Derry Playhouse Writers' Group weekly update 17 -24 Sept

[Philippa Robinson]

We had a small group this Wednesday, and only met for an hour. Patrick and I were pleased to see Sarabjeet, all the way from Strabane. Sarabjeet used to attend DPWG meetings when Margie Bernard was still at the helm, so we had a lot to catch up on. Unfortunately, some of that was our various health issues. So the obvious 10 minute writing topic for the day was "HEALTH AND FITNESS".  I chose to write flash fiction about Sally who sits in her armchair swigging beer and nibbling on crisps when she watches elite athletes on tv. Patrick and Sarabjeet's writing was more personal, but not all serious as Patrick had us in stitches with his various rhymes. None of us had done much writing the past week; I did the homework but just a short quick commentary. Patrick and Sarabjeet want to have another opportunity to get inspired by the prompt "EXPLORE" and I don't mind exploring that topic further so that remains our group prompt if you want to prepare anything for next week. As usual, you are welcome to bring any other short piece of writing you are working on (or an excerpt from a longer item).

When I was at the Playhouse on Wednesday, I picked up a leaflet about yet another festival which includes literary events and writing workshops. The " annual Bounce Arts Festival showcases innovative and powerful work by d/Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent artists across multiple art forms."  https:/universityofatypical.org   This year's Bounce Arts Festival takes place the first weekend of October - Thurs 2 Oct- Sun 5 Oct, with events in both Derry and Belfast. Among the events is a (W)right Now Writing workshop at The Playhouse, on Thurs 2 Oct from 2 -3.00 pm. Cost: £5 Tickets can be booked at universityofatypical.org/bounce. 

You can scroll down to see information on other events which are still current or forthcoming, repeated from previous group e-mails.

~ Philippa

On Wed, Sep 10, 2025 at 11:35 PM Philippa Robinson <caillea...@gmail.com> wrote:

I was out of town today and didn't attend the weekly writers' meeting, but Patrick McNicholl tells me the group did a ten-minute writing exercise on the theme of SHADOWS, and chose the prompt EXPLORE as inspiration for writing at home during the coming week. We plan to meet again as usual next Wednesday afternoon.

~ till next Wednesday, 

Philippa

EVENTS UPDATE

The next afternoon book club event at Derry Central Library will be held on Monday 13 Oct at 2 pm. The book to be discussed is The Rising by local author Brian McGilloway. It is not about 1916, but is an early 21st century mystery story about cross-border drug smuggling around the area of Lifford, Co Donegal. You can borrow a book club copy from the main desk at Central Library. McGilloway is a serial crime writer; The Rising is the fourth book in the Inspector Devlin series. Brian McGilloway will be speaking at Derry Central Library on Mon 20 Oct, a week after the book club discussion. UPDATE: Brian McGilloway's talk on 20 Oct is scheduled for 4-5.30 pm.

I've read announcements of two upcoming arts and literature festivals in Northern Ireland: Aspects Festival- A celebration of Irish Writing - Bangor and Belfast 24 September to 5 October 2025
https://aspectsfestival.com/aspects-festival-0
It includes events which you can actively participate in (as opposed to just being a member of the audience), such as an open mic at the Imperial Bar Wed evening 24 Sept 7.30-9.30 (free, registration required)

"We welcome a wide spectrum of writing, including prose, short stories and poetry. Whether you’re an experienced writer or just starting out, this is a space to share your words in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

"Everyone is welcome, from those brave enough to read in front of this supportive and informal audience to those who simply wish to listen, enjoy and support local voices. Come for the words, stay for the atmosphere and be part of a growing creative community that celebrates storytelling in all its forms."

and an Ulster-Scots poetry workshop with Ann McMasters at the North Down Museum Sat 27 Sept 2-4 pm. Cost is just £5 and includes light refreshments. Again, advance registration is required, as it is for the

Art of Storytelling workshop with Carol Drinkwater, North Down Museum Sat. 4 Oct 10.30 am to 1 pm, fee £25 "... an inspiring writing workshop exploring the art of storytelling, character development and evoking place."

