Upcoming Events
4th February – Kate Rhodes
We are delighted to welcome crime and mystery novelist Kate Rhodes to our first event of 2025. Kate completed an English Degree and PhD on Tennessee Williams while living in the USA. She now lives and writes poetry and novels in Cambridge. Her latest books are the Isles of Scilly Mysteries, featuring
Our monthly writers’ events are held at: Hartington Grove Meeting House.
91-93 Hartington Grove
Cambridge
CB1 7UB
Non-members are welcome to attend most events, at a charge of £3. Please contact our chairman Harry Goode if you would like to come along.
If you have any suggestions for speakers you would like to hear at our writers’ events, please contact our programme secretary, Karin Milner.
Recent Events
4th December 2018 – Simon Hall
Simon Hall is a BBC Television and Radio News Correspondent, and an author of crime fiction. He has been a broadcaster for twenty five years, covering some of the biggest stories Britain has seen. His books – the tvdetective series – are about a television reporter who covers crimes and gets so involved in the cases he helps the police
6th November 2018 – Development of Style
Workshop by Will Tate. More details to follow.
2nd October 2018 – 50 camels and she’s yours
Our travel writing group, Stephanie Green, Sally Haiselden, Francoise Hivernel, Seeta Siriwarena, Jane Wilson-Howarth, will present their latest book, "50 camels and she’s yours", a collaborative project. This anthology is aimed at travellers of all styles: arm-chair, wishful thinkers and adventurers alike. It is particularly aimed at women who think , ‘Oh, I wish I could do that!’ Come with
4th September 2018 – Una McCormack
Una McCormack teaches Creative Writing at Anglia Ruskin University. She is an expert on Science Fiction and Fantasy, author of a number of tie-in novels to Star Trek and Dr Who. The session will go beyond these genres and look at all the problems we encounter as writers. It will largely be held as a Question and Answer session.
7th July 2018 – Summer Social
Saturday 7th July, from 6 to 10 pm at Mulberry House, 23 High Ditch Road, Fen Ditton. Bread, cheese, butter and soft drinks will be provided, but we ask that you bring a dish (sweet or savoury, as you choose) to share, and such alcoholic drink as you wish. There will be a charge of £5 per head. You are
5th June 2018 – Flash Fiction Competition
This is a members-only competition. Bring along a printed story of not more that 250 words. It must have a title, although this is not part of the word count. Stories will be read aloud anonymously by a single reader to ensure a uniformity of delivery. Members will then cast votes to determine the winner.
1st May 2018 – Writing for Competitions
Ingrid Jendrzejewski received a BFA in Creative Writing and a BA in English literature and then switched tracks to study physics. She returned to creative writing in 2014 and has since won 11 writing competitions, judged three short-story contests, had around 100 pieces published, and been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Vestal’s VERA Award, and twice for Best Small Fictions.
6th March 2018 – Annual General Meeting
Don’t be scared – all existing officers are willing to go on serving. However, if you fancy a turn at an office, do step forward. The formal business will be followed by a Twitter Competition – telling a story in 280 characters, which includes spaces and punctuation. Box of chocolates for the winner.
6th February 2018 – Short Story Competition Judging Event
The annual Short Story Competition is judged this year by literary agent Julian Friedmann who is a longstanding partner in the Blake-Friedmann literary agency and who has given us a presentation in April 2017.
5th December 2017 – Workshop by Tim Love
Hemingway said "If you can throw away stuff that would make a high point of interest in somebody else’s story, you know you’re going good." In this workshop-based evening, Tim Love will look at how to edit your texts – adding as well as throwing away – starting at the word level then working all the way up to shifting
7th November 2017 – Creative Writing Course with Cambridge Writers
Jane Phillips completed a two year MA course at City University, London – Creative Writing, Novels (Crime), in October 2016. Was it expensive – yes she says, was it worth it – yes again. What did I learn? I'll tell you in November she promises – with some handouts from the course. Les Brookes attended a couple of Arvon courses
3rd October 2017 – Emotional Resonance and the Short Story
Helen will give part talk, part workshop about the "Emotional Resonance and the Short Story". Sheis a Lecturer of Creative Writing and Publishing at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England. Her first collection of fiction Hair Side, Flesh Side won the Sydney J Bounds Award in 2013, and Gifts for the One Who Comes After, her second collection, won the