WRITERS’ CIRCLES
http://www.writers-online.co.uk NOVEMBER 2019 45If your writing group would like to feature here, whether you need new members, have an event
to publicise or to suggest tips for other groups, email Tina Jackson, [email protected]CIRCLES’ ROUNDUP
ASA
SPOTLIGHT ON...
Do you work in, or have you retired
from, one of the many healthcare
professions? writes Neil Wilson.
If so, would you enjoy joining the
Society of Medical Writers (SOMW)?
Our 150 members include not only
doctors, nurses and health visitors
but also those from the many allied
professions, such as social workers,
physiotherapists, occupational therapists,
and medical journalists – as well as
students in all these fields. Although what
we write is often based on our experiences
at work we share a passion for writing
fact or fiction, prose or poetry, in any
genre and on any subject.
That’s why the 60+ pages of The
Writer – our glossy in-house journal
which is sent out to members twice a
year – is packed with startling, droll or
humorous short stories, biographies,
reviews of books and poetry pamphlets
(many written by our members), accounts
of memorable patients and experiences,
opinions, informative factual articles,
curious and intriguing titbits from the
literary and wider world, and poems to
make you think, rejoice, weep, laugh or
even make your heart sing.
The SOMW was formed (originallyas the GP Writers’ Association) in
1986 and continues each year to host
a one-day meeting in London in the
spring, and a weekend symposium in
the autumn at different venues across
the UK. These meetings provide
members with a wide variety of talks
and workshops by authors, editors,
publishers and others on the many
fascinating aspects of the literary world.
We hold competitions too, with
prizes awarded twice a year in each
category of fiction, non-fiction and
poetry, together with publication of
selected entries in The Writer.
Our members range from much-
published authors to outright beginners
so all are welcome to join our friendly
and supportive society. You can find out
more on our website – http://www.somw.org.
uk – or by contacting our secretary Dr
Julian Randall at [email protected].Halesworth
Write Types
The Halesworth Write Types group
of writers meets every Tuesday in the
upstairs room of a quaint 16th century
property known as the Ancient House in
the attractive market town of Halesworth
in Suffolk, writes Wally Smith.
Formed only two years ago, the
group get together to discuss individual
works in progress and to give each
other constructive feedback on drafts.
We feel it is important to have our
work put before as wide an audience
as possible, and submissions to
competitions, publications and online
magazines are encouraged. To this end
members have published novels, short
stories, poetry and academic works,
and stories on http://www.short-story.me,
http://www.sirenscallpublications.com
and AntipodeanSF (www.antisf.com)
amongst other e-zines, as well as having
plays performed at the annual local INK
Festival: which takes place at The New
Cut Arts Centre in Halesworth.
The Ancient House is now the de
Argenteins cafe, named after an historic
family from the area, a ghost of which
is said to still haunt the establishment.
It might have been fun to call ourselves
ghost writers but that would have given
the wrong idea. We meet in the morning,
but who knows what stories might be
inspired by a little late night writing in
the company of a ghost?
Website: http://www.writetypeshalesworth.
wordpress.comSOCIETY OF
MEDICAL WRITERS
ASA
as the GP Writers’ Association) in
1986 and continues each year to host
a one-day meeting in London in the
spring, and a weekend symposium in
the autumn at different venues across
the UK. These meetings provide
members with a wide variety of talks
and workshops by authors, editors,fascinating aspects of the literary world.