Blogging Groups London

REGISTER INTEREST: ZINE MAKING with LESS STRESS PRESS: cultivate creativity

**Join our [MAILING LIST](https://thoughtexperiments.kit.com/59860c6d0d), if you'd like to receive invitations to future events (some of which will be hosted off of meetup).** What is a Zine and why should I make one? Zines are handmade booklets. They can be used to share information, ideas, stories, art (etc.). Zine making creates opportunities to: * spend time exploring ideas * hone in on something you love or care about: a cause, a message, a skill, a place (the possibilities are endless) * get creative with collage, drawing, writing, printmaking (etc.) * produce compelling and unique booklets that you can print cheaply and share with friends and strangers offline After lots of creative brainstorming of their own, Bonny and Ellie have landed on zine making as the perfect way to both open up space for playful, low stakes creativity, and focus their minds on bite sized projects. **Join our [MAILING LIST](https://thoughtexperiments.kit.com/59860c6d0d), if you'd like to receive invitations to future events (some of which will be hosted off of meetup).**

Krishnamurti Inspired Sunday Dialogue

**Here we meet up in a beautiful quiet room at the Tibetan Buddhist Centre in London.** Together we shall be exploring some of the themes that Krishnamurti is proposing but, more importantly, that we ourselves are facing in our everyday life. Krishnamurti is communicating what he sees about human conditioning and the lack or freedom and love that dominates existence. Our inquiry is to see this conditioning for ourselves and to see if it brings fundamental change. **Dialogue Dates For 2026** * Sunday 13th September * Sunday 11th October * Sunday 8th November * Sunday 13th December **The Dialogue** As we sit together and exchange on these unresolved topics of life, we will be confronted with the living limitations of our conditioned relationships in the group. What is real listening to each other or is my listening and attention already conditioned? **Refreshments** Do come early and have a cup of tea with friends here at the Tibetan Buddhist Cafe on the premises. **Contribution Price for the Dialogue** There will be a donation of £10 per dialogue per person to cover the hiring of the room, thank you **[FOR FURTHER INFO ON THIS EVENTS & OTHERS VISIT HERE](https://open-door-worldwide.com/event/krishnamurti-inspired-group-dialogue-buddhist-temple-london/)**

Evening critiquing session

Practise Public Speaking at Bloomsbury Speakers London (Toastmasters)

This is our regular club meeting with prepared speeches, speech evaluations and "Table Topics" - a chance to practice impromptu speaking. Please arrive from 6:35pm for a prompt 6:45pm start. **Guests are always welcome and it's completely free**, but we do request that you buy drinks at the bar on arrival and during the break to support the venue. ABOUT BLOOMSBURY SPEAKERS Hello! Bloomsbury Speakers is a fun and friendly Toastmasters club near Farringdon in central London. We meet twice a month to improve our communication and public speaking skills by practising in a safe and supportive environment. New guests are always welcome and it's completely free. No need to book in advance (other than to receive a helpful reminder) - just show up on the evening! TYPICAL MEETING AGENDA A typical meeting agenda is as follows: 6:35 Doors open - meet and greet 6:45 Welcome from Club President 6:50 Introductions from Toastmaster and other meeting roles 7:00 Prepared Speeches (from club members) 7:40 Guest Introductions (a quick hello from the guests) Short break for refreshments 8:00 Speech Evaluations (of earlier speeches) 8:15 Table Topics (impromptu speeches of 1-2 minutes each) 8:35 Table Topics Evaluations 8:40 Reports and General Evaluation (of the meeting) 8:55 Awards (best speech, best evaluator, etc.) and announcements 9:00 Meeting close - retire to the bar! COME ALONG TO FIND OUT MORE! Visit our website for more information: https://www.bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk Toastmasters has helped thousands of people overcome nerves and improve their speaking confidence. Come along and find out how! Find your voice at #BloombsurySpeakers!

In person meetup to critique work submitted by members.

This is a live session at The Mitre in Greenwich. The purpose of this meeting is to provide and receive critique on submitted extracts of members' creative writing, whether they're working on a novel, screenplay, poetry, a memoir or short story, etc. We share our extracts via email ahead of the meeting to give us all a chance to read the work in our own time and reflect upon it so as to be able to provide useful critique. If you want to submit an extract mail me at gpatrick66@hotmail.com to book a slot. If you are new to the group we ask that you participate in at least two of the Wednesday critiquing sessions before you submit work for review so that you get to know us and have a good understanding of how we operate. This will help you to get the most from a critique of your own work. Extracts should be approx 3,000 words and the full document (extract plus blurbs, questions etc) should not exceed 3,500 words in total. Extracts must be mailed to me (gpatrick66@hotmail.com) at the latest by 9pm on the Saturday before the session so that I can share your work with the rest of the group. We have a limit of 4 extracts per session to give adequate time to review work properly. Feel free to give guidance on any specific areas on which you would like feedback. E.g. Plot, pacing, structure or character development etc. (If you have not received the extracts by the Sunday before the session, mail me.) The group is friendly and relaxed, so please don't feel nervous about sharing your work! We will normally review extracts according to the order in which they are sent to me but if you need a particular slot let me know when you submit your extract and we will try to accommodate that. Please note that all phones MUST be switched to silent mode for the duration of the meeting.

