Greencastle Writers Group recently held its third Words by the Water event.
Fourteen writers and poets, nearly all from Inishowen, read their own work to a large audience in Greencastle community centre.
“New writers rarely get the opportunity to be invited to read, especially in a rural area,” said David Simpson the main organiser. “There is a special kind of magic at these events.”
Greencastle Writers Group’s aim in running these events is best described by one of the poets.
“Writing can be a very isolated venture, so getting to voice my words in such a scenic and comfortable setting among a non-judgemental, appreciative audience has been invaluable to me.”
Even though public speaking is one of people’s greatest fears the readers rose to the challenge.
The organising is very much a group effort with the team at Greencastle Writers Group collaborating to create these events.
The group believes it now has a successful format that they will repeat in March every year. In the meantime, they are exploring putting on workshops and a writing course in the autumn.
Inishowen Credit Union generously sponsored the group to be able to produce a booklet of the second evening held in October 2023.
This has meant that not only have new writers had their work showcased at a public event but they also have it published. Copies of the booklet are available for €5 by emailing greencastlewritersgroup.com.
The group is now looking for new sponsorship.
Up and coming writing courses and workshops will be posted on their Facebook page, Words by the Water. They can also be contacted on the email address above.
