'These darkly comic tales place the author snugly between Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Be sure: Chris Fielden is one funny feller.' Allen Ashley, British Fantasy Award winner.
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Writing Groups

Quick links on this page:

Below are comprehensive lists of creative writing groups, writing circles, writing clubs and writing peer/help groups. Some of these are local, face-to-face writers' groups, requiring physical attendance. Some are online writing groups, allowing you to live anywhere in the world and be a member.

Writing Group

Add Your Writing Group To This List

If you run a writing group, writers' circle, writing club, help group or writing organisation that you'd like included in this directory, please contact me providing ALL of the following information:

  • The name of your writing group
  • A link to your website (or Facebook / Twitter / page, or whatever platform you use for your group)
  • Your group's location
  • Whether it is online or a face-to-face meet-up group
  • How often you have meetings
  • Any other details (please keep this concise - 50 words max)

I try and keep these lists accurate with current information and correct details. If you do spot any errors, please feel free to get in touch and let me know - any help in keeping this directory up to date is very much appreciated :-)

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Writing Groups

Below is a table with details of writing groups, clubs, circles and other organisations.

Short Story Course

Writing Group Location Notes
Allen Ashley Writing Groups (no website, so link goes to Allen's Twitter page as he runs the groups) London, UK

groups meeting in Barnet, Enfield and Alexandra Park areas of north London - Enfield, every two months; Barnet and Alexandra Park, every fortnight - Enfield cost = £12 per session; Barnet / Alexandra Park = £5 per session - short fiction, poetry and non-fiction - suitable for beginners and more advanced - all enquiries to:

allenashley-writer@hotmail.co.uk

Authors of the Flash Fiction Writing Challenges Online (Facebook) an online group for authors who have contributed stories to the flash fiction writing challenges run on this website - you don't have to be a contributor to join, although submitting is encouraged - lots of monthly writing challenges run in the group - hundreds of friendly members located all over the world
Bristol Climate Writers Bristol, UK meetings with real people and Facebook discussion group - meets once a month - writing in an age of climate change and other nature and environmental themes
Caryn’s Creative Communities: All Writers Online (Discord) runs 3 x weekly, plus additional events - a supportive space for writers and writing of any type: novels, fan fiction, journals, memoirs, biographies, journalism, how-tos, scripts, poetry, and more - they offer live video write-ins several times per week and also have spontaneous pop-up write-ins - runs virtually on the Discord server - most participants are in the US
Clockhouse London Writers London, UK advanced science fiction and fantasy group run by British Fantasy Award winner, Allen Ashley - face to face meeting every two months in north London (more recently on Zoom due to COVID) - costs between £10 and £15 per session - writing sample required before being invited to join
Collier Street Fiction Group London, UK face to face group meeting every other Thursday - membership costs £39 for 6 months (this covers room hire, tea and coffee at the meetings and events) - in each session, two members submit to the group and we provide constructive but friendly feedback - mixed group of published writers and those seriously pursing publication
Conway Writing Group (no website or online presence so no link - for more info see notes) Palmers Green / Southgate, London, UK face to face critique group of committed writers in a variety of genres - meet roughly every fortnight in Southgate/Palmers Green area - max group size 10 - suitable for all levels but most members are writing seriously and several are published - enquiries to alex.woolf6@me.com
CWIL: Cambridge Writers of Imaginative Literature (no website or online presence so no link - for more info see notes) Cambridge, UK

face to face group meeting fortnightly at Scholars Cafe YHA, Tenison Road, Cambridge, CB1 2DN - they post stories/chapters on the group website, then critique each others work giving honest, detailed and helpful criticism (in writing) to beginners, published and unpublished authors - no website, contact:

