Launch of ‘Cave Whale’ by Jane Spray

First Launch of Jane Spray’s new collection, Cave Whale (Alba Publishing www.albapublishing.com) at this Poetry Night: SHARING THE FOREST with Stewart Carswell and Jane Spray + Open Mic, Saturday 2 May, The George, Newnham 7.30pm  

Click here for further details of the evening, including how to join the open mic:

Cake and Creativity 29 April 2026

For details go here.

Make Your Writing Work for You
Saturday 18 April 2026

Whether you want your writing to shine in competitions, to sell well in the bookshop or to make you pleased with what you have written, we’re offering a range of talks/workshops to help you get there.

WHEN Saturday 18 April, 9.30 for 10 am start to 3.15 pm

WHERE The beautiful Victorian ‘Clanna Gardens’, Alvington

WHAT A varied program to suit writers across a range of experience and interests including

• Poetry
• Non-fiction
• Writing memoir
• Historical fiction
• Self-publishing
• Research

GUEST SPEAKER
Author Dreena Collins on Uncovering Hidden Histories

The Guernsey martyrs were three ‘ordinary’ Protestant women. Brought to trial in 1556, their remarkable story is full of twists and trauma. Yet, while these events were first recorded by John Foxe in 1563, modern retellings have been surprisingly few.

Dreena spent two years researching and writing her historical novel inspired by their trial, Perotine, published in April via Blue Ormer Publishing.

In her talk, Dreena will explain the research process she adopted to add colour and authenticity to this retelling, discuss the challenges of uncovering ‘hidden histories’, and unfold the women’s powerful story.

COST £35 including a light lunch, tea, coffee and cake.

HOW TO JOIN US Download the booking form using the button below, fill it in, use the download button on the form itself (top right down arrow) to save it to your computer, and then email the form to:

deanwriterscircle@gmail.com

Dean Writers CircleSpring Writing DaySaturday 18th April 2026

Books by Dean Writers Circle members will be available for sale. Please bring cash for book purchases.

NAME of attendee  

Workshop choices – please tick one morning choice and one afternoon choice and return this form to deanwriterscircle@gmail.com

Morning workshops

Cheryl – Self-publishing

Carol – Poetry

Carole Smith – non-fiction writing

Afternoon workshops

Val – Memoir writing

Felicity & Tricia – Historical fiction – research

Claudia – poetry

Please see below for more information on workshops.

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Information on workshops

Morning Workshops

Cheryl Mayo – Self-publishing

Being an indie author is hard work, and very few gain financial independence. But when your book reaches the top of an Amazon chart or is enthusiastically reviewed by hundreds of keen strangers, the thrill is real. Under her author name of Cheryl Burman, Cheryl has published 10 novels and 2 short story collections, and is about to launch her 11th book. In this workshop she will give a brief overview of the different ways to publishing, with a more detailed look at what is involved in being ‘indie’ (independent author). The session is designed for those who have written/are writing their book and are willing to put significant effort into getting it into readers’ hands. (Please note, this is not a technical workshop for how to upload your book to Amazon or other platforms.)

Carol Sheppard – Poetry

Carol Sheppard is a poet and playwright living in the Forest of Dean.  She has had poetry published in several poetry journals and was delighted to be Poet in Residence at the Gloucestershire Poetry Festival 2023.  Her debut poetry collection Made of Glass was published by Red Balcony Press in 2025.  Carol has had various plays professionally produced and runs the prominent playwriting group, Severn Playwrights. Carol also writes a weekly column for The Citizen newspaper.

This poetry workshop is for all levels, beginners and upwards.  It will use prompts to spark ideas for new poems, there will be some writing time and a chance to share your work with others in the group. 

Carole Smith – Non-Fiction Writing

Carole Susan Smith has been an avid reader and writer all her life. She will provide an overview of all the forms of writing that have occupied her. When she retired she began by writing three memoirs before turning to fiction. Her tenth book has just been published.

