Whatever you write, whether fiction, non-fiction, horror, romance, children’s fiction, humour, thrillers, or poetry –  or if you just enjoy listening to other people read their work – everyone is welcome.

Where we meet: The Carriageworks, Millennium Square, Leeds

When we meet: 7.00 – 9.00 pm, alternate Mondays

Every two weeks we have a manuscript evening (check our programme page for exact dates), where members are invited to read their work to the group and receive constructive feedback from fellow attendees. Guests are always welcome.

We also hold other Monday evening events for members only. Check the activities page for more information.

We hold occasional members-only workshops on Saturdays, run both by professional writers and by our own members. We also aim to hold three members-only competitions a year, with an external judge.

If you are interested in joining us, the best thing is simply to come along to a manuscript evening. Please first take a look at our information page for visitors and new members HERE. You can see for yourself how the Circle works and there is no obligation to join formally before you are sure it’s right for you. For some quick answers to your questions, see the FAQ below.

Annual subs currently stand at £15 with a £3 fee collected on manuscript evenings (members only) to cover the cost of the room we use. It would be lovely to see you. 

Q. Can anyone join the Leeds Writers Circle?

A. Yes, everyone is welcome! Whatever you write, and whatever stage you’re at in your writing, the Circle is here to provide support, constructive feedback, and like-minded readers and writers.

Q. Has the circle been around for a long time?

A. Yes! Our logo claims that we were founded in 1928, although there is some documentary evidence for 1926. We believe we are the oldest writers’ group in the country.

Q. How many members do you have?

A. About eighty. A typical Monday attendance would be around twenty.

Q. What do manuscript meetings involve?

A. All members can attend, and sign up at the beginning of the evening to read out a piece of work. The Circle then provides constructive help and feedback. There is usually time for between 4 and 6 readers. If your name is in the book, but you don’t have time to read, you’ll be able to read the following week.

Q. What kind of pieces can I read, and is there a word limit?

A. Bring along a poem or a piece of prose up to 1500 words in length (extracts from short stories, novels, plays, essays, memoir, etc all welcome!).

Q. Are there any guidelines for the giving and receiving of critique ?

A. Everyone in the Circle is aiming to improve their own writing and that of the other members. The feedback given should aim to be helpful and fair, and not harsh or personal. For feedback received, our advice is to listen and nod, and then take what’s most useful! A formality is imposed where all comments are addressed through the Chair, which ensures that everyone gets heard in an orderly fashion. The full guidelines can be read here.

Q. I’m a new writer, and nervous about attending a writing group and reading my work…

A. New writers are very welcome, and there’s no pressure at all to read out! Just coming along to listen to other writers read their work and receive feedback is really useful.

Q. What else does the Writers Circle do?

A. We run three competitions a year, which are free to enter for members, and judged by professional writers. Every year we aim to have a short story competition, a poetry competition, and one additional competition which changes annually. We also run weekend workshops, some of which are run by our members, and some by professional writers. (See our Programme for more details about forthcoming workshops.)

Q. Are there smaller groups within the Circle, for specific kinds of writing?

A. We have three extra groups, who meet on Saturdays, once a month – a novel writing group, a short story group, and a women’s fiction group. All members are welcome to attend. Please write to leedswriters@gmail.com for more details.

Q. I write horror/ romance/ crime/ SF/ children’s stories… Do you welcome that kind of thing?

A. Whatever you write, we want to hear it!