We meet on the second Tuesday of each month, except for January, in the Brisbane City Square Library Community Room, 9:30am for a 10am start. Meetings end at 11:30. Meetings are managed by members and include workshops, readings, and guest speakers.
Click on the toggle for details.
November Meeting
Tuesday 12 November 2024
Brisbane Square Library
9:30am for 10am start.
Mixed Bag with some surprises
Come with pen and paper and be prepared to write.
Presented by Carol Libke, Anna Campbell and Bernadette Ketter.
Note: Anna Campbell’s workshop has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances and will now be presented early in 2025.
October Meeting
Tuesday 8 October 2024
Brisbane Square Library
9:30am for 10am start
WIP GROUPS IN ACTION
Presented by Dr Toni Risson
Writing is often a solitary pursuit, and it is easy to wonder if we are doing it “right.”
Our women writers are about helping each other and to do this we work in groups, giving and receiving feedback about our work. Feedback gets us out of our private echo chamber and back into the real world.
Sounds scary, handing our ‘babies’ over for examination, but there is a way to give comments that another writer will find helpful, and a way to receive feedback that will see us achieving our writing aims. Toni will walk us through the process in this presentation, giving us some exercises so we can practise.
Afterwards, Jan will present our hidden gem who will talk about her journey with writing and publishing.
If you are joining us on Google meet, please mute your microphone.
September Meeting
10 September 2024
9:30am for 10am start
Community Room
Brisbane Square Library
2024 anthology “The Dinner” book launch
Meet TV Chef Matt Golinski and Artist Annamaria Mays Vermeer
Members free but limited spaces so rsvp required. Email newsletter@womenwritersqld.org.au
If you ordered a copy of the anthology, please pay via direct and collect at the launch
Non-members can find tickets at https://tinyurl.com/35ed2r8y
$30 Includes copy of the book and morning tea.
August Meeting
Next Meeting.
13 August 2024
9:30am for 10am start
Community Room,
Brisbane Square Library
At our August meeting we will be sharing feedback of our recent activities especially the new WIP groups. This will be followed by a surprise member for our new ‘Discover our Hidden Gem’ segment. Bring pen/pencil and paper because there will also be a writing prompt followed by readings.
Previous meeting - July
There will be no meeting at the Brisbane Square Library in July.
Join us instead at our Art Deco Experience in Brisbane on Saturday 13th July. See under Events for more details. Click Here
The next meeting at the library will be on 13 August 2024.
Previous meeting - 11th June
PreviousMeeting, 11 June 2024
9.30 for 10am start
An important subject for everyone.
Formatting workshop, presented by Trudy Graham
Members will have received an email with formatting instructions for our 2024 anthology. Learn more about this, and other formatting tips that will have you presenting professional documents to prospective publishers and competitions. Those who were members last year may remember the judge’s report on the Marj Wilke Short Story Award, which said, in part, that “formatting is something the writers of many entries needed to work on”.
If you have a laptop, bring it along with you to practise formatting on a keyboard you are familiar with. If not, Trudy will be demonstrating on the large screen, and there will be a handout.
Discover our Hidden Jewels
Karen Schwartz will talk to us about her writing journey.
Previous meeting - 9th April
Previous Meeting, 9 April 2024
9.30 for 10am start
Barbara Horsborough on Reading Well
Whether you’re reading an excerpt at a launch or reading after an exercise at Women Writers, how you read makes all the difference.
(Barbara has a speaking background and will teach us how to read our work so an audience can best engage with the story.)
Ruth May will share with us her Faber Experience on Writing a Novel.
Jan Wood will announce an exciting new initiative that all members are welcome to join.
Previous meeting - 12 March
Community Room, Brisbane Square Library
Memory to Memoir:
Life story is a popular genre, and we need to hear more women’s stories.
Have you thought about telling yours? Join a panel of experienced memorists as they discuss ways to get you started and problems you might encounter.
But wait, there’s more. Author and freelance writer Lynne Lumsden Green’s presentation “Emptying that Story Folder” can help you find your readers. It’s all about submission submission submission.
Previous meeting - 13 February.
Previous meeting is on February 13
9:30 for 10am
Community Room, Brisbane Square Library
BANISH THE BLANK PAGE – Presented by Maureene Fries
‘Wouldn’t it be great to have the ability to fill that blank page any time you wanted?
To create a piece of writing or an outline for one quickly, to ensure you make that deadline?
Together we will explore just one of the countless methods to make this a reality.’
Bring paper and pen.
Previous Meeting December 12th
Community Room, Brisbane Square Library.
The winner of the Marj Wilkie Short Story Award will be announced.
This annual Short Story competition of 1,500 words was open to all Australian women writers over the age of 18 years.
The judge, Edwina Shaw, will announce the winner and present the awards.
Christmas lunch will follow our meeting at 12 noon at Marhaba Cafe which can be found downstairs, under the Brisbane City Hall on the Adelaide Street Corner.
We welcome all members. RSVP by 24 November please – email secretary@womenwritersqld.org.au if you would like to join us for lunch.
Previous Meeting November 14th
Previous meeting,14 November 2023,9:30 for 10am,
Community Room, Brisbane Square Library.
Annual General Meeting
Nominations Received for office bearers are:
Jan Wood, President; Toni Risson, Vice President; Virginia Miranda, Secretary; Indrani Ganguly, Treasurer
Committee: Trudy Graham, Bernadette Ketter and Maureene Fries.
After the business of the AGM has been conducted, Guest Speaker, Tracy Stanley, will talk about ways to make your work visible in a global market. As always, members and visitors are invited to join us for lunch at a local venue, at own cost.
Previous Meeting October 10th
Next Meeting October 10th.