CWIL+owner@groups.io for details

Deus ex Machina Advanced Writers Collective Los Angeles USA and Virtual (Worldwide) both face-to-face and online, meeting up once a week - a network of professional writers working in the literary arts and scripted film & television in the following genres: fiction / novels, creative non-fiction, memoir, poetry, auto-fiction, experimental, screenwriting, drama, dramedy, rom-com, musicals, sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, historical fiction, kidlit, YA, LGBTQ, BIPOC and more
Didcot Writers Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK face-to-face group also running online competitions and anthology calls accepting global submissions - workshops, 'shut up and write', monthly socials, triannual anthology launch parties etc. so they meet weekly on average - open to all, whatever style of writing you do and whatever stage you're at - more details on second website and Facebook
Ely Writers (they have no website, so link goes to Hayley's Twitter page as she runs the group) Ely, Cambridgeshire , UK a small, friendly group of fiction writers who meet up to share their current writing projects, for feedback, support and encouragement - new members welcome - for details, contact Hayley at hayley.humphrey@btopenworld.com or on Twitter (see link) - face-to-face group meeting up once a month
Galway Writers' Workshop Galway, Ireland friendly and supportive group that meets 3pm to 5pm each Saturday at The Galway Arts Centre - organised and maintained by Crannóg magazine in association with Wordsonthestreet Publishers but is peer-led so there is no one facilitator - members bring copies of their work (poetry, fiction, drama, memoir etc.), read it aloud and have it critiqued by the other members
Herne Bay Creative Writing Group Herne Bay, Kent, UK face to face group that meet fortnightly at Beach Creative in Herne Bay - the aim of the group is to provide members with a forum for support, sharing, feedback, learning and growth - it can cater for those who wish to write but have not yet started and those who are experienced, published authors - there is no membership fee but costs of room hire are divided equally between members for each session - to join, contact Peter Webb at peter.webb3@talktalk.net
History Writers at the Guild Guild for Lifelong Learning, Wilmslow, Cheshire

online group meeting fortnightly on Monday afternoons - for any history writer in any genre or media: fiction and non fiction, trad and electronic publishing, blogging, scripts etc - there is a fee (see website for details) - facilitated by published historian Gill Rossini

for info email Gill at admin@wilmslowguuld.org

Hornsea Writers Hornsea UK, but have members from Hull and Beverley face to face group of published writers, offering mutual support, with constructive feedback and exchange of information - no committee, no rigid format, no hierarchy - meets weekly, barring Christmas and plague - committed writers with work-in-progress might benefit from membership, but no resources for beginners - contact Madeleine, 01964 533682 or Linda, 01964 534969
Ilkley Writers Yorkshire, UK welcomes new members - meet on the last Thursday of each month, 7.30-9.30pm at Outside the Box cafe
London Writers' Meetup London, UK

The London Writers’ Meetup is a friendly, informal get-together for writers of all disciplines and all levels of experience - the sessions are a great opportunity to connect with other writers, share writing resources, ask a question, be held accountable or just chat about the highs and lows of your work - held online, on the 2nd Tuesday of the month

London Writers' Cafe London, UK London's biggest creative writing group - free to join their community - they welcome ALL fiction writers based in London

Manchester Speculative Fiction

Manchester, UK a well established group, meeting in central Manchester since 2010, for people interested in writing all types of speculative fiction, such as science fiction, fantasy, alternative history and borderline speculative/literary fiction - they meet twice a month in person and once a month online
Medway Mermaids Gillingham, Kent, UK face to face group meeting on the second Monday of each month from 7.30 to 9.30pm at Sunlight Centre, 105 Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent - tea and coffee supplied - women only - also on Facebook
Oldham Writing Group Oldham, UK they meet at Oldham Library on the 3rd Thursday of each month (6pm-8pm)
Paphos Writers Group Paphos, Cyprus face to face group that meet every Thursday in a room above Neo’s Sports Bar in Pegeia, but they take a sabbatical during July and August and a couple of weeks over Christmas - visitors from off Island are welcome - members include writers who split their time between Cyprus and other countries - multinational group but meetings are conducted in English - visits by parties from other groups are welcome

