Burnley & District Writers’ Circle has been a platform for writers in and around Burnley since 1954. Last year we celebrated our 70^th anniversary with a new anthology of our writers’ work. The group has had its good times and its challenging times – not least of which was Covid. During that period half a dozen of us kept the group going online. We had no idea what the post-Covid world would hold for us. Would we become irrelevant and, eventually, suffer extinction, as did many similar groups? Would all those people that discovered the online world stay online, or would we be blessed with a renaissance? I’m delighted to say, as Chair, that not only has the group recovered, but we have gone from strength to strength.

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We have had a steady influx of new members, all wanting to share their writings and develop their skills. We now have 20+ members – more, perhaps, than at any other time in our existence – with, on average, 12-15 attending each monthly meeting. We welcome everyone, from seasoned campaigners to those tentatively exploring the wonderful world of writing. We offer support, encouragement, advice and positive feedback to all our members in a convivial environment that nurtures a mixture of serious debate and many light hearted interludes. We are all here because we enjoy writing, whether for pleasure or for profit, and that’s the essence of the group: to foster the pleasure of writing. Further, what the Writers’ Circle has demonstrated to me, is that there is an abundance of very talented writers in our area and the group offers a forum in which to give expression to that talent.

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We are always glad to see new faces and anyone interested in finding out more about us, can visit our website: www.burnley-district-writers.weebly.com or you can engage with us on our Facebook page. We look forward to being at the heart of writing in Burnley for many more years to come.