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The workshop will consider the benefits of writing non-fiction as well as posing the wider question to participants “why do you write?”

Afternoon Workshops

Val Ormrod – Memoir (Writing from Life)

Val is the author of In My Father’s Memory, a memoir about the six years she spent as a carer for her father during which she learned to cope with the challenges of his dementia. The book was adapted as a stage play called My Favourite Dog and performed in theatres in Gloucester and South Wales in 2022.

This workshop will encourage writers to draw on their own memories and life experiences to establish a framework to work within, and will look at various ways of presenting their stories, with reference to other successful books in this genre. There will be an opportunity to experiment with first person writing during the session. 

Historical Fiction – Tricia Davies and Felicity Edwards

Tricia is the author of three historical fiction novels, Any Port in a Storm (set in 1894), An Arrow Through Time (set in five different time periods from pre-history to 2035) and The Minstrel and The Bear: Wayfaring Strangers The (set in 1560) – with a sequel coming very soon.

In this workshop we will look at the challenges of writing historical fiction and the role of research. There will be an opportunity to try writing from the perspectives of different time periods.

Felicity

There are as many reasons to write as there are people. Less to write books though. Some seek financial rewards, or fame linked with those same rewards. Others see it as a means of assuaging internal dissonance or pain. Others write for the experience, the moving off or inventing of new worlds. So, were does Felicity fall into this stew of words needing research and how? Well, she wrote a lot but none of it was imaginary or research. She worked in the medical world as a specialist physiotherapist. Her further education to prepare for this rarefied role included a number of degrees, psychology, sociology criminology and religious studies. All examining the state of the mind and its role in pain especially back pain. She chose one subject for purely personal reasons. Archaeology.

That’s where the research angle comes in and the direction of writing. It comes as no surprise then that she has written four books where the characters are ancient beings before the written word or on the periphery of early history.

In the workshop she proposes to examine descriptions of fossils and what we can learn. Many visits to places like the British Museum to gaze awestruck at artefacts, and advances in DNA and reconstruction, allow her to see what these archaic people looked like before bringing them to life by weaving a story around them.

Poetry Workshop – Claudia Robertson

Claudia lives in the Forest of Dean, and writing (especially poetry) has been one of her passions since childhood.  She has won various poetry competitions, had poems published in anthologies and sold collections of her poems locally.  She has over thirty years’ teaching experience and a degree in English and Old Icelandic.  Writing had to take a back seat for some considerable time, owing to family and teaching commitments, but she is now making it a priority and wants to see how far she can get.

In this workshop, we will take a sneak peek into a poet’s mind, and explore ways to potentially write better poems.  This will include having fun with rhyme and metre.  There will be opportunities for writing and discussion, and anyone interested is extremely welcome.

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Another Fifth Wednesday 30 April 2025

Dean Writers can be relied on to host interesting events on a Fifth Wednesday. This time everyone is invited to attend and it’s free!

Creativity and Cake

Bring your thinking cap and join in the writing, drawing, painting, music whatever you need to allow you to shine. Cake will be available too so no problem getting a sugar rush to power you too.

Where: Beam Community Library

When: 7 30 pm

‘Fifth Wednesday’ – Oct 30th 2024 Forest of Dean Writers Collection

Bream Library, 7.30 pm

An event showcasing Forest writers past and present, celebrating the Heritage funded project currently collecting and cataloguing material from past writers such as Harry Beddington, Ada Trotter, Kitty Drew and others.
See all the details here.

‘Fifth Wednesday’ – Nov 29th 2023 Philip Douch Story teller

Leap into the Christmas season with a smile on your face!

Launch of DWC Forest Leaves 6 Sun 17th Sept

A successful launch – read about it and where to purchase, here.

‘Fifth Wednesday’ – May 31st 2023 Women in the Forest with guest speaker Joanna Foat

Dean Writers Circle is thrilled to have Joanna Foat as our guest for our 31^st May Fifth Wednesday event, themed ‘Women in the Forest’.

