What we’re about
The Oxford Writing Circle is a vibrant community of writers based in Oxford. We are equally open to complete beginners, very experienced writers and everyone in between. While the majority of our current members are writing fiction, many others are poets, non-fiction writers, dramatists, comic artists… all genres are welcome.
We give our members the opportunity to share their work (this is always optional) and receive feedback; to participate in discussion about other members’ writing; and to socialise with other writers.
If this sounds interesting, please just come along to one of our events to get an idea of what we’re about!
Typical events involve a few of the group’s writers each sharing a piece of their work (usually by reading aloud with listeners following along on paper or electronic copies). There is then a facilitated discussion of each piece, aiming to provide helpful feedback and critique. There is no obligation to share your work, or to comment on pieces, though we encourage as much discussion from as many voices as we have time for. We also have themed events - such as writing to a prompt - and more social gatherings. You can find more information on the individual event pages. All events are currently online.
As well as our facilitated events during the week, we also run a drop-in writers’ brunch (currently online) on Saturday mornings. This is simply a communal writing session, a chance to work on whatever you like amongst like-minded company.
Our Community Rules
Please read our guide on how to get the most out of our feedback sessions, available here. https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQYioGi0fnuWTszxJCdvVJPG82qoeA87xQinsChnjXoTyffFUsC9ZIhAyQkKEVWaxDgbg6HBewb11cz/pub
Our full Community Rules can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vRafGOfNvI6IzQW8KyejZzM17cWjqBP4VQdLAEXN5baq48vDJuras_5YMEV6sqAAGfUbMzM0ZhqAOBu/pub
In brief, however…
The OWC aims to be a welcoming space for everyone. We are not perfect, but we strive to be anti-sexist, anti-racist, queer-friendly, trans-inclusive and non-ableist. Our group is generally lovely and people usually communicate constructively with each other, but in the rare event that you are made uncomfortable by the behaviour of another member, or if you feel that the group has acted contrary to the values stated above, we absolutely want to know about it so the group continues to be a fun, productive and safe community. If you have questions, concerns or queries, you are welcome to contact the group organisers (Tiffany Williams, Abigail Vint, Ian Robertson, Sarah Milne Das, Sarah Jones and Sophia Holme). Email us on [email protected], or message one of us on Facebook or Meetup.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- 27/11/24 In-Person Readings and Feedback29 Beaumont St, Oxford
Please note the venue - we'll be at 29 Beaumont Street in Oxford city centre, please get in touch if you need any help finding us. :)
All the information you need about our Readings and Feedback sessions can be found at the links below. Please read them before attending, as the answers to most questions can be found here!
- In-person events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQR_u8Lo0L5wl0GNbWsQsAmq4Q7xH_Itrc0xy1WOo-7KdfyczNLszzNegxywrPlLbgvACB1AGuRlIz6/pub
- Online events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQYioGi0fnuWTszxJCdvVJPG82qoeA87xQinsChnjXoTyffFUsC9ZIhAyQkKEVWaxDgbg6HBewb11cz/pub
- Our community rules: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRafGOfNvI6IzQW8KyejZzM17cWjqBP4VQdLAEXN5baq48vDJuras_5YMEV6sqAAGfUbMzM0ZhqAOBu/pub
All are welcome.
Doors open at 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start, and Readings and Feedback will go on til around 9:00-9:30pm.
Readers, please be prepared to share a link to your work in the Meetup page for this event or to bring paper copies.
Listeners, please be ready to access these documents and follow along with readers on your phone or other device.
Entry Fee: To help cover venue costs, we are asking for an entry fee of £3-£5, depending on your budget. We'll collect this on the night of the event (Paypal or card payment).
A basic selection of drinks will be available at the venue for a donation, or feel free to bring your own.
The event organiser for this session is TBC.
Questions? Please first read the documents linked above. If your query is not answered there, you can email the group organisers at [email protected]
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash