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2025 was a busy and exciting year for Newstead Writers. As the end of the year charges towards us, it’s time to think about 2026 – should we do the same things or something different? Please head to our quick online survey and share your thoughts. We’d really appreciate it!

In 2025 we ran Shut Up And Write (SUAW) sessions on the 4th Friday of each month (February to November) from 1-5pm. We also hosted three evening events – The Writing Life events where a local writer shared their journey. In November we will host Writers Read, an evening session where writers are invited to read short pieces written over the year. We also launched our website, wrote a monthly article for the Newstead Echo and sent our e-news to more than 40 members.

If you haven’t completed the survey – its not too late! Here’s the survey link again. It’ll take just 5 minutes out of your precious writing time.

It’s always a treat to spend time with Carmel Bird⎯a prolific author, wise, generous and a local treasure. Last October, Carmel read Arabella with young writers under the ‘Faraway Tree’ at the Young Writers Festival at the Arts Hub. Recently, Newstead Writers were privileged to host Carmel at our first evening session on The Writing Life on Friday 28 March.

On a warm Autumn evening on the railway platform, we enjoyed Carmel’s life stories and readings from some of her many published works, especially her 2022 memoir, Telltale.

‘When you are a writer, everything in your life feeds you as a writer,’ she told us, to foster the writer’s self in our work. We were heartened to hear that ‘writers can have everything – words are there for you to use.’ Carmel adopts this perspective with those she mentors and writes for.

We are grateful to Carmel and for the writing champions we have in our local patch. The Writing Life is an occasional evening presentation hosted by Newstead Writers. Our next writer in the series will be Bonny Cassidy on 23 May, and then Cate Kennedy on 26 September. For more on these two sessions and to book, go to our Coming Up page.

Each month we host an afternoon Shut Up And Write session at the Newstead Arts Hub. We meet next on Friday April 25, to write individually from 1pm until 5pm, with a break at around 2.30 for a cuppa. No need to book – just come along. The Welcome page has more on these sessions. More dates and information in the Newstead Arts Hub News.