Our Activities
About Us
SDWC is all about promoting the study of the art of writing in all its aspects. We really are, it says so in our constitution.
We have an eclectic mix of members: those who write for pleasure, those who write for publication but are still awaiting the profit, those who write for a living (lucky souls), those who edit, those who just enjoy reading. Everyone is welcome.
Set up in 1954, we’re still going strong and enjoy a loyal membership. We love to welcome new members, so if you have an interest in writing come join us. We’re happy to see you.
Monthly Circle Meetings
Everyone is welcome at the main group meeting, which usually takes place on the first or second Wednesday of each month. We usually meet at the Taliesin Centre in Swansea, with a Zoom link for those who can’t attend in person, but sometimes other locations and dates are used. Please see details of individual events for date and venue details. At these meetings, we hear from authors and discuss the otherwise solitary experience of writing. We sometimes run workshops. If you would like to attend as a guest, please Contact the Secretary
Feedback, Poetry & Scriptwriting Groups
As well as our main monthly meetings, we have a Feedback Group, where members share their writing and give each other supportive feedback. There is also a Poetry Group where members meet monthly to read and discuss poetry, and a Scriptwriting Group which meets monthly at the Taliesin Centre.
These gatherings are friendly and informal and are only open to members. If you are interested in becoming a member, please see the Membership Application Form
Publications
We occasionally publish anthologies of members writing, which sometimes include the winning or shortlisted stories from our external competitions.
We have published several anthologies in recent years, including an anthology to celebrate the Circle’s 70th anniversary, and a book of short stories and poems to commemorate WWI, which won the anthology of the year award from the National Association of Writers Groups.
Writing Competitions
From time to time, we organise external writing contests which everyone is welcome to enter.
For members only, we also hold monthly writing challenges which are set by our guest speakers. The winners of these informal contests gain points. The members who earn the most points in various different categories win trophies which they keep for the year.
We also have an annual contest for members called the Tawe Competition, for longer pieces of work, with prizes for the best Prose, Poetry and Play, which is judged by established writers.
Social Events
We hold regular coffee events where members meet in a Swansea café or pub for an informal chat.
When possible, we hold an annual dinner shortly after Christmas, at a restaurant in or around Swansea. These friendly events are also the occasion for announcing the winners of our various writing trophies. These include awards for poetry, fiction, non fiction and a special ‘most published’ award.
We generally hold a social event for members in August, such as an open mic evening with food and drink, instead of a formal meeting.
