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What happened at our December meeting on Zoom: news and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING ON ZOOM THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER 2020 Attending: Amanda, Greg, Tricia, Heather, Sarah DD, Alan, Hilary, Simon, Liz, Carla, Alix. Apologies: Dan NEWS Liz said that the book group would be meeting on Monday 11 January to discuss Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche Heather reported that she had been one of 10 shortlisted in the Hysteria 2020 writing competition, with her poem, ’A Call from a Friend’, also published in the anthology. She had also had two poems included in the Creative Mind anthology published by Preeta Press. The subjects of the competition…
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What happened at our November meeting on Zoom: news and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING ON ZOOM THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2020 Attending: Amanda, Danny, Liz, Alan, Greg, Tricia, Heather, Carla, Alix, Hilary NEWS Liz reported that the book group had met recently to discuss The Singapore Grip by JG Farrell. The next novel on the agenda would be Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She had also paid a visit to Brookwood cemetery, which the WWC is planning to visit as a group next year. Liz suggested using a guide would be a valuable move. Alan reported that, as a result of our chairman Peter Morley once again…
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What happened at our October meeting on Zoom: news and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE ON ZOOM OCTOBER 16 2020 On screen: Greg, Carla, Alan, Alix, Liz, Tricia, Hilary Apologies: Amanda, Sarah DD, Heather, Peter. News Liz reported that the book group had read Small Island by Andrea Levy,which had proved their most popular book so far. The group’s next meeting – on Zoom – will be on Monday 16 November, when they will be looking at The Singapore Grip by JG Farrell, recently dramatised on Channel 4. Alan made to plea to anyone who had recently read his novel, Theta Double Dot, that was published last year, to consider placing a…
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What happened at our August meeting on Zoom: news and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING ON ZOOM ON AUGUST 20 2020 Attending: Danny, Amanda (briefly!), Greg, Alix, Alan, Hilary, Sarah DD, Simon, Liz, Carla. Apologies: Peter, Heather, Mel. News: Hilary gave us the latest news on the question of returning to the church hall, or not. It would be possible from September, with a number of restrictions in place, although the government website did not advise a return to such gatherings before October. This was of course before the new restrictions were announced. Most members felt they were not ready to return to live meetings yet. But Alix had the…
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What happened at our July meeting on Zoom: news and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING ON ZOOM 16 JULY 2020 Attending Amanda, Greg, Liz, Mel, Tricia, Carla, Hilary, Simon, Alex, Danny, Alan, Heather. News Alan has a new blog on his website, with guest posts. You can find it here Carla has launched her poetry collection with a splendid night that included guest appearances from Heather, Liz and Greg, as well as many other poets from near and far . She was also guest poet at Write Out Loud Woking on Zoom last month. Liz mentioned the upcoming book group meeting on Zoom. If you wish to attend a…
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What happened at our June online meeting: news and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING ON ZOOM June 2020 Attending: Amanda, Greg, Alan, Peter, Alex (new), Carla, Tricia, Heather, Danny, Liz, Simon, Mel. News Liz said the next book group meeting would be on Tuesday 23 June. Members were reading different books, including The Plague by Albert Camus. Carla announced the publication of her debut pamphlet collection, Negotiating Caponata, and its Zoom launch on Thursday 16 July. This means that the next Woking Writers Circle meeting will be on Thursday 23 July, a week later than normal. Peter reported that an article that he had altered since reading it at…
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Former WWC member zooms in from Kenya for May online meeting
Woking Writers Circle welcomed back a former member last month – via the technology of Zoom. Liz C joined us from Kenya, to read a powerful and moving poem called ‘Transformation’ based on Greek myth, and reflecting how she felt about the pandemic. Also at the online gathering were Amanda, Alan, Greg, Peter, Tricia, Heather, Daniel, Carla, Chris, Liz L, Sarah DD, and Simon, plus new attendee Mel. The homework – not for the first time – was ekphrasis (creativity based on a work of art). Greg responded with a poem about the curtailed David Hockney exhibition at the Lightbox,…
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Woking Writers Circle holds its first meeting online
Woking Writers Circle held its first online meeting on Thursday 16 April – and it was a great success. It was organised and set up by our secretary Amanda Briggs, who has expertise and experience in video conferencing, and attended by Tricia, Greg, Liz, Carla, Simon, Hilary, Sarah DD, Heather, Alan and Chris. An excellent turnout! Apologies for missing LIz’s opening contribution, owing to my late arrival at the meeting. Tricia followed with a very thoughtful essay on what had happened so far in the coronavirus crisis, and what might take place in the future. She rocked us back on…
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CORONAVIRUS: A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN
Dear Friends Thank you to those who were able to respond to my email of 14 March. Only a couple of you said you would like to attend, and those responses were before today’s government advice for all to avoid non-essential contact. We will cancel this month’s meeting on Thursday 19 March and wait to see how things develop month by month. I will try to sort out a system to enable us to share work and receive feedback – a virtual WWC. I will be in touch but keep writing, stay well. Peter
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What happened at our February meeting?
