2011 Reports now in the Dunbar Archive page.
Meeting 19 April 2012
Small select group of five.
Brenda asks us to consider the options concerning our membership of Tyne and Esk as funding won’t continue forever. She’ll bring it up again when there are more people present.
Rita reminded us of North Light Festival which starts on the 2nd of June. Look up <northlightdunbar.org> for details.
If you have a poem about Dunbar that Lesleymay can use in her poetry hut during the festival, please send it to her by email as soon as possible.
I tried to persuade people of the enduring lure of ballads and how the rhythm and rhyme scheme made them memorable.
The 3rd of May when Tom comes will be the last meeting in the present building. Thereafter we will meet in the new community building across the road from the present library.
Homework for the 3rd of May is ‘Alternative History’ – the children’s author I couldn’t remember who wrote adventures with the supposition that the Stuarts had won and the Hanoverians were the terrorists was Joan Aitken. Robert Harris gives of course the other famous alternative history with his Fatherland.
On the 17th of May, in the new building, Rita will take the chair and give the biog. The homework for that day is to write a fairy story (Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks etc) in VERSE. It doesn’t have to rhyme but it does have to scan.
Jean x
Meeting 5th April 2012
7 present, Tom in the chair. Apologies from Cindy
Community Event
Colin said he’d had a phone call from a local businessman about the use of the room at the Royal Mackintosh Hotel for a group event. Those present supported the idea in principle, but would prefer The Rocks. Discussion on the format of the event suggested we open it up to the local community, with an Open Mike section for local people who are not Group members to read/ sing or do a stand-up. Admission would be by suggested donation, and proceeds could be distributed to charity. Details for further discussion.
AGM
Brenda reported on the AGM, held on 26th March in the John Gray Centre, Haddington. A note would be posted on the website shortly. She mentioned that she would like confirmation of members’ email addresses, as some of her messages are bouncing back.
New Library
Tom asked when we would be moving to the new Library. Brenda had heard, but not officially, that the Gibb Room will close on 28th April, and the new library will open on 7th May. Obviously, this will affect our next visit from Tom, scheduled for 3rd May. We will discuss at our next meeting and try to sort out a venue.
Workshops
Two all-day workshops on prose and poetry are being organised. Dates and venues to be confirmed, as there may be a clash with Haddington Civic Week.
Prompt for 3rd May – ‘alternative history’
Ten-minute exercise was on ‘I’m late’
Colin
Meeting held 22nd March 2012
Judy Chair 7 members present. Several apologies
Brenda – showed plans of new library and the room for DWG use.
There are hopes to revive the Road shows with other Tyne and Esk groups. Donations would be requested by participants and the audience in order to boost Tyne and Esk funds.
It has been decided not to try to fund writer in residence by subscription as half of T and E groups were less receptive to the idea. Tom will continue to be funded until the 29th July and will attend DWG for a further 4 sessions.
Tyne and Esk AGM March 26th 7.30pm John Gray centre Haddington
Brenda still trying to find new funding sources -for writer in residence and young writer competition and has approached up to 20 companies so far. Possibility of Hugh Carnegie Trust discussed. Possible prize for young writers -an i-pod shuffle and MP3.
Lesleymay discussed proposal for Arts project in Dunbar currently being submitted.
Rita was short-listed from 170 applicants to last 18 for her poem “Herring Trail” which will be published on line by Lallans in “Eiks an eins”
Group wished to thank Brenda for all her hard work on behalf of DWG and Tyne and Esk.
Exercise topic -Spring- produced the usual interesting and varied responses. Homework on Sibling rivalry produced some quite explosive ideas!
Next meeting with Tom 5th April -prompt I am not the sort of person you (or I) took me for.
Subsequent meeting 19th April -prompt – “About Dunbar” (follow-on from why we came here).
Judy G.
Writers Meeting 23rd February 2012
Chair person Jill.
Attendance 9
Agenda Brenda asking for volunteer to link up information. Re Brenda sent recent email explaining details.
Jill – The monies collected at Writers has been gathered together by Cindy who has taken charge of it until we can all decide how it can be best used.