Blood on the Clocktower

Our resident storytellers Brett and Gwilym will be running Blood on the clocktower social deduction the first Sunday of every month at the hawkins forge pub. Limited to the first 25 sign ups, games may start without late comers.

A Sci Fi/Fantasy Feedback Session

Join us at Craft Beer Co. Brixton for our structured Sci-Fi & Fantasy Feedback Session. A supportive, focused space where writers can share their work and receive constructive, thoughtful critique. These sessions are designed not only to help authors refine their writing but also to strengthen our community. Giving feedback is as valuable as receiving it: by learning to critique effectively, we sharpen our own editorial instincts and deepen our understanding of craft. Whether you’re submitting work or attending as a reader, this is a collaborative, growth-focused environment. **FOR THOSE SUBMITTING WORK** **We select up to 4 submitted pieces for feedback each month. In order to submit please RSVP and send your submission to** **scififantasyauthors@gmail.com no later than the Friday prior to the session** to give organisers time to review submissions and arrange critique groups in advance. *Priority for submission slots is given to those who have attended a previous session.* To ensure quality and fairness, submission guidelines are as follows: * **A short introduction (2–3 paragraphs max.) explaining:** * The context and status of the piece (early draft? polished?) * What kind of feedback you’re looking for * **A novel chapter or short story of up to 4,000 words** * Novel chapters do not necessarily need be the first chapter - just whatever you feel like would be most informative to receive critique! **FOR THOSE PROVIDING FEEDBACK** * Please RSVP and read the “How to Give Feedback” document that will be shared prior to attending. * You will be split into small groups and assigned one of the submitted pieces to provide feedback on. * Make sure to bring a device suitable for reading. A QR code to gain access to the pieces selected for feedback will be provided on the day. * There is no expectation to read anything in advance. All reading takes place during the session itself. We begin with dedicated silent reading time, ensuring that everyone engages with the piece equally and no one feels pressure to prepare outside the session. Just show up ready to read, think, and contribute. **SCHEDULE** Attendees will be placed into small critique groups of 4-5 people, each with an experienced facilitator to guide discussion and manage time. **6:30–6:45pm** – Arrival, drinks & group seating **6:45–7:30pm** – Silent reading & note-taking **7:30–8:00pm** – Structured feedback delivery **8:00–8:30pm** – Open roundtable discussion & author questions Each participant will have up to 5 minutes to share feedback during the structured critique section. Authors listen without interruption, with space for clarifying questions later in the roundtable. Whether you’re looking to polish a chapter, test an opening, or strengthen your editorial instincts, these sessions are an opportunity to grow together. RSVP early, as places are limited to ensure productive group sizes. If you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP.

THE 7AM SUMMIT: meet while the city sleeps for a tiny adventure, community & ☕

Meet fellow early birds. Get a big dose of nature: wild sky, abundant green space, and occasional wildlife. And then warm up in a nearby cafe. Conversations fuelled by early morning light and coffee tend to be good ones. **The plan:** * meet at 7AM at the top of **PRIMROSE HILL** * take in the view for a little while (depending on how cold it is) * walk to a local café on Regents Park Road * warm up with coffee Become part of our community of regulars, or just drop by for a one off experience. We meet frequently to create and sustain community. New people are always welcome :-) **[WHATSAPP GROUP](https://chat.whatsapp.com/DPkYXvrP6IhFrSRDiQACLC)** to keep up to date **[INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/thesunriseclubetc)** to see what these meetups look like **[SUBSTACK](https://experimentsingroupwisdom.substack.com/)** for the newsletter and occasional extras **[WEBSITE](http://www.alltogether.one/)** for all other groups We will be easy to find because we will be at the top of the hill looking out for early birds. If you would like to further support these meetups, please [subscribe to our substack](https://bonnyastor.substack.com/) and [follow us on instagram](https://www.instagram.com/thesunriseclubetc/) :-)