The event was a great success, with a packed hall and a highly engaged audience. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Go here for a glimpse of Jo showing off her lumberjill uniform and more about the evening.

After Joanna’s talk, DWC members will read their pieces in prose and poetry to celebrate Women in the Forest. A full evening!

See the poster for details, and we will see you there.

(Find Staunton, Coleford, Village Hall here. Parking behind the hall.)

‘Sixth’ Wednesday – April 5th 2023 Open Mic

Traditionally, the Circle would often do something special when there was a fifth Wednesday in the month. Our last, however, was pre-Covid and we’re now just easing ourselves into things again.

There’s a Fifth Wednesday this March, but events overtook us so instead we are turning our regular first Wednesday into an ‘all welcome, open mic’ event, and calling it a ‘Sixth Wednesday’. It’s also our first meeting at our new base at Broadwell Social Club. We thought we’d start with a splash!

Different Flowers – a play by DWC member Carol Sheppard 2022

Two sisters. Four decades. One big secret
Friday 30 Sept 2022 7.30 pm Mackenzie Hall, Brockweir

Go here for details …

My Favourite Dog 2022

A play by Adele Cordner based on a book by DWC member Val Ormrod

My Favourite Dog is a stage play by Adele Cordner

(A story of dementia, love and dogs, based on the memoir In My Father’s Memory by Val Ormrod)

Fri 29 July King’s Theatre, Gloucester
Sat 30 July King’s Theatre, Gloucester

Fri 5 Aug Barnabas Arts Centre, Newport

Sat 6 Aug Llandogo Village Hall (All evening performances, times to be confirmed

This promises to be a great evening.

Lots happening!

The weekend of July 16/17 was frenetic. Members of Dean Writers Circle attended and took part in three different events.

Forest Books and Crafts

There is a new bookshop in Coleford. Two Forest authors Shoo Rayner and Andrew Taylor did the cutting the ribbon ceremony proudly looked on by the new proprietor Tina Brown.

There is a selection of Dean Writers Circle authors’ books as well as other books both new and second-hand. Tina is happy to order books on request.

There are delightful pieces of craftwork by local Dean artists from art, photography needlecraft and sewing.

All your birthday and Christmas gifts are right in the middle of Coleford.

The Second and Third Events

Others went to Mitcheldean Festival, while some popped back and forth to also attend the Chepstow Festival of Arts event, Bards in the Bar.

Here is a selection of our poets doing their thing at Jolters and Bards in the Bar

The Third Event

Others went to Chepstow to declaim on the stage at their festival.

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Forest Authors Festival

Location and parking

Dean Field Studies Garden Room is located opposite the DFR Parkend Station – see map below and parking information

Email deanwriterscircle@gmail.com with any queries.

Our own program of public events has not been reactivated and we hope for better things in 2022. We have been successfully meeting throughout the past months by Zoom and have even welcomed new members.
If you would like to join us, email us at deanwriterscircle@gmail.com and let’s chat. We have had a number of new joiners over the last few months, so it can be done!

We have left this program here to show what we had planned and what we hope to get back to at some stage. Meanwhile, keep writing!

Tuesday 28 April 2020 7.30 pm:  ‘Fifth Wednesday’ at The Dog House, Coleford: ‘Laughter & Tears’  with Paul O’Brien, Su King and Val Ormrod. Open mic. More details to come

Saturday 20 June 2020 time tba: ‘National Cider Solstice’ at Jolters Press at Mitcheldean celebrated with PIPs . Open mic. Dress up!

Saturday 29 August 2020 all day: Forest Leaves Festival at Clanna Gardens, Alvington. Our second festival for writers, with workshops and speakers. More details to come

Friday 30 October 2020 7.30 pm: ‘Harvest’ at Jolter Press, Mitcheldean with PIPs. Open mic.