Owing to a technical problem we can’t bring you any details of news or readings from February’s meeting. What we can tell you is that the date of the next meeting is Thursday 19 March, when the homework topic is ‘The Flood’. Jobs: The role of chair is vacant. Minutes: Peter Wine: Simon Milk and biscuits: Amanda
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What happened at our November meeting – agm, news, and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE 30TH AGM and NOVEMBER READINGS at ST MARY’S CHURCH, HORSEL, 21 November 2019 Present: Greg, Peter, Heather, Dan, Alan, Amanda, Liz, Hilary, Kate, Chris, Sarah DD Apologies: Simon, Tricia, Cathy 2019 AGM Minutes of 2018 agm were accepted. No matters arising. Venue: the move to Horsell and St Mary’s has been well received, and we’re happy with the move, and wish to continue. Chairman’s report (Peter Morley): Numbers are stable, however new members are always welcome. The standard of writing has improved, and members have reported various successes and publications, often reported on our website. The theatre…
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What happened at our October meeting: news and readings
WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING AT ST MARY’S CHURCH, HORSELL THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER 2019 Present: Greg, Amanda, Alan, Hilary, Chris, Heather, Liz, Sarah, Daniel, Kate, Peter, Simon Apologies: Carla, Tricia News The AGM will take place at the start of the next WWC meeting on 21 November, at the earlier time of 7pm. Among the items on the agenda, it will be discussed whether the annual subs need updating and whether the NAWG subscription should be renewed, in order to ensure that cashflow keeps pace with outgoings. We welcomed Chris, a “new” attendee who had previously visited WWC last year. Liz reported…
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What happened at our September meeting – news and readings
MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE MEETING AT ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, HORSELL ON 19 SEPTEMBER 2019 Present: Peter, Dan, Kate, Amanda, Alan, Liz, Simon, Greg, Carla, Heather Apologies: Tricia News Greg reminded everyone that the regular monthly poetry open-mic meeting of Write Out Loud Woking would take place on Thursday 26 September at 8pm in the cafe at the Lightbox. Tricia had reviewed the Northern Ballet’s production of Cinderella at the New Victoria theatre in Woking, and you could also read Carla’s review of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours exhibition at the Lightbox on the Woking Writers Circle website,…
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What happened at our August meeting – news and readings
MINUTES OF MEETING ON THURSDAY 15 AUGUST 2019 Present: Tricia (chair), Simon, Amanda, Hilary, Peter, Carla, Dan, Liz, Alan (minutes), Apologies: Greg, Heather, Sarah DD NEWS Carla returned from Canada. Her tutor had dissuaded her from seeking an interview with Margaret Atwood, deeming it inappropriate, due to the subject’s current onerous workload. Carla expanded on her Facebook impressions of the two principal Calgary libraries, detailing various aspects of her current research on Margaret Atwood. She submitted a piece on comparisons between Beckett and Atwood, and had a review on her speciality published. Part of the introduction and four chapters of her doctoral thesis…
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What happened at our July meeting – news and readings
MINUTES OF MEETING OF WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE ON JULY 18 2019 Attending: Hilary, Tricia, Dan, Alan, Greg, Liz, Peter Morley Apologies: Heather, Carla, Amanda, Cathy NEWS Alan had physical copies of his newly published novel, Theta Double Dot , to show us. Anyone who would like to buy one should email Alan, and he will bring copies along to the next meeting in August. Carta’s review of the Parallel Lines exhibition at the Lightbox had recently been published on the Woking Writers Circle website Liz had visited the National Poetry Library at London’s Southbank Centre, and distributed info on…