#WPLDN - August 2026: Summer Social & 18 Years of #WPLDN

Eighteen years ago, in August 2008, a small group met in London to talk about WordPress. We haven't stopped since. This month we're putting the talks aside and marking the occasion properly with the #WPLDN Summer Social: the return of the WordPress Pub Quiz, the Golden Ticket draw, and a room full of the people who've made this community what it is. Come for the quiz, stay for the company. 📅 **Date:** 27 Aug. 2026 ⏰ **Time:** 6:00 PM 🎟️ **Cost:** Free (Registration Required) **The WordPress Pub Quiz** It's back. Teams form on the night, so turn up alone or bring your colleagues. Expect questions on WordPress history, the wider web, and a few that will make you question whether you really know the platform as well as you think you do. Bragging rights are the prize! **The Golden Ticket Draw** Every Golden Ticket entered so far this year goes into the hat, and we'll draw one winner on the night. That winner walks away with a Stream Deck and a standing desk. You need to be in the room to claim it! **Wanted: Two Teams for the AI Speed Build** We're running a live build challenge, and we need players. Two teams, one very vague brief, and a "customer" (that's us) who keeps changing their mind between quiz rounds. You'll have AI on your side and roughly ten minutes at a time to respond before we move the goalposts again. No preparation, no expectations, and absolutely no judgement about what ends up on screen. If you fancy it, say so in the comments or drop us a message. **Schedule:** 🔹 **6:00 PM** – Doors Open & Networking 🔹 **6:30 PM** – Welcome & 18 Years of #WPLDN 🔹 **6:45 PM** – Pub Quiz, Round One 🔹 **7:15 PM** – Break & Networking 🔹 **7:30 PM** – Pub Quiz, Round Two 🔹 **8:00 PM** – Quiz Results 🔹 **8:15 PM** – Golden Ticket Draw 🔹 **8:30 PM** – Social & Wrap-Up 📢 **RSVP Now!** Eighteen years of this community deserves a proper celebration. No slides, no agenda to keep to, just good people, a competitive quiz, and not one but **two prizes waiting for one lucky attendee**. Registration is free and takes seconds. We'll see you at The Bridge. 🎉 \-\-\- **Venue Information** **The Bridge** is a charity supporting women to make positive choices and encouraging improvements to fitness, health, and wellbeing. The venue features a plant-based café (supplied by Girls Who Grind Coffee) and is just a 5-minute walk from London Bridge Station. \-\-\- **Massive thanks to our sponsors who make these free events possible:** [Filter](https://filter.agency/), [Kinsta](https://kinsta.com/), [Mollie](https://www.mollie.com/gb/integrations/woocommerce), and [PodcasterPlus](https://www.podcasterplus.com/?utm_source=wpldn&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=partnership). \-\-\- If you're interested in being a featured speaker at an upcoming event, we'd love to hear from you at [https://wpldn.uk/speak](https://wpldn.uk/speak). **🎥 - Media Release Terms** By attending, you understand and accept that portions of the event may have audio/photo/video-recorded and/or live-streamed and may be used by the organisers. You agree that the organisers have the right and permission to use and publish such media for any purpose in any format, including online and offline, now and ever after, without further compensation, permission, or notification. You understand that all official recordings from the event are the exclusive property of the organisers, available under the Creative Commons Attribution­ShareAlike license for general use, and you do not ask for nor expect compensation or notification of the use of official recordings or photographs in which you appear or speak. Please inform an organisational team member at the event's start if you do not wish to appear in photos or videos.

Fiction Feedback Workshop

In these regular writing workshops, we have three writers sharing a sample of their writing for immediate feedback, advice and encouragement. Critique is led and moderated by your host. You learn more by listening to the writing of others and the feedback their piece receives on the night than you can imagine. We've been running these sessions since 2010 and there's a reason they fill up so fast! Usually, we have a group of up to 15 writers attending. For people reading, pieces must be **3,500 words or less** as you'll have about 45mins for reading and discussion on your excerpt from around the table. Most people bring 3,500 words from their novel or a short story of all genres and styles. If you'd like to read, please **post a comment below**. ***You must have booked your place before making a request to read.*** If you are reading, **please bring enough printed copies (at least 10)** of your pages so members can make additional feedback/editing notes for you during the reading. All copies will be returned to you after the feedback has concluded. New members are always welcome in these groups. Most people come along to a few sessions before offering feedback, commenting or requesting to read but it's up to you. If you want to read right away, great, but if you want to come along and see how we roll first, that makes sense too. Again, you'll be surprised by how much you can learn from others by listening to the pieces and their feedback. After the workshop, most of us head to the bar for a social drink or two and extended conversation about the joys and woes of writing. **TICKETS:** £15.00 and please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Williamson's have raised their hire fees and so ticket prices have to reflect that additional spend. It's also my role to organise and lead these sessions so ticket price incorporates my labour in hosting these sessions for you. Thanks for understanding. PLEASE NOTE: Refunds or credits will only be provided if the meetup is cancelled by us. We cannot offer refunds or credit for another session if you decide not to attend on the day. Please change your RSVP if you no longer plan to attend. We often have people on the waiting list and we'd hate for others to miss out. Location: **The Three Tuns,** 36 Jewry St, Aldgate, London EC3N 2ET. Closest stations are Aldgate, Aldgate East and Tower Hill. Try the official Meetup app to receive last-minute updates and notifications about our events as they happen to your phone. [Download it now](https://www.meetup.com/apps/). These workshops are hosted by me - Lisa Goll, Boss Lady at London Writers' Cafe - I'm a publishing professional with more than twenty years of working within the publishing industry. Added to that, I've been leading LWC feedback workshops for fiction writers since 2010 too. See more about [me on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagoll/) or Insta me @LisasShare @LondonWritersCafe Question? Post a comment below.

