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Mary Irvine: Writer’s Blog

Back again quickly!

Keeping to my promise to myself and am continuing to catch up. Spent a day proof-reading/editing my novel based on the island of Spetses, At least the first 20,000 words. Have about 50,000 thousand so far. Should come out at c. 65/70,000.
I shall pass over the referendum except to say I think most older people were selfish in voting as they did. We can’t go back to ‘the way we used to be’! Maybe people over 70 should have been disenfranchised for this time as a friend suggested!

An event which seemed a good idea at the time and then not such a good one with all the arrangements/organisation/co-ordination but turned out well was ‘A Literary Evening’.

A Scribe of Writers (June 2016)

Writers from seven local groups, independent authors and invited guests recently came together at the Artizan Gallery and Community centre on June 27th Hub to share a convivial evening of writing in a relaxed, friendly ambiance. Readings from twenty of them encompassed a wide range of styles and genres in poetry and prose, the funny the poignant, the serious, from flash fiction to extracts from novels, witty deities to thought provoking poetry. Who would have thought such talent, most of it unsung, abounded in such a small area.

Slots of five minutes had been quickly filled well in advance on a first come, first served, basis but due to the non-appearance of five people (with only one apology forthcoming – very annoying when I had to refuse people a slot! Not to mention downright rude!) It did mean we were able to hear from Alex Gray and Myra Duffy who came along anyway, even though they weren’t guaranteed a slot.

The readings completed everyone mingled and chatted – a bringing together of people with a common interest, whether published of unpublished. Congratulations to those for whom it was a first. Hopefully they will now not feel so nervous about declaiming in public!

Two members of the Leven Litts writers group (Alexandria) provided an excellent buffet with dishes from Greece (no prizes for knowing why that was) and Canada, other members of the group helped in the smooth running of the event.
Thanks are due to Morfen Keady who gave permission for the Hub to be used and to Anne Marshall who opened up for us, re-arranged furniture, signed in the readers and then cleared up!

Everyone agreed the evening was a success and said they would support another one…

PS The pics I took looked fine on my mobile but out of focus on the bigger screen so the Helensburgh Writers’ Workshop kindly let me ‘borrow’ theirs! But by the time I wanted them they’d been deleted as they’d been sent by We transfer which obviously deletes after a set time!

www.helensburghwriters.co.uk/

www.artizanshopping.co.uk/the-artizan-community-hub

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