Sandymount Writers Group
By Maggie Neary

'There's a thin person inside everyone waiting to get out'- doubtless, many of us are familiar with this disparaging piece of mighty wisdom. But the adage 'there's a book inside everyone waiting to be written' seems like a more broadening type of invitation.

Last week I visited the Sandymount Writers Group whose purpose is to facilitate budding writers. The members meet once a week read out pieces of their writing and hope to receive constructive feedback and suggestions from fellow members.

The Sandymount Writers Group was founded in 1994. Some of the core members still attend and have followed the moving venue through from its initial home in that great old house with the green door on Seafort Avenue in Sandymount to CYMS in Ringsend to Rehab on Beach Road to its present Sandymount location in a member's own home.

Over the years the group have published two booklets of short stories 'Out of the Blue' and 'Out of the Gallery' which should be in your local library. Members include Sheila Flitton, a published author of three novels and some radio and stageplays, Joyce Galbraith long time published author of a number of novels and now writing her memoirs and Iris Park who has had plays staged on the popular Bewleys lunchtime spot.

A few other prolific writers with completed novels, plays or poetry collections are at present seeking publication. And there are those who say they go along just for the love of writing through the genre of prose or poetry and to enjoy the social gathering of like-minded people over the inevitable cup of tea and bikkies.

It is not a requisite of membership that you be driven by a consuming desire to be published or famous, but it helps the morale of the group when these things happen. And so they are talking about compiling another booklet of short stories to be launched in the not-too-distant future.

Anyone interested in joining should phone 087 2261309.

 

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