May 2026 Newsletter

May 15
2 min read

Updated: May 15

The May Meeting

The group now has members travelling to attend meetings from as far afield as Sydney and even Jindabyne. It’s an immense privilege to have such dedicated and talented writers joining us each month.

This month the writing prompt was ‘Jump’ and you can read some of the stories we wrote here. The prompt inspired stories about skiing, sibling rivalry, amphibian ambitions, social conformity, pet adoption, office politics, and bovine alien abduction. As usual, never a dull moment.

We held this session at Café Inu in Carrington, which proved to be another good location. Plus, we now have business cards, which should save members from having to scribble details on napkins and scraps of paper. Members, please be merciless in recruiting your friends and family. You know they won’t regret it.

Next Meeting

Monday 8^th June, Bostin Brew, Merewether, 12:00

It’ll be a public holiday but Bostin Brew will be open. The perfect opportunity for newbies to come and hang out with us for a while and see what we’re all about. We’ll try to keep the chatter and food to the first 30 minutes, and start writing at 12:30.

Local news and events

This month sees the Lake Macquarie Write Here Festival (15^th – 17^th May), with plenty of writing events over the weekend, from fantasy novel writing to storytelling workshops for kids; once again a wealth of regional talent on display and easily accessible, and many of them free.

The 2027 Newcastle Writers Festival is also now open for submissions, through to 27^th July. Remember, NWF hosts various events throughout the year; this month for example there is an interview with author Sarah Wilson on the 29^th and a ‘reading party’ on the 31^st.

Finally, check out our curated competitions listings closing next month on the website. Some big opportunities next month for novels, like the annual Novel prize ($10,000 USD) and the Harper Collins Australian Fiction Prize ($15,000 AUD), both closing June 1^st, and both (astonishingly) free to enter. Go forth and be bold!

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