What we’re about
This is a group for anyone interested in writing and meeting other writers in the Caversham and wider Berkshire area. For our online meetings, we also welcome members globally.
We were founded in 2018 by Canadian author Crystal Bourque with an ethos that we still maintain today: "If you write, you're a writer."
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We've always been free to join and free to attend. To help keep it that way, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, all donations go towards the running of the group.
All skill levels are welcome - published or unpublished, aspiring authors or enthusiastic hobbyists. We have members that write in all genres, so whether you write fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose, fantasy or reality, you will fit right in.
We currently hold meetings in 4 different formats:
> Writing Meetings. In which we'll either work on (or start) any writing project of our own choosing, or we'll set a theme or prompt for all to use as a starting point.
> Feedback Meetings. In which we'll provide feedback on excerpts of members work, either submitted in advance or read out to the group on the night. Feedback should be constructive, encouraging, and tailored to the author's directed instruction.
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> Author Events. In which published authors come along to talk to the group. We have a Q & A with them about their writing process and path to publication.
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> Writes & Bites. In which we meet for a social evening, usually at a local restaurant. No writing involved in these events, they are an opportunity to get to know each other better and, of course, to discuss all things writing.
> We also have occasional one off special events, such as literary festival talks, book signings, launch parties.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- Prompt-Write Night (In Person Event!)Fourbears Books, Reading
Join us for this writing session where we set a prompt or theme for you to follow. We'll be writing in our wonderful local independent bookshop, Fourbears Books.
What to expect:
We'll start off the meeting with introductions and a bit of a chat (which usually runs to about 30 minutes).
I will then introduce a writing prompt for us all to follow, a jumping off point to act as a guide for the writing session. What you do with it, where you go with it, is entirely up to you! We'll write for about an hour, after which we can talk about where our writing took us and maybe share some of what we produced.No pressure, though - only share whatever you feel comfortable with. (We do have a more formal feedback meeting that you can submit pieces to for review - check our upcoming events for more details.)
**Don't forget to subscribe to our Caversham Writers newsletter! A weekly round up of our events, discussions, member news and more straight to your inbox every Friday.
- Write Night: Your Work in Progress (Online event)Link visible for attendees
This writing session is a chance for you to work on (or start) a project of your own. It's your space and time to use as you wish. You don't have to be in Caversham, or even the UK, to join us online.
NOTE: When joining the Zoom session, please ensure you are using the same name as in your Meetup profile. You will not be admitted into the Zoom meeting if your name isn't on the Meetup attendee list.
In these online writing events we follow the format of our regular writing meetups (see below). To do so, I will end the Zoom component of the meeting after 20 to 30 minutes so that we can all write for an hour without the feeling of being spied upon through our webcams! I will then restart the Zoom meeting and you will be able to re-join using the same link.
What to expect: We'll start off the meeting with introductions and a bit of a chat (which usually runs to about 30 minutes).
In this meeting, we do not set writing exercises or suggest themes - attendees are free to work on (or start) any writing project of their choice.We'll write for about an hour, after which we can talk about where our writing took us and maybe share some of what we produced. No pressure, though - only share whatever you feel comfortable with.
(We do have a more formal feedback meeting that you can submit pieces to for review - check our upcoming events for more details.)**Don't forget to subscribe to our Caversham Writers newsletter! A weekly round up of our events, discussions, member news and more straight to your inbox every Friday.
- Ask the Author! Meet Stephanie Bretherton (online event)Link visible for attendees
Stephanie Bretherton is the Kindle bestselling author of Bone Lines. Its follow-up in The Children of Sarah series, The Fire In Their Eyes, is newly published this month.
Both novels feature geneticist Dr Eloise Kluft and follow a dual timeline, linking the present to events 74,000 years ago and the remarkable story of prehistoric "Sarah" and her daughter.
Stephanie is also the Managing Director of The Breakthrough Book Collective, the imprint under which Stephanie's The Children of Sarah series is now published following the demise of crowdfunding publisher Unbound.
I'm thrilled to have Stephanie join us in a special online event to talk to the group about her books, her writing process and path to publication.
Praise for Bone Lines:
"A monument to the timelessness of human nature, and a work of art... a masterpiece of pacing. Bretherton ignites her characters with a life, complexity, a personality with which any number of readers will identify and empathise." Naomi Moore, Editor, New Orbit literary magazinePraise for The Fire In Their Eyes:
"An engrossing, urgent, polyphonic novel about the connections between the planet’s deep past and our present unstable, unpredictable world, driven by a memorable cast of characters. A joy to read." Jude Cook, novelist, literary critic and prize judgeDo you have a question for Stephanie? If so, either drop it in the comments for this event or send me a DM via Meetup. You'll also get a chance to ask her yourself in the Q&A part of the event.
Agenda:
• We'll start with a Q & A, where I'll put some questions to Stephanie about her books, her writing, her experience with Unbound and starting her own author collective imprint.
• Then it's your turn! You can ask Stephanie any questions that I've forgotten to ask or didn't follow up on.**Don't forget to subscribe to our Caversham Writers newsletter! A weekly round up of our events, discussions, member news and more straight to your inbox every Friday.
