Ripon Writers' Group

Unfortunately, many of us were unable to be present to celebrate this milestone. However, it was fitting that our founder member, Daphne Peters, was there to cut the cake.

Here’s to the next 30 years!

Cathy, Lindsay and Maggie had a very enjoyable day in Malton.

Among the highlights was Lunch with Three Authors, the authors in question being novelists Fiona Shaw and Andy Seed and children’s picture book writer M Christina Butler. They also had an interesting time browsing round the many stalls and listening to the adjudications of the short story and poetry competitions.

In the evening, joined by Andy from York Writers, Chekhov and the Three Sisters tied for first place in the Literary Pub Quiz chaired by the one and only Arthur Smith.

Adjudicator Louise Cole, Editor at Firedance Books and Director of White Rose Media Ltd., gave us some very valuable insights into the skill of article writing, including crucial differences between objective reporting and opinion pieces. That done, she detailed the strong and weaker points of each entry before delivering her judgement.

In third place was Peter Hicks with his thought provoking piece on stress. Alma Williams came second with an unusual slant on the necessity of making a will; how to ensure the future of her grey African parrot. The winner of the Jack Moss trophy was Maggie Cobbett for her thoughts on boosting a writer’s income with the proceeds from ‘fillers’. Maggie wishes that she hadn’t blinked when the photograph was taken!

The adjudication of the Article Competition has been postponed to Tuesday, 9th October. As a result, the next Open MSS and Book Sale have been brought forward to Tuesday, 25th September.

Over the years, many of our members have attended the annual summer school in Derbyshire, some as recipients of free places won in associated writing competitions. Details of the School can be found at www.swanwickwritersschool.co.uk.

Cathy and Maggie went this year and Maggie’s impressions are now available to read on her own website, www.maggiecobbett.co.uk.

Always keen to help other groups, Maggie went to Knaresborough this week to share her years of experience at writing ‘fillers’.

This is a useful – and potentially lucrative – way to fill the gaps between more serious submissions. Acceptances boost confidence and can help even the most seasoned writer through a dry patch.

We are delighted with the way our second Literary Allsorts evening has gone.

As well as contributions from many of our own members, we were pleased to hear from well known local poets Paul Mills and Roger Kendall and representatives from Knaresborough, Harrogate and York writers’ groups. The audience of members and guests was most appreciative throughout and the bar of The Golden Lion did a roaring trade. (Yes, I know!)

Deep humiliation was in store for Maggie, our Chair. Having asked everyone else to ensure that their mobile phones were switched off, hers loudly announced the arrival of a text right in the middle of a reading. Fortunately, it was her own reading that was disrupted and gales of laughter ensued.

Thank you, Eileen and Julie, for supplying the photographs.