Phoenix Writers' Group

The Phoenix Writers' Group is a Wellington-based support group for science fiction and fantasy writers, and has been running for around 15 years. We regularly meet to exchange information and workshop our writing together. Many members have been published, with stories, plays, poems and articles appearing in NZ and international newspapers, magazines and anthologies (including "Asimov's").

In 1996, Hazard Press, Christichurch, accepted our science fiction/fantasy anthology "Tales from the Out of Time Cafe" (edited by international sf novelist Philipp Mann) which sold many copies New Zealand-wide and was bought by all major libraries.

Several years later, we printed a collection of stories based around the adventures of "Hero", a female space warrior. This collection was marketed exclusively to science fiction fans at an annual science fiction convention (a "Hero" story was acted out by writers to promote the book). We sold all copies of "Hero".

The fee is $20 a year to join the writers' special interest group of the Phoenix Science Fiction Society, or $40 if you wish to join the mother group as well.

Meetings are at 1.30 p.m., on the third Saturday of each month, either at a member's house or at special meeting rooms. Nobody is pressured to read out a piece. First, we go around each member and find out the writing that has been done over past month and, then, if there's anybody who wants to read a couple of thousand words, it's go for it! Hopefully, we will give meaningful suggestions as to different directions a story might go, but if a writer does not wish to go in another direction, that's okay.

Though we are officially a science fiction and fantasy group, members have written manuscripts covering romance, children's writing, poetry, articles, novels, etc. Just do be prepared to listen to a great deal of sf and fantasy.

We hope soon to have a second monthly meeting that will deal more with the mechanics of writing, exercises, discussions, etc.

Please ring Peter Friend, 04 388 4441 for further information. You are welcome to come along to a few meetings to look us over.

(Posted on behalf of Lorraine Williams.)