Ashton-in-Makerfield Literary and Writers' Club

(Supported by the National Lottery under the Arts Council of England)

The above celebrated its twenty-first anniversary by winning the prestigious Writers' Circle Community Award, a silver trophy, and a cheque for one hundred pounds: reward for work in the local community. This thriving club [30 + members] was founded in December 1978 and holds its fortnightly meetings in the Angel Hotel, Warrington Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield each Tuesday at 8 o'clock, welcoming all of similar interest. During the year we run five writing competitions for small prizes and a trophy which the winner holds for a year. Our aim is to offer members opportunities for friendly criticism of, and encouragement in, their writing endeavours and also to foster an appreciation of literature in the area.

From time to time we run writing workshops. Locally we participate in the Ashton-in-Makerfield Arts Festival, and record tapes of our work for distribution to partially-sighted and otherwise disabled people and for broadcast to the patients in local hospitals. Using publicity leaflets, we visit voluntary groups and give talks on the craft of writing and the creative processes of authorship and also perform readings to their members.

Thanks to a small Lottery Award in 1998, six of our members have received grants to publish their work. We have published an anthology of the local schoolchildren's work, and we are supporting a member's attendance at an Arvon Creative Writing course. We were also able to produce a larger than usual anthology of our members' work and we have expanded our community activities. Anyone is welcome to observe us at our meetings without any commitment to join. However, if you do decide to join us, you will find a very friendly welcome. We are not all professional/successful writers but we are all [without exception] very enthusiastic.

Contacts:

Secretary, Mrs Dorothy Nelson 01527 254331
Treasurer, David Lythgoe 01695 555190