Pens Around The World

Worldwide, online they meet via Zoom at least once a month - a peer group of creative writers working in English and living around the world - established in April 2021 following the closure of Writers Abroad - they offer members the social interaction that writers in isolation need and welcome new applicants

Sit Write Here

Worldwide, online they meet every weekday at 9:30am PT to meditate for 15 minutes and write for an hour - cost is $59 a month - they also run weekly group coaching sessions
Slough Writers Slough, Berkshire, UK

face-to-face group meeting every Monday evening at 7.30 (roughly, during school terms) in Dorney, near Slough, Berkshire - a group with a wide variety of abilities/ambitions, describing themselves as a writing support group, with a varied calendar of manuscript nights, talks, workshops, lively discussions and, at 50 years old, must be one of the longest-running groups around

Solihull Writers Solihull, West Midlands, UK

face-to-face meetings on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month (except August) - formed in 1967, Solihull Writers' Workshop is one of the longest established writers' groups in Central England - they're a continuously evolving community of local people with a shared interest in writing

Stokes Croft Writers Bristol, UK small writing group focussing on critiques and events (they run Talking Tales) - max 8 members at any time - face to face group, meeting up bi-weekly in Bristol, UK - if you're interested in joining, click the link for details
The Write Stuff - Howard County Columbia, Virginia, USA

Serious, hardworking face to face group that meets two Sunday afternoons a month at The Columbia Inn at Peralynna - also attend each other’s public readings - they welcome new members

Vaughan Writers (no website or online presence so no link - for more info see notes) Leicester, UK

face to face group meeting at The Belmont Hotel, De Montfort Street, Leicester on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month from 6.30pm to 8.30pm - small informal group, no membership fee £2.50 collected from each member for each meeting attended, which goes towards publication of our anthologies and very occasional speakers - for info, contact:

wendyedmond@ymail.com

West Lothian Writers West Lothian, Scotland face to face group meeting every second Tuesday between 7pm and 9pm - members given chance to read their creative writing out loud before receiving friendly and constructive feedback - membership costs £5 a year, and each meeting attended costs £2/£1 concession - for more information please email us at: wlwriters@gmail.com
West Park Writers' Group Spondon, Derby, UK

friendly face to face group meeting at Parish Rooms, St Werburghs, Spondon, Derby every Monday from 10.30am to 12.30pm, except bank holidays - they have a different workshop on varying subjects every week and a six weekly competition judged by a professional author - Facebook page coming soon, but for now, contact Bronwen:

bronwenrees344@gmail.com / 01332 666972

Woking Writers Circle Woking, UK face-to-face group meeting on the third Thursday of each month at St Mary’s church hall, Horsell - members read their work (typically a mixture of poetry, fiction and non-fiction), share individual writing successes, forthcoming events and other news - an optional homework theme is given for the following month
Write Now! Woolpit near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK a friendly, well-established face-to-face group meeting every other Tuesday - also on Facebook -

at meetings, they discuss news / projects and members read their work, then discuss it with the group - annual subs £15 plus £2 per session (or £3 for wine-drinkers) - for more info email George at wickerg10@gmail.com or phone 07788 543764

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Other Writing Group Directories and Lists

Below are links to other websites that provide lists of writers' groups.

A History of Closed Writer Groups

For reference, a record of writing groups that have closed or ceased to operate.

