The Port Stephens Branch
The Port Stephens branch of the FAW held its first meeting in October 2002 in the Tomaree Library at Salamander Bay. At the suggestion of Colleen Parker, Margaret Watts and Patricia Woolfrey held a public meeting to gauge interest in forming a local Regional. Margaret Watts was the founding member of the Hunter Regional in 1987 and was president of the Port Stephens branch 2002-2004. Patricia Woolfrey became founding Secretary. Our branch has links with other local regionals including Hunter, Lake Macquarie, North Arm Cove and Stroud
We meet on the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Tomaree Library at Salamander Bay from 10.00am – 12.30pm. During each session we write, share our work, and engage in writing workshops. The workshops are either presented by our own group members or by a visiting speaker. We are an active and enthusiastic group and our achievements include two books and a DVD.
Our books are Write Waves 1 (2005) and Write Waves 2 (2006). In 2007 we began writing for a professionally filmed documentary about our local area, Inlet Port Stephens, which features our writers in their favourite places reciting or reading their poetry or prose and the beautiful cinematography of Andrew Gregory. This DVD has been a success and premiered at Nelson Bay Cinema in May 2008 and was shown again at Port Stephens Council chambers in September 2009.
New Directions
In 2010 we aim to keep our enthusiasm high by compiling an anthology about life in Port Stephens, which will include a mixture of historical and contemporary themes. It will embrace the diversity of this area and will involve interviewing interesting people in different fields about what they do and why. The anthology will include prose, poetry and articles. Our writers are excited about this new project and are looking forward to group outings to various localities in our search for interesting material. Morning tea get-togethers are becoming part of the fun, where ideas are shared and work supported. Our aim is to have the book published by the end of the year.
So…if you are interested in writing…
New members are always welcome to join our group. We are all involved in individual as well as group projects and all our writers have different writing styles, interests and skills. Learning the art of writing is a continuous and rewarding pastime and being a member of a writing group can provide motivation support and companionship.
Port Stephens FAW 