Dalston Writers Group... But not as we know it

Hello Writers (and anyone else who stumbles across this page - hello to you too!)

As we won't be meeting IRL for now, there's an opportunity to join an online group. The sessions will be offered weekly starting tonight! Tuesday April 14th and will vary in format.

It will likely be a shaky affair to start off with, but the chance to chat with other writers is there, if you feel you'd like it. 

For continuity, these will run in the regular slot Tuesday 6-7.30pm.

If you have any questions or suggestions about how to join, please get in touch by emailing Zoe.ranson@hackney.gov.uk

Technical issues not withstanding, we look forward to virtually writing with some of you, soon.

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Words Aloud!

Poetry can often become more accessible in performance and Hackney has some great venues for it.

Burley Fisher books is a few minutes from the library along Kingsland Road, towards Haggerston

SET is even closer - a few steps away on Dalston Lane (an upcoming highlight is the launch of polymath Jen Kalleja's new collection on Mar 24).

Both have a regular programme of events and readings, with a focus on small presses. You can check them out here

Pages of Hackney and their sister shop  Pages of Cheshire Street also have readings, details here

Jawdance in Rich Mix is one of the boldest spoken word nights in London with a brilliant varied programme and cheap entry. Next up on Mar 18th is a Women's History Month special with Malika Booker and special guests.

I wanted to alert you to brilliant poet Danez Smith, who will be reading and chatting with Travis Alabanza at Sutton House in Homerton on Monday March 9th.
On stage they are a tour de force, and highly recommended.

Next Meeting: Tues 10 Mar

Dalston Writers Group will meet on Tues 10 Mar, 6.00 to 7.30pm in the archives.

It will be an introductory session with Zoe, looking at Point of View.

n.b. there will be no session on Tue 26 Mar.

Upcoming dates for your diary:

Tue 31 Mar 
Tue 14 Apr 
Tue 28 AprTue 12 May
Tue 26 May

Swimming to the Shark: Writing to Boost Wellbeing and Face Fear - Tues 25 Feb

Delighted to be welcoming Hackney-based author Georgie Codd to Dalston Writing Group on Tues 25 Feb (6.00 to 7.30pm) for a session focused on writing and wellbeing.

Georgie's brilliant new book We Swim to the Shark (published by Fleet Books) describes how she confronted her [stand back, new word alert] ichthyophobia, or fear of fish, by swimming with the biggest, baddest ones she could find: sharks. 

Georgie will discuss her book, the journey it entailed, and present some exercises to demonstrate how creative writing can help us confront our own insecurities and fears. There'll be some copies to buy on the night.

You can hear Georgie talking about her book on Radio 4's Woman's Hour here.

Register to attend at the Eventbrite page here.

Next Meeting: Tues 11 Feb

We got the new year off to an extraordinarily fertile start this week with our freewriting session, which generated pieces on everything from the Dolly Parton Challenge (Google it!) to Nicholas Parsons and the secret life of the dystopian organic city. Some truly amazing stuff. More on freewriting here.

Next meeting will be Tues 11 Feb, 6.00 to 7.30pm. And as a quick heads up, on Tues 25 Feb we'll be running a special session on writing and mental health with Georgie Codd, author of We Swim to the Shark, which is published by Fleet this week. More on that soon.

Next Meeting: Tues 28 Jan - Freewriting

We'll be easing our way into the new year with a session on 'freewriting' on Tues 28 Jan. For more on what that's all about, go here.

Poem On A Wall

Writing group regular Wes has been in touch with news that his poem 'Chimera' is currently on display in the Law Society's Reading Room at Chancery Lane. 

Here's Wes with the backstory:

'I offered the chance to commission a poem from me as a raffle prize last year at the JCWI (Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants) summer party. 

The winner turned out to be an artist and legal worker who wanted to display my finished poem alongside one of her paintings at the 60th annual exhibition of the Law Society's Art Group. 

That exhibition is now up, including (I'm told in very small print!) my poem, 'Chimera'.

It's in the Law Society Reading Room on 113 Chancery Lane; today [15 Jan], Thursday and Friday 9am to 5.30pm, and Monday (20 January) 9am to 2pm. 

I'll share the poem in full on my blog at http://whysweetlie.blogspot.com after the exhibition's over.'