Writing Group Location Notes
Accidental Books Writers Circle for early-career writers Belfast, Northern Ireland face-to-face from September 2023 to March 2024 - looking for a mix of non-experimental writers (novels that hold true to the gold standard) and experimental writers (think Anna Burns Milkman or Rachel Donoghue’s ROOM) who are working on long pieces of work (novel, novella, memoir) - the group will meet once per month on the second Sunday of the month at 2-5pm - £60 fee - 8 places available - to apply, you will need to complete a short application form and submit a writing sample so see website for full details
Galway Cow Zoom Writing Group Online (Zoom) weekly meetings for writers living anywhere in the world - €30 subsciption per YEAR (bargain) - members share their work, give / receive feedback and there are sometimes guest speakers at meetings - if you're interested in joining, email Rich at editor@thegalwaycow.com - CLOSED 2021
Loud Word Bristol, UK organises writing spaces for writers to meet up (see the events section of Facebook page) - also runs regular workshops and performance events - WEBPAGE GONE, so removed listing 2021
One-Hundred-Words Online (Facebook) prompt (usually 3 words) given daily - you add (no more than) 97 more and post it in the thread - this group focuses on creativity and fun, not on perfection - WEBPAGE GONE, so removed listing 2021
Tyne & Esk Writers Scotland, UK based in East and Midlothian, they
meet regularly in Dalkeith, Dunbar, Haddington, Musselburgh, North Berwick, Penicuik and Port Seton - see website for dates and times, subscription fees and other details - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021
Writers Abroad Online

WA members post their work and then give and accept feedback - rota of duties include writing the weekly blog, chairing the monthly meeting on Skype, writing up the minutes and gathering information for the monthly newsletter - WEBSITE DISAPPEARED 2021

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Richard AC
I am looking for a club that is driven by writing - either novice or other - because I am interested in writing projects and am open to ideas that could help inspire all involved.

I suffer from acute anxiety and recently had counselling that suggested I joined a club such as this as it may pay me dividends and teach me how to mix with others. As I love writing, I thought of this.

Chris Fielden
Hi Richard. Thank you for your message. Sorry to hear about your anxiety, but glad you're taking steps to improve the situation - that's great.

Well, you can either try joining a local face-to-face writing group (like the ones listed on this page), or look at online options. Personally, I find in person groups work better, but online can work too, depending on your needs / personal preference.

If you'd prefer online, I list quite a few platforms you can look at here.

I hope that helps and wish you the best of luck finding a group that suits your needs :-)

Richard AC
Dear Mr. Fielden. Thank you for responding to my queries in the matter of a writing group. I do appreciate the feed back you sent and will consider one or two avenues. Maybe something will become of it.

Chris Fielden
No problem, Richard. Good luck with finding a group :-)

Kevin A
Hi, I'm looking to challenge myself with some collective creative writing. I've been in a group before which inspired me to approach my local library and asked for permission to hold a group in there. To my surprise the local council backed me and it was a thing for several months. Unfortunately it had to stop and I've been looking for something to let me express myself lyrically, metaphorically, even humorously too. I hope someone will be able to point me in the right direction. I have a lot of works that I'm actually proud of and am holding aspirations to be an author. I have a few individual poems published in various books but that was a long time ago. I think I've evolved as a writer with age. Hope to hear from someone. Thanks.

Chris Fielden
Hi Kevin, thanks for your message.

Firstly, I'd recommend researching groups in your local area. If there aren't any and you don't want to start up another one, you can look for online platforms. I list many on my site - you can find details here.

Also, consider looking at other lists of writing groups, like the ones featured here.

I hope that helps and wish you the very best with finding the right group for you.

Kevin A
Thanks for getting back to me Chris. I'll take a look at the links you sent me. Cheers mate.

Chris Fielden
No problem, thanks Kevin :-)

Caroline B
Hi, I am working on my second book which is about somatic awareness,  movement and creative expression. I would love to find a writers group who are focusing on simlar themes, such as creative expression through the body. I should add that the central theme of my book is a creative response to the concept of symptom as messenger.

I live in South Devon and would like to meet face to face occaisionally, though I realise my request may be too big an ask!! But then you can always ask.

Best wishes, Caroline

Chris Fielden
Thanks for your message, Caroline.

I'm afraid I don't know of any groups like that in your area. What you're looking for sounds fairly niche, to be honest. You may have to try searching for online groups instead.

I hope that helps and wish you the best of luck in finding the right writing group for you :)