MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS’ CIRCLE MEETING AT ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, HORSELL ON 18th MAY 2023

Present: Liz, Hilary, Sarah, Alan, Tricia, Heather

Apologies: Peter, Amanda, Simona

NEWS:

Liz and Heather had attended Carla’s funeral.

Liz also reported that the Book Group had all enjoyed The Mountains Sing, by Nguyen Phan Que Mai, and had awarded it a mark of 9 out of 10. The next book is Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus.

There was a brief discussion about membership numbers and it was agreed that Hilary would present a financial statement at the July meeting so that concerns about expenses relative to income could be informed and considered. The option of Zoom meetings was mentioned and this would work for some members but definitely not for others. Some concerns about holding meetings in members’ homes were also voiced; safety considerations could be an issue in some cases and various other factors such as availability of parking could be problematical.

Heather was delighted to have been chosen as one of the two winners in this year’s Frosted Fire First Pamphlet Award competition. Her entry, Out of the Ordinary, contained 10 poems and she will be required to submit a further 20 poems by 30th June. The Zoom book launch will be held at a date to be arranged in November.

READINGS

Sarah read two poems, both of which were greatly appreciated. All agreed that Supermarket Travelator was a wonderful performance poem, with Sarah achieving a most convincing rendition of the announcer’s nasal tones. There was plenty of humour in the poem with echoes of The Generation Game in the description of objects passing by (yes, cuddly toy was in there!). Sarah’s second poem, Westminster Abbey, was introduced with photos of a visit Sarah had made recently with friends. This poem was also greatly enjoyed, capturing as it did not only the magnificence and timelessness of the Abbey, but also the writer’s sense of wonder and enjoyment, as in ‘walking in the steps of the great and the good’. Sarah wants to do some research on Scottish pronunciation and consider one or two other aspects of the poem and agreed to bring it back to the group in due course.

Liz’s memoir piece described a personal event which had occurred on Sunday 7th May – the day after the Coronation. A ‘stranger’ had come to her door carrying a bottle. Unsurprisingly, Liz had not immediately recognised her former pupil in Singapore, a man who had been an 18 year-old boy when she last saw him 55 years previously as a VSO teacher. This was a wonderful piece of life writing. There were suggestions about maintaining tension by not describing the bottle he was carrying as a water bottle initially and also consideration about publishing opportunities. Liz was advised to Google various magazines and competitions.

Heather read a poem A Fox of Two Halves, featuring Fenella, the fox that had arrived in the garden suffering from mange. The poem was well-received, and Liz generously overcame her dislike of foxes in this instance! There was an interesting discussion about illustrations for the poem, which could make it of interest to children. Obviously this would need to be discussed with Fenella.

Alan’s short story, Baked Alaska, featured Jessica and Rory who were climbing a mountain in Alaska under extremely threatening and perilous circumstances. They worried about the lack of vegetation at the altitude achieved and were convinced that a massive subterranean geothermal event had taken place. The twist came right in the final couple of lines in true Alan style. All agreed that this was a skilled and absorbing piece of writing as well as being hugely enjoyable.

Tricia read her poem Rooted, which was about a child involved in a game of hide-and-seek. It was written in the first person and described the feelings of the child in a vivid and compelling way as she/he slid right down into the tree and feared that nobody would ever know. This was a wonderful poem and again the subject of illustrations was discussed. The descriptions of the child hiding, falling and emerging were beautifully handled, maintaining the credibility of the child’s voice.

Hilary’s story, Newborn, was a marvellous piece and had her listeners on the edge of their seats. It spoke of a Persian tradition involving writing the newborn’s destiny in invisible ink on his/her forehead and depicted various family members in a vivid and memorable way, maintaining the balance between the characters. The supernatural element was never overstated and the nature of the ‘shimmering figure’ remained wonderfully enigmatic, gradually becoming more angel than portent of death. All agreed that this story cried out to be published.

Next Meeting: Thursday, 15th June at 7.30pm

Chair: Alan

Minutes: Simona

Wine: Peter

Milk and biscuits: Liz

Homework: Foxy Lady Meets Badger Boy – or variations on the theme!

Apologies for the June meeting: Hilary, Tricia and Sarah