On Sat 27 Sept 6-8 pm. there will be a Poetry Slam competition at Studio 1A in Bangor.
As well as the participatory events, there will be various performances and readings; details on the website
---
Overlapping the Aspects Festival is the Fermanagh Live Festival in Enniskillen, 30 Sept - 5 Oct
https://www.flive.org.uk/index.php/9-uncategorised/326-2025-fermanagh-live
There will be a Creative  Writing  Workshop  with  Juliana Adelman on Saturday 4 October TIME:  11am-1pm VENUE:  Enniskillen  Workhouse Creative  writing  workshop  with  Juliana  Adelman Tickets £20 The theme of the workshop is historical fiction and is of great interest to me - though bus journeys between Derry and Enniskillen take about 3 hours each direction.

"The  best  historical  fiction  immerses  us  in  another  time  and  place  without  feeling  like  a  history  lesson.  But  how  do  you  balance  period  detail  and  plot,  research  and  readability?  This  workshop  will  help  writers  who  are  working  on  historical  fiction  or  any  genre  where  research  and  world-building  are  important.  Writers  of  historical  fiction  often  struggle  to  decide  how  much  research  to  do  and  which  historical  details  they  need  to  make  their  characters  and  story  convincing.  What  is  ok  to  fictionalise  and  what  is  crucial  for  authenticity?  And  how  do  you  find  out  what  kind  of  hairbrush  a  young  woman  would  have  used  in  1645  or  what  a  plumber  ate for  lunch  in  1903?  A  fear  of  making  mistakes  can  hold  us  back.

"In  the  first  hour  of  this  workshop  we’ll  look  at  examples  of  recent  historical  fiction  and  how  historical  research  has  shaped  story,  atmosphere  and  characters.  We’ll  consider  authenticity  in  dialogue  and  how  point  of  view  affects  the  way  that  you  convey  historical  information.  Most  of  all,  I’ll  highlight  clever  uses  of  historical  detail  that  you  can  apply  to  your  own  work.  In  the  second  hour  we’ll  turn  to  your  own  work  and  ideas  through  practical  exercises  and  discussions.  Finally,  I’ll  provide  suggestions  on  approaching  historical  research  drawing  on  my  professional  expertise  as  well  as  my  experience  of  writing  historical  fiction.

Suitable  for  writers  of  all  levels  who  are  currently  writing  historical  fiction"
-----

If you want to come to the Playhouse early on Wed 24 Sept, there will be a discussion from 10-12  pm about the arts and Northwest audiences: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/themmuns-and-yousins-is-the-north-west-getting-left-behind-tickets-1637906164429

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Ireland's Own writing competition, entries close 29 Sept. 2025. There are a few short story categories and also a category for writing about  personal memories. Full details can be found at 

https://www.irelandsown.ie/irelands-own-writing-competition-2025/  and the entry portal is at 

https://www.irelandsown.ie/product/irelands-own-writing-competition-2025/

Entries do have to be uploaded online. If you have difficulties doing this at home, you may wish to use a public library computer.

WATERSTONES BOOK CLUB

The next meeting of the Foyleside shopping centre Waterstone's monthly bookclub will be on Thurs. 16 Oct at 7 pm. The book of the month is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Waterstones has new annotated copies for sale, price £7.99. You could of course look for a used copy, or borrow a copy from a public library. 

Don't forget that Submissions to the weekly WRITERS' CORNER of the Derry County Post newspaper are always welcome. orla....@iconicnews.ie  [max 1000 words (essays and stories), 3 poems - send by word attachment]

Open No-Mics, Tuesdays 12-2 at the upstairs café space at Britannia Hall, Society Street and on Fridays 12-1 outside at Society St (I think some participants go to the café in the hall for lunch afterwards; prices are reasonable). Frances Patterson hosts on Tuesdays and James King on Fridays

Story-telling (true stories from life experience)  Morning workshop Fri  12 Sept 10.30 -12.30 ; TenX Event Friday 17 Oct 7.30-9.30 p.m. Details and sign-up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7sCt9Mi27a6TT3eyssYoeNFJcc7FZHc6Kbn1dnaR3Ma8Eyw/viewform

and you can submit stories to Tenx at https://www.tenx9.com/

 

CAParts Monthly Poetry and Spoken Word edition, Aug 2025 is on line at https://www.capartscentre.com/monthly/  Notice that submissions for future editions are welcome.

