Artswords News February 2017

Dear Writers and Readers


Here’s news of what Artswords and word-friends offer in this month of snowdrops and signs of spring...

GREENE FERNE WRITERS 10am at Richard Jefferies Museum Friday 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th February. A weekly, group-led writers' group for all levels. Bring one poem or a short piece of prose for group feed-back and support. £2 per session or buy a semester pass for £30 Cafe available for refreshments and cakes. Book here 

Wonderwords, a new event starting 7th February from 7:30pm to 9:30pm in the Activities Room in the Health Hydro, Milton Road, Swindon. Wonderwords welcomes all forms of wordsmithery: storytelling, poetry, singing, anecdotes, monologues, stand up comedy etc and promotes the oral tradition by emphasising performance from memory. Entry £2.00.

Mum's the Word, a friendly, informal group for mothers interested in writing, meets on Tuesday 7th February at 7.30pm at Lower Shaw Farm. Don't worry if you haven't had a chance to write anything yet. The group will help you get started, if you want it to. For further information, please contact Monica.

The Artswords Reading Group meets at Lower Shaw Farm at 7.30pm Tuesday 21st February – Red Love by Maxim Leo.  Looking back on the GDR and discovering why the dreams of a new world did not last. 
New members welcome! Further details about the reading group from matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk 

For other reading groups across Swindon, run by Swindon Libraries, see here.

Artswords Writing Group at Richard Jefferies Museum
New series of 5 sessions starts on 21st Feb, cost £35. Sessions run from 10.30 until 12.00 on Tuesday mornings. The group is tailored to the needs and interests of members, and a typical session has writing prompts and activities, extracts from contemporary writing to discuss, and an opportunity to have your own work given constructive critique. Sessions are relaxed and friendly, but purposeful!
For more info or to book a place, email Jill Sharp at: jill@sharppractice.wanadoo.co.uk

Artswords Writers' Cafe & Kitchen, a meeting place for new writers, experienced writers and anyone interested in writing, takes place on Thursday 23rd February at Lower Shaw Farm. Starting at 7pm and finishing at 10pm, it is a reflective and adventurous writers' meeting place. The emphasis is on connecting with one another and experiencing and offering feedback on people's writing. If you'd like your work to be the subject of helpful comments and discussion, please email said piece to artswordsinfo@gmail.com  by Thursday 16th February, so that group members can read and reflect in advance of meeting. This should amount to no more than 500 words of prose or more than 40 lines of poetry. Please also, if you can, bring a little something to nibble or to drink, and to share.  

Finally, for those so inclined, Aesthetica Magazine has announced that it is taking entries for its 11th creative writing awards. See here for further details. 

If you wish to forward this newsletter, please do; and like us on Facebook or join the conversation on Twitter

If you have any news or events for March and would like us to mention them in the next Artswords newsletter, please let us know by the middle of this month by emailing matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk or calling 01793 771080.

Happy reading and writing, and talking and listening!

Matt Holland & Annie Vickers

SWINDON ARTSWORDS
LOVE LITERATURE! LOVE LIFE!

Artswords News January 2017

Dear Writers and Readers

Happy New Year!


Let’s hope it’s a good one, for health, peace, projects, friendships, good writing, and good reading!


Here’s news of what Artswords and friends offer this month.


Mum's the Word, a friendly, informal group for mothers interested in writing, meets on Tuesday 3rd January at 7.30pm at Lower Shaw Farm. Don't worry if you haven't had a chance to write anything yet. The group will help you get started, if you want it to. For further information, please contact Monica.


POETRY IN THE SITTING ROOM with Hilda Sheehan and Sam Loveless 6pm – 9pm Monday 16th January at the Richard Jefferies Museum. Bring a favourite poem or two. £3. Booking essential here.
 The Artswords Reading Group meets at Lower Shaw Farm at 7.30pm Tuesday 17th January to discuss Outrun by Amy Liptrot. Childhood happiness, wild nature, adolescent addictions, cosmopolitan lifestyles, relationships, the call of the wild, it’s all here, in this prize-winning memoir. New members welcome! Further details about the reading group from matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk 


For other reading groups across Swindon, run by Swindon Libraries, see here.


GREENE FERNE WRITERS 10am 20th January A weekly, group-led writers' group for all levels. Bring one poem or a short piece of prose for group feed-back and support. £2 per session or buy a semester pass for £30. Cafe available for refreshments and cakes. Book here.


Artswords Writers' Cafe & Kitchen, a meeting place for new writers, experienced writers and anyone interested in writing, takes place on Thursday 26th January at Lower Shaw Farm. Starting at 7pm and finishing at 10pm, it is a reflective and adventurous writers' meeting place. The emphasis is on connecting with one another and experiencing and offering feedback on people's writing. If you'd like your work to be the subject of helpful comments and discussion, please email said piece to artswordsinfo@gmail.com  by Thursday 19th January, so that group members can read and reflect in advance of meeting. This should amount to no more than 500 words of prose or more than 40 lines of poetry. Please also, if you can, bring a little something to nibble or to drink, and to share.
 WRITE POETRY – 6pm 30th January. A monthly session, for all levels of experience, with Hilda Sheehan. £30 for all 6 sessions. Concessions available. Booking essential here
For any further information on events at the Richard Jefferies Museum, email: hilda@richardjefferies.org or see http://www.poetryswindon.org/


If you wish to forward this newsletter, please do; and like us on Facebook or join the conversation on Twitter


If you have any news or events for February and would like us to mention them in the next Artswords newsletter, please let us know by the middle of this month by emailing matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk or calling 01793 771080.


New Year’s greetings and happy reading and writing!


Matt Holland & Annie Vickers
SWINDON ARTSWORDSLOVE LITERATURE! LOVE LIFE!