Coming to a Meeting

[Basingstoke Writers' Circle]

Thank you for your interest in the Basingstoke Writers’ Circle (BWC). We will be pleased to welcome you to the London Street United Reformed Church (LSURC) in the Worting Room the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December), at 8.00 – 10.00 pm. Please bring along some of your work to read if you so wish. The following will give you an insight into the BWC activities and a taste for further sociable literary evenings.

BWC is an informal, untutored group and has been established for twenty one years, catering for people over 16. Presently listed are seventeen members. The LSURC venue comfortably allows BWC members to open their doors to the public during guest speaker evenings and has the advantage of wheelchair access and facilities.

We have a varied literary interest including composing poetry, writing short stories, reports, plays, and novels. Generally, our aim is to encourage skills (using suggested stimulating writing projects), with a goal to publish and enter competitions – this induces self-esteem! Your first taster evening will be free. Thereafter, the annual subscription is £10 plus £2.50 each session.

Many renowned speakers have been welcomed through our doors such as: Joan Howes, a local author well known for her poetry and short stories; Frances Candler, Diversity Project Officer at Central Library, who talked on the theme of developing creative writing for children. Richard Adams, author of ‘Watership Down’ and ‘Shardik’; Paul Hyland, poet and prose writer, author of poetry, travel biography and history; Barbara Large, conference director at Winchester University who gave a talk on the subject of ‘How to develop realistic fictional characters through dialogue and narrative’; Tania Crosse, whose first book was ‘Morwellham’s Child’, talked about the history of the copper port in Devon (1860), and how she achieved her success. Also, local author Susie Vereker, her first successful books being ‘Pond Lane and Paris’ and ‘An Old Fashioned Arrangement’: more to date see BWC website. We provide free readings on request to organizations.

Back in 2003, work was composed for inclusion in the ‘Silk Book’ that was on sale at the Whitchurch Silk Mill. We have achieved a great deal of literary success with the annual Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival. The Circle was privileged to have been invited by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, to participate in the Jane Austen Fayre at the Walled Garden at Down Grange, August 2005. A Regency play, ‘Impropriety’ was written especially for the occasion and Jane Austen style illustrated greeting cards were produced to help raise extra funds for the group. As a contribution to Wordfest, a selection of our work was displayed in a glass cabinet at Basingstoke Central Library as well as a Showcase Drop in Centre for families in the Activities Room. Additionally, two of our members were invited to attend ‘Wordfest’ committee meetings.

Thanks to financial support from B&DBG, a jovial light-hearted collection of poetry, stories and plays was recorded with musical interludes (as opposed to previous anthologies). ‘A Bucket of Frogs’ is a 75-minute programme with a fun, almost visual element – being appropriate for the enjoyment of young and old alike. 40% of the proceeds from Waterstone’s and general sales were donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, HACB working with sight loss, Cancer Research, Age Concern and Naomi House Children’s Hospice. The CD is available for loan at South Ham and Central Library and is free to request on the Hospital Radio. Four Marks monthly News Magazine commissioned several of our short stories and also two very successful BWC ‘Open Mic’ evenings were hosted by South Ham Library in 2008/9 (now ongoing).

Basingstoke Writers’ Circle latest projects: A selection of poetry especially written in honour of Dave Holby, who is currently rowing around the world on a land rowing machine in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer at the Malls. A Chosen poem will be read on a documentary, produced by Bruce Gill.

A book entitled ‘Writing for the Willis – Fact to Fiction’ written in conjunction with the Willis Museum was launched November 27th. Artefacts chosen by BWC authors were cleverly moulded into prose and illustrated with pictures. An exhibition displaying the book and commended achievements was on show at the Museum until 4th January 2010.

Basingstoke Writers’ Circle endeavours to progress and extend a welcome always…

Joan Sullivan (Community Relations Officer BWC) Tel: [phone]. www.bwconline.org.uk