny Banks wrote 78 days ago

Hi Michael, I noted you supported Lucette‘s book to the top recent....

LCF Quartet wrote 84 days ago

Dear Michael, Thank you very much for your support until the end. L....

TPN wrote 91 days ago

Dear Michael, I am looking for comments on my new novel, Wall of ....

Sebnem wrote 97 days ago

Hi Michael, Nice to meet you from your profile! I am from Istanbul a....

Software wrote 102 days ago

Dear Michael, Many thanks for backing The Sounds of Silence. I am ....

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my comments

latest

I wrote 15 days ago

If your read my other book 'A TRIP TO TERESA' first you will get a clearer picture of the author's progress. In fact ,'THE BIG IF' is the second in an autobiographical trilogy. The third, 'RIOTOUS, VIOLENT AND INDECENT' is yet to come. view book

I wrote 542 days ago

30 years later, here's a picture of me approaching St Paul's Cathedral - http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luclqguVJJ1qaojdpo1_500.jpg And one of me inside the building - http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02043/abolish-money_2043172i.jpg Relevant to the chapter in the Cathedral... view book

I wrote 596 days ago

That would probably be the shooting script you're talking about. view book

I wrote 893 days ago

All of these articles, most of them composed in a few heated hours, were published online by the famous political newsletter COUNTERPUNCH on the same day as I delivered them. I know there are errors and unrefinements, but what the fuck?, the surge of pleasure I felt as I saw each one included in Co... view book

I wrote 893 days ago

Thanks. I need to fix that formatting and space problem. view book

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