We resumed running workshops following the Covid break, using resources available from within the membership. All four were very well attended and declared to be a great success.

April 1st : WHOSE STORY IS IT ANYWAY? –  Led by Linda Fulton and Pat Pickavance.

April 29th: SEEING AND SENSING A STORY – Led by Bob Hamilton and Emma Storr

May 20th: AN INTRODUCTION TO PUBLISHING & PITCHING – Led by Sunyi Dean

Nov 18th: PATHWAYS TO PUBLICATION – Led by Pat Young

Pat Belford had a short story, Happy to Chat, accepted by The People’s Friend.

Terry Buchan had a flash fiction piece, Missing bits, published in the Missing Anthology from ChapelFM.

Ann Clarke also had a piece of flash fiction, Playing the Game, published in the Missing Anthology from ChapelFM.

Sarah Dodd has her long-in-the-planning, much-awaited, highly-anticipated debut novel, The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to The Wastelands, available for pre-order. It will be published in the UK by W&N in June of 2024. 

Stuart Fortey was shortlisted for the prestigious Liverpool Poetry Prize.

Linda Fulton had a version of her short story Kip’s Wake shortlisted for Northern Gravy.

Roz Kendall was longlisted for Northern Gravy’s latest periodical with her short story, The Informant.

Marg Greenwood had her poem, Our Last Walk, published in the Missing Anthology from ChapelFM.

Bob Hamilton was shortlisted for Retreat West’s Opening Lines competition – for the first 350 words of a novel. 

Panni Loh had her short story, River Jiang Excursion, published in the anthology Journeys III: Over the Waters.

Gail Mosley had her poem, Gone, published in the Missing Anthology from ChapelFM.

Mari Phillips has had a wonderfully successful time with her short-form work. She had two pieces of flash fiction published by the Casket of Fictional Delights (thecasket.co.uk): Blossom in January and Summer Frock in August. Cafe Lit (cafelitmagazine.uk) also published two of her pieces: Memories of An Old-fashioned Corner Shop in March and Christmas Crumbs on the last day of the year. Lies (published by Cafe Lit in November 2022) was selected for the Best of Cafe Lit 12, an anthology, published in July. Another Performance was published on the 50-Words Stories website (fiftywordstories.com) in November, from an idea generated at the Leeds Writers Workshop run by Pat and Linda in April.

Su Ryder launched her debut poetry pamphlet, Rosa Brigante, published by Yaffle’s Nest, at the Chemic Tavern in December, giving the Circle credit for having helped start her on her journey to becoming a published poet. She also had searching THE mirror FOR missing things published in the Missing Anthology from ChapelFM.

Emma Storr had a busy year, seeing the launch of her first full poetry collection, A Year of Two Winters, published by Indigo Dreams in July, with a launch event at the Chemic Tavern. She had one of her poems performed at the Leeds Lieder Festival. She also had a poem, Ashes, published in the Missing Anthology.

Richard Wilcocks had three poems published in Dreich magazine (At the flicks 1917, Beryllium and In Nunhead Necropolis). All three were presented at LWC meetings last year. He also had a poem performed at the Leeds Lieder Festival.