CLI-FI  Imaginarium: https://www.withmanyroots.com/cli-fi-imaginarium/  is still accepting stories for online publication 

If you've got a draft story in the wings you can still submit it here: https://forms.gle/xuzWrfHAs4xbgPQ7A

 

The autumn schedule for The Séamus Heaney Homeplace, Bellaghy, is now available. There are lots of performances scheduled, a bi-monthly bookclub (Sun afternoons),  tours, crafts workshops and writing workshops There are fees for most of the events, and pre-registration is neccessary: https://seamusheaneyhome.com/upcoming-events/

 

ONLINE WORKSHOPS

Cli-Fi  (fiction about climate change and adaptation) has resumed, the second Mon of each month. Registration is no longer via Meetup and is now via Eventbrite.

" if you want to listen to a podcast on how this group came about and the very real and tangible results of future dreaming in my life, check out my interview on Futuring Is with Suzanne Whitby: https://futuringis.com/futuring-is-episode-001-sophia-cheng/ "

You can register for the Cli-Fi sessions via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/136272876843   

If you search either Meetup or Eventbrite for creative writing, you will find other events and groups. Other online groups listed at Meetup website which you could look up include London Writers' Meetup, Sneak Peak Editing, https://www.meetup.com/skillcampuk/ : Poetry Writers Group (FREE) | WordCamp, Mystery & Crime Writers Group,  Writers Voice Live Readings & Critiques(all weekly on Sundays, free)

https://deadlinesforwriters.com/  monthly, choice of short story, poetry or novel writing 

[Studio NI]

From: Philippa Robinson 

Subject: MORE DIARY DATES 

Each Bird Sings - Creative Writing Workshops
🗓️ Wednesdays: 17th & 24th September, 1st October
🕖 7:00pm - 9:00pm
📍 Grassroots Café, Strabane
Join writer Kathy Donaghy for a special series of three creative writing workshops inspired by the humanitarian and environmental themes in the works of Cecil Frances Alexander.
ℹ️ Find out more: https://pulse.ly/iqe8bbl7l0

24 SEPT VOID GALLERY 10 Waterloo Place BT48 6BU
+44 (0) 28 7130 8080 he...@derryvoid.com
https://www.derrystrabane.com/what-s-on/events-(sv)/queer-writers-circle-september-meeting/997011 The Queer Writers' Circle is also listed for 24 Sept on the Void Gallery's own website, but please double check with the Void before you go out. A couple of days ago I read a notice on the gallery door saying the gallery would be closed to the public until 27 Sept, while a new exhibition is being set up.

NEW GATE ARTS & CULTURE CENTRE, 2-4 Kennedy Place BT48 6RF (off Hawkins St) www.newgatearts.com
Thurs 24 Sept. 2 pm Creative writing workshop with Damian Gorman £7.50 - I remember Heather had a good report of a Damien Gorman workshop she attended in the Waterside a couple of years ago. Damien Gorman will present B-0-Y, a story based on his brother's experience of clerical abuse, on Thurs 25 Sept 7.30 pm, along with music by uileann piper Leonard Barry, tickets £20
Sat 27 Sept 10 am - 1pm Arts Careers Fair
Sat 4 Oct 10 am -4 pm Song Writing Academy with Fiona Bevan and Adam Beattie £15
Fri 17 Oct 7.30 pm Tenx9 personal story telling, admission free
Wednesday evenings from 1 Oct 7.30-9 pm Creative writing class facilitated by Lynne Edgar

book via https://www.newgatearts.com/what-s-on; the writing workshops are listed at the bottom of the page

There will also be a Ten9x event at ROE VALLEY ARTS CENTRE, Limavady on 30 Oct 7.30 pm (doors open at 7), true ghost stories.  Admission free, advance booking required. Book at https://roevalleyarts.com/events/tenx9-halloween-1

Get in touch with your true stories at tenx9.com/submissions.