Past Events
In-Person events
London Wine, Cheese and Writing Event, 20 November 2024
A small group of friendly writers joined us at the Tap & Bottle in London Bridge to eat, drink and get to know each other with winter-themed writing exercises.
The event was hosted by Mark Bowles, Deborah Zafer and Eleonora Balsano. The price (£35) included wine, cheese, charcuterie and snacks (vegetarian and vegan options available).
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From 13 to 15 September, 22 writers (and one dog) headed to Brussels to try out our as-yet untested model of descending on a European city for a weekend of writing, connecting, exploring, eating and drinking. Activities included a literary salon, writing session, planning for 2025, coffee tour, literary readings, dinners and a tour of Brussels. .
Mini Salon, Brussels, 13-15 September 2024
The salon began on Friday with a cocktail hour at Full Circle, the aforementioned beautiful venue. Writers who had previously only spoken online suddenly found themselves in a room together, and much hugging, wine drinking and book exchanging ensued. After the cocktail hour, we heard readings from the group. From flash to novel excerpts to historical fiction, the readings were varied and inspiring. This was followed by drinks and supper at the iconic Cafe Belga, a bar and cafe in the heart of Flagey. 10/10 cheese croquettes.
Saturday started with a tour of Brussels with Brussels by Foot, which included a chocolate tasting and ended in the beautiful Grand Place. We met back up at Full Circle for lunch, a tour of the venue, and a planning session. Deborah’s brilliant brainstorming activities made sure everyone was included, and we left inspired by the possibilities for next year’s event. In the evening, we met for drinks at Pepete & Ronron, followed by a leisurely dinner at Cocina Chatelain.
On Sunday morning, the group met for a coffee tour and reading from Mark Bowles’ novel, All My Precious Madness, out this month from Galley Beggar Press. Then we strolled to nearby park for a guided writing session.
Online events
Online Open Mic Salon, 7 October 2024
Like the 14 January 2025 salon on our Upcoming Events page, but the quiz theme was poultry.
Online Open Mic Salon, 8 July 2024
Like the 14 January 2025 salon on our Upcoming Events page, but the quiz theme was cheese.