We’re excited to announce that our 2023 Anthology, “Stuffed” will be launched at the 10th October meeting by Deb Mostert, the visual artist with whom we collaborated on this project and who designed the book cover.
For this year’s anthology, members were challenged to write between the opening and closing lines of Delia Owens’ novel, “Where the Crawdads Sing”, to create a literary taxidermy. President Toni Risson will be in conversation with Deb about this, and about her work, which has a focus on wild creatures, hence taxidermy is part of her practice. They will talk about taxidermy, the ethics of it, the process involved, and the dangers.
You will not want to miss this. There will be food and photos and readings.
Please dress from the following colour palette: animal print, black, brown, white. If you can manage a Victorian, steampunk, or Goth look that will be fabulous. Taxidermy was very popular during the Victorian era. AND bring a stuffed animal toy, a wild one if possible, but pets and teddies welcome. We want some interesting photographs for social media.
If you have paid for your copy/copies you can collect them on the day.
If you have yet to pay, please bring the correct money – $11 for members, $20 non-members.
This is a free event but PLEASE RSVP ASAP to the secretary because we need to cater and there is a limit to the number we can have in the room.
Venue – Community Meeting Room Brisbane Square Library
Previous Meeting September 12th
Next Meeting
12 September 2023
Indrani Ganguly will talk about Writing Historical Fiction and Ethical Writing.
9:30 for a 10am start
After the meeting, members and visitors are invited to join us for lunch at a local venue.
Venue – Community Meeting Room Brisbane Square Library
Previous Meeting August 8th
Previous Meeting
8 August 2023
9:30 for a 10am start
Announcement of our In-House Article Writing Competition winners, with judge’s report, presentations and readings, followed by our guest speaker, member Tracy Stanley, who will talk about co-authoring a book.
Venue – Community Meeting Room Brisbane Square Library
Previous Meeting July 11th
Date 11th July 10am
Venue – Community Meeting Room Brisbane Square Library
The community room at the library will be available from 9:30am until 11:45pm for any members not attending the Apres-Midi at the Lyceum Club on 1 July (look under events for more information). There is nothing planned for the 11 July, but members may use the room to meet with fellow women writers to discuss writing and/or critique each other’s work.
Previous Meeting June 13th
Date 13th June 10am
Venue – Community Meeting Room Brisbane Square Library
Virginia Miranda will present a Workshop on Historical Buildings of Brisbane.
Previous Meeting - May 9th
9th May 10am
Community Meeting Room
Brisbane Square Library
- Presentation of Poetry awards, with judge Heather Jacobs, followed by readings.
- Dale Lorna Jacobsen will talk about article writing.
- Toni Risson will announce details of our next anthology.
Previous Meeting - April 11th
11 April 10am
Community Meeting Room
Brisbane Square Library
Three mini workshops
- Critiquing with Jan Woods
- Mind Mapping with Desley Soden
- Predatory Publishers with Linda Shields
Previous Meeting - March 14th
PREVIOUS MEETING
14 March 10am
Community Meeting Room
Brisbane Square Library
Poetry Workshop
Heather Jacobs, member and in-house poetry judge for 2023, will take us on a trip through the various forms of poetry. Bring writing materials for some fun activities – writing limericks and couplets for example
Previous Meeting - February 14th
PREVIOUS MEETING
14 FEBRUARY 10am
Community Meeting Room
Brisbane Square Library
Who better to speak to us on Valentine’s Day than a romance writer!
Come and hear how Sunshine Coast writer Maggie Christensen found a niche in the popular romance genre, leading to her publishing 26 books since 2014. Maggie will bring some copies of her books; she accepts cash or card
Previous Meeting - December 13th 2022 - 9.30am to 11.30am
Announcement of the winners – Marj Wilke Short Story Award – by judge Fiona Robertson.
Her report will be followed by readings of winning entries.
This will be our last meeting for the year so Bring a Book – one you have read and enjoyed – wrapped as a gift.
Lunch following the meeting will be at Kitchen at Treasury.
First meeting for 2023 will be 14th February.
Previous Meeting - AGM Meeting - November 8th 2022 - 9.30am to 11.30am
9:30am to 11:30am
Our 2022 AGM will be followed by a discussion –
How to Publish an eBook on Amazon/KDP.
Join us afterwards for a social get-together. (Bring a plate)
Previous Meeting - October 11th 2022 - 10am to 11.30am
Member Heather Jacobs will talk about some forms of poetry and their relevance and impact on society.
This session will touch on some famous poets from differing backgrounds.
As Robert Frost said:”Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”
Previous Meeting - September 13th - 9.30am to 11.30am
You will not want to miss this.
If possible, wear a raincoat/trench coat/rain hat and bring a colourful umbrella so we can get some interesting photographs for social media.
If you have paid for your copy/copies you can collect them on the day. And maybe our guest will sign them.
This is a free event but PLEASE RSVP ASAP to the secretary because we need to cater and there is a limit to the number we can have in the room.
Previous Meeting - August 9th - 9.30am to 11.30am
Dale Lorna Jacobsen will announce the winners of the In-House Article Competition.
This will be followed by the informal launch of our anthology “If it hadn’t rained that night…”.
Previous Meeting - July 2nd - 11.30pm to 1.30pm - Replaced by Literary Lunch.
In place of our July meeting we are holding a literary luncheon on 2 July at Booval. Ticket sales end on 26 June. Details under the Events tab on this site. More information here https://womenwritersqld.org.au/wwq-literary-lunch/
Previous Meeting - June 14th - 9.30am to 11.30am
Our meeting in June includes a presentation by Toni Risson:
“Printing a book on Blurb”