Programme for 2026
Tuesday 6th January
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Piers Rowlandson
Bring up to 1500 words from a piece you are working on. It may be prose or poetry, fact or fiction, memoir, novel or part of a short story. It helps if you circulate the piece in an email to the group a week or so beforehand. If you want people to read a whole chapter or an entire short story, then upload it to the Chat Room. That may make it easier for people to appreciate your piece if they understand the wider context.
Tuesday 3rd February
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Steve Bullas
Tuesday 3rd March
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Johnathan Kaye
Tuesday 7th April
19.30 Basil Shuppam Centre
Chair Nicky Lowes
Tuesday 5th May
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Lesley Pardoe
Tuesday 2nd june
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Piers Rowlandson
Tuesday 7th July
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Steve Bullas
Tuesday 4th August
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Johnathan Kaye
Tuesday 1st September
19.30 Basil Shuppam Centre
Chair Nicky Lowes
Tuesday 6th October
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Lesley Pardoe
Tuesday 3rd November
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Piers Rowlandson
Tuesday 1st December
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Steve Bullas
Programme 2025
Tuesday 7th January
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Nicola Lowes
Tuesday 4th February
19.30 Basil Shiopham Centre
Chair Lesley Pardoe
Speaker Nicola Garrard on how she came to write her two novels 29 Locks and 21 Miles.
Tuesday 4th March
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Emma Moran
Creative writing exercise.
Authors contributions.
Tuesday 1st April
19.30 Basil Shippham Centre
Chair Piers Rowlandson.
AGM
Authors Contributions.
Tuesday 6th May
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Johnathan Kaye
Tuesday 3rd June
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair: Nicola Lowes
Tuesday 1st July
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair: Lesley Pardoe
Please bring along your favourite first paragraph from any novel.
Tuesday 5th August
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair Stephen Bullas
Hand in your anonymous 1500 word short story on a supernatural theme, to Nicky, not Sharron.
Attached to an envelope containing a slip of paper with your name on it.
Entry fee £1.00
Steve has sent out an invitation by email to members to write a 300+ word short piece based on the following:
Story prompt:
“In 1919, a nurse returns to a Yorkshire manor house in which she used to work during the Great War. Hidden in the back of a wardrobe, she finds a bundle of letters tied up with twine. She leaves without opening them.”
During the meeting, we will critique the pieces along the lines: Story, Plot, Structure.
Tuesday 2nd September
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Chair: Piers Rowlandson
This is a chance to read out a piece from something you are working on, either a poem, flash fiction, short story or novel. It is recommended that the piece you read out is limited to 1500 words. If it's important for members to have access to the whole chapter, then I suggest that you upload it to the CHAT page. If you have difficulty logging on, then I can help by contacting Ian who created and edits our website.
Tuesday 7th October
19.30 Basil Shipham Centre
Chair: Johnathan Kaye
Tuesday 4th November
19.30 Basil Shippam Centre
Nicky Lowes
Barry Smith (South Downs Poetry Festival) has been invited to talk to us about poetry, in particular local poets and the places they refer to in their writing. He would like each of us to bring along a picture or photo of a place we know, perhaps with a story attached.
Tuesday 2nd December
19.30 Basil Shipham Centre
Chair: Lesley Pardoe