Biog. Cindy stepped in with some interesting observations on David Lodge and his novel ‘How Far Can You Go’. He interwove his own biography with facts in way very new at the time. Cindy also suggested that our own personal observations on various writers would make interesting listening.
Exercise. Jill set the exercise which was linked up with the Homework ‘Why Dunbar?’ It was based on an idea discussed by the artist who is working on the new community building. Write for 15 minutes on one of the less obvious, attractive or interesting small things you have noticed in Dunbar The exercise and the Homework produced a wide variety of very interesting writing which we had time to discuss.
It was a very happy meeting and we were joined by a new member, Hugh who has also moved recently to Dunbar. We all welcome Hugh and hope he will come back.
Jill set the Homework for the meeting on 22nd March. It is Sibling Rivalry.
The chairperson will be Judy.
8th March the meeting will be chaired by Tom and the Homework was – Something Heard.
Meeting 9th February
Tom in the chair
Margaret and LesleyMay spoke about the Dunbar NorthLight project (http://northlightdunbar.org/) This will give Dunbar Writers opportunities for participation in a number of events during the summer.
Colin mentioned the StAnza Poetry Festival, 14th to 18th March. The Festival brochure is now available, and can be requested from the website (www.stanzapoetry.org)
LesleyMay distributed invitations to the Artist Book Group exhibition at Patriothall Gallery, Edinburgh, Private View Friday 24th Feb, 6-8pm, exhibition 25th Feb – 6th March. www.theartistbookgroup.org.uk
Brenda mentioned the need for a Dunbar rep, who would act as a contact person. liaise with the Library etc. Cindy offered to do this.
The writing prompt was to pick one of the paintings in the current Gibb Room exhibition, and to write something inspired by it.
Tom’s previous prompt was ‘shades of grey’, and it produced some very good interpretations.
His new prompt for his next visit on 8th March is to select a sound you hear between now and the next meeting, and to write from that.
Our next meeting is 23rd February, and the prompt is to write something about your personal connection to Dunbar. (It occurs to me this might be a good basis for a North Light session).
Cheers
Colin
Meeting 26th January
Just an update for those of you who could not make it last night.
We formed a lively group with eight of our members attending. (Julianna has contacted me to explain that over the winter months she won’t be attending. Similarly, Cynthia won’t be attending for a while as she has another project on the go.)
The Business Meeting was discussed and the following mentioned.
- The retention of Tom as the CWF if possible. If we can do this because we have the funding the Dunbar group , in discussion with Tom, would like to alter how the evenings are run.
- the retention of the WOTY and the YWOTY
- the introduction of an in-house competition
- Road shows being brought back
The exercises which was given out at the last meeting and last night’s meeting brought the usual variety of responses and a lot of discussion with us all coming from many different places.
The next meeting’s prompt is ‘Shades of Grey.’ Tom will lead us.
Margaret is going to do the biog. spot.
The meeting on the 23rd will be chaired by Jill. Her prompt is ‘How we Came to Live in Dunbar.’ If we don’t live in the town it could be about how we came to be involved in and to stay with Dunbar Writers.
Best wishes.
Brenda
Meeting 12 January 2012
Lucky 13 members this evening.
We were joined by Margaret – for whom I don’t have contact details.
Tom in the chair.
Brenda asked for feedback on some issues for the Tyne & Esk Writers business plan. Planning meeting is set for 23rd January. Members present expressed their views on possible income generation, such as a subscription scheme, on possible activities, such as the Roadshows, and on other matters.
Tom’s prompt for the writing exercise was ‘phobias’.
His previous prompt was ‘small actions lead to larger consequences’, and that was the theme for the read-round.
During discussions, Judy asked about a guide to poetic forms, and Colin subsequently emailed her with details of a book on the subject. He’ll bring along a couple of books to a future meeting.
Tom will be in Dunbar on 9th February, and his prompt for this is ‘shades of grey’.
Brenda will chair the next meeting, on 26th January, and the prompt for this is ‘the odd one out’.
Colin