Scala Talks: Diffs for humans and AI agents & Scala 3 Macro annotations

🎉 Come along to the London Scala Talks! 🎉 In this event you'll hear from Jacob Wang and Dmytro Mitin. **Agenda** 6:00pm - 🥤 Doors open. Come along and grab a drink! 6:40pm - 🗣️ Jacob Wang: Difflicious - Diffs for humans and AI agents 7:20pm - 🍕 Intermission: Join us for some free food and drinks! Vegan, vegetarian options are provided. Let us know if you'd like something special - we'd be happy to accommodate. 7:50pm - 🗣️ Dmytro Mitin: Can Scala 3 Have Macro Annotations Again? Rebuilding Macro Paradise 8:30pm - 🥤 Socialising: Grab a drink and let's discuss the talks. 9:00pm - 🍻 Join us in a pub to discuss the talks! 🌐 **This event may have a live stream** Watch this space for more details. **🗣️ Jacob Wang: Difflicious - Diffs for humans and AI agents** Scala is used in applications with complex domain logic, and with that often means big comparison failures that is difficult to decipher. Difflicious is a Scala library/toolkit for diffing Scala objects: \- Structured diff results pin\-points the parts of the objects that are different \- Configurable diffing methods \(e\.g\. Compare a List order\-independently\) In this talk, we'll walk through Difflicious' various features and show you how it can improve your development workflow (and your AI agents', too!) ⭐ Jacob Wang ⭐ Jacob has been writing Scala for close to 10 years. He enjoys creating programs that mostly behave, as well as sharing this joy via open source & teaching. **🗣️ Dmytro Mitin: Can Scala 3 Have Macro Annotations Again? Rebuilding Macro Paradise** Scala 2's Macro Paradise allowed annotations to transform definitions and generate members, companions and other definitions before ordinary typechecking. Scala 3 has an experimental macro-annotation API, but newly generated definitions are visible only within the macro expansion. In this talk, we'll explore another approach: a pre-typer compiler plugin that brings back Paradise-style source transformation. We'll see where it fits into the Scala 3 compiler, how generated definitions become visible to ordinary typing, and how quasiquotes can make such transformations easier to write. ⭐ Dmytro Mitin ⭐ Dmytro Mitin is a Scala and Haskell developer and mathematician interested in functional programming, type systems, metaprogramming and compilers. He has taught Scala through online courses, answered extensively on Stack Overflow, and contributed to open-source projects including the Scala 3 compiler, Shapeless and ProvingGround. His current open-source work explores Scala 3 macro annotations, quasiquotes and semantic tooling. ———————————————————— 🗣️ Would you like to present, but are not sure how to start? Give a talk with us and you'll receive mentorship from a trained toastmaster! Get in touch through [this form](https://forms.gle/zv5i9eeto1BsnSwe8) and we'll get you started 🏡 Interested in hosting or supporting us? Please get in touch through [this form](https://forms.gle/3SX3Bm6zHqVodBaMA) and we can discuss how you can get involved. 📜 All London Scala User Group events operate under the [Scala Community Code of Conduct](https://www.scala-lang.org/conduct/). We encourage each of you to report the breach of the conduct, either anonymously through [this form](https://forms.gle/9PMMorUWgBnbk1mm6) or by contacting one of our team members. We guarantee privacy and confidentiality, as well as that we will take your report seriously and react quickly.

coffee & writing first meet!

The first meet! 📚✍🏽 Grab your notebook, pens or laptop (or all three) and get ready for a casual writing session for you to focus on your latest project. We'll meet inside the cafe at 11am and write for the first hour or so to give people focused time, then after than feel free to chat, share ideas, get feedback on work or do whatever. There's no strict rules and no pressure to share your own writing. I've limited the attendee count as this is my first time doing this and I'm not sure how many people will fit in the cafe. If the group grows then we will seek out venues that fit the size. I am a published author myself so I'm very enthusiastic about everything to do with writing and books and happy to chat to anyone about it too! Looking forward to seeing you all ✨✍🏽🗒️📚