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Write Club is a growing community of young writers in Northern Ireland. Write Club FREE online sessions happen on Wednesdays early evenings and in-person monthly. They are led by Kelly McCaughrain, an award-winning Young Adult novelist, and Máire Callaghan, Fighting Words NI super-volunteer. New members are welcome to join Write Club anytime throughout the year.
As a member of Write Club, you will have:
* A community of other supportive young writers from the North and South of Ireland
* One in-person and and two online Zoom sessions per month, with prompts and open writing time, followed by optional readings and feedback from Fighting Words NI mentors
* Monthly Q&A sessions with professional writers, for young writers from the North and South of Ireland.
* A private platform on our website to upload your writing after write club for additional feedback from mentors
* Priority registration for camps, courses, and special projects.
* Publishing, production and reading opportunities, including the annual New Irish Writing supplement by The Irish Times.
Who’s it for?
Write Club is for young people aged 13-18 who already write or want to begin writing. Our members are from all over Northern Ireland - cities and rural areas - and from all community and cultural backgrounds. You're welcome to come along to write flash fiction, short stories, novels, poems, journalism articles, spoken word performances, graphic fiction, narrative game design, scripts for plays, theatre and radio or any other form of writing. Group participants vary from week to week and we have new members joining all the time.
How do I sign up?
A parent or guardian completes the REGISTRATION FORM.
After registration, members and parents will be emailed details of weekly sessions in-person or on Zoom for the young people to join.
See below for other clubs, projects and and workshop series we have run in the past. If parents are interested in a future opportunity in any of these areas please register your interest by emailing Niamh at community@fightingwords.co.uk.
 In-Person Write Club
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 with Kelly and Maíre |
 On Zoom, with NI and ROI |
with Kelly and Maíre |
 Workshop or Showcase |
Other projects we have offered to Write Club and newcomers, which may be available in future. Please contact community@fightingwords.co.uk to register interest.
 like Scripted Mischief |
 for ages 13-18 |
 like True Stories |
 for ages 8 to 11 |
 Via eventbrite |
To read/listen to writing by Write Club members click below:
- Patrick Maginnis, aged 14, Soulmen (irishtimes.com) (short story)
- Louí Montague, aged 16, Belfast (irishtimes.com) (poem)
- Jack Dickinson, aged 15, The Collapsing Pantomime (irishtimes.com) (script)
- Natasha Manganaro, aged 18, Boxes, Paper Lanterns Literary Journal, issue 5 (poem)
Fighting Words NI Write Club Volunteer Mentors
 Kelly writes Young Adult novels, published by Walker Books. She studied creative writing at QUB and loves working with Write Club because the enthusiasm, passion, and talent of young writers always inspires her to write more and write better! |
 I’ve always loved reading, both as a child and an adult, and as a parent reading aloud to my own children. Work life for me was in the publishing industry and I find the writing process fascinating. Write Club mentoring is a joyful experience where I can encourage and support young writers as they hone their craft. |
 I was introduced to Fighting Words by the Irish Times supplement and was in awe of the creative work that was being nurtured in our younger people. I wanted to give something back. Fighting Words was exactly what I wanted to be part of. The energy is fantastic!
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 If only Write Club had been around when I was a teenager! It would have made writing less of a solitary escape from the awfulness of school. Which is why I got involved. I am originally from the US, but have been here a looooooong time; starting out as an advertising writer, but now helping people edit and develop their books. |
 Hi! I’m Molly, I’m an artist from Belfast and love travel and exploration. I have been a write club mentor for two years and I just love it. It’s a time and space to come together to write independently or collaboratively. Each week is something new and I really enjoy seeing such fantastically different and unique pieces of writing all stemming from the same prompt! |
Ryan Brown | |
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