Writing

Join us at the top of the biggest bookshop in Europe to work in company on your own writing, be it a book, blog, screenplay, dissertation, poem, song, coursework, memoir, play, journal, travel writing, work stuff or anything else. Newcomers always welcome. No one will see what you're writing or give you unsolicited advice. Same format as Saturdays but an hour later, please sign up below and arrive by 12.30. WHERE? FIFTH FLOOR CAFÉ, Floor 5, Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9LE TIMINGS:- 12.00 - Shop and café open 12:30 - Host will be there. Say hello, especially if you’re new. 12.40 - Brief introductions from everybody - your name and what you’re working on 12:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 13:30 – Break, chat to your neighbours if you like 13:45 - Timer starts: write for 45 minutes 14:30 - The End…feel free to stay and keep writing or chat some more. Bring whatever you need to be able to write. It’s a café, there’s some noise so earbuds/headphones/earplugs are handy. There’s very few mains sockets so charged-up laptops are a good idea too. And please remember everybody, thank our venue by buying a drink or food, and don’t consume anything from outside while you're here. IF YOU ARRIVE AFTER 12.45 - everyone will be quiet and writing. If there's no spare places ASK THE CAFE STAFF, they may be able to seat you in the adjacent restaurant section (without having to buy food). If not then there's sofas on the sales floors below as well as one cafe at the back of the ground floor and another in the basement. The hosts won't have any other alternatives to offer you. Please feel free to join us for the break and afterwards. We’re looking forward to writing with you, your hosts, Sarah, Nick, Laura and Anna

We are excited to be back for 2026 with our first Creative Writes Walk & Write Workshop of the year on Sunday 29 March, 11am-1pm. Join us for a walk around this historic neighbourhood and enjoy the peace and beauty of its green spaces. We will take writing inspiration from its stories. Our groups are small & supportive and we are a very welcoming community. Booking here: [https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/walk-write/](https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/walk-write/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExYjhHQmZTd0dxTVNEb3IyQwEeMbCa0Ea4DGaDpa4jynTzqYNvnhl2qwJD1YqWJgqpnUOYTl1k4mrpRbeeJj8_aem_wvIt4TidOvb2dSJNvS-q1Q) Please note, if you Book on Meetup - the fee includes their admin charge. Look forward to seeing you, Nichola www.creativewrites.co.uk

Our 42nd Spiritual Creatives gathering - in person! Come and join us for a lovely walk and talk around Hampstead Heath. We are meeting just outside Hampstead Heath station (London Overground train) at 11.00 on Sunday the 29th of March. Please note: This is NOT Hampstead Station on the Northern Line! It is the Hampstead HEATH station. The Google link is here: [https://goo.gl/maps/AJCNoxkKNj6K9Gp77](https://goo.gl/maps/AJCNoxkKNj6K9Gp77) We will wait for people to arrive until 11.15am and then we will begin walking. If you arrive later, you will only be able to catch up with us at Kenwood House approximately between 12 and 12.30pm. You should be able to find us sitting around as a group having a drink. If the weather permits, you'll find us outside the main café, towards the back. Look for the guy with the multicoloured scarf... that's me! After a short break of 20-30 minutes, we then walk back through the Heath, taking the long way round to Parliament Hill, and conclude our stroll back to Hampstead Heath overground station around 2 to 2.30pm. (Please note that you may become so involved in your conversations that you end up losing sight of the main group! Unfortunately, there is no way for you to catch up with us once we have become separated (and we do NOT check our phones for texts or messages during our walk) so please be mindful and conscious to stay with the main group if you want to keep up. Also please bear in mind that Hampstead Heath can be muddy sometimes, so please wear the appropriate shoes). After returning to Hampstead Heath Overground station, many of our (usually hungry) members like to continue the camaraderie over lunch at one of the local cafés or restaurants. As our group has grown over the years, these gatherings can be quite large, so we usually have to split into smaller parties and explore different venues. Some of our favourite spots are Dominique’s Café (dominiquescafe.co.uk) and Silverberries (silverberry.net), both of which offer a welcoming atmosphere and delicious food. It’s a great way to wind down the walk and continue our conversations. Spiritual Creatives is a warm-hearted and popular meetup group, as you can see from our ratings and comments! We hope to meet you then! :-) Best wishes Cliff P.S. we ask for a small £3 donation to help cover our Meetup.com membership, but please bear in mind that we are not able to offer refunds if a place is booked but not used. **Find out more about us at [https://www.spiritualarts.org.uk](https://www.spiritualarts.org.uk/).**

In the Sunday meeting for March, we will read Emily St. John Mandel's sixth novel, 2022 effort *The Sea of Tranquility*. The winner of that year's Goodreads Choice Award for Best Science Fiction, '[it] is a novel that investigates the idea of parallel worlds and possibilities, that plays with the very line along which time should run. Perceptive and poignant about art, and love, and what we must do to survive, it is incredibly compelling.' (Book jacket) 'Another tour de force of imagination and dazzling construction from the author of *Station Eleven* and *The Glass Hotel*, Mandel's audacious time travel novel intertwines the stories of an Edwardian exile in British Columbia and an Earth-hopping writer two centuries later.' -Waterstones https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58446227-sea-of-tranquility The meeting will take place at The New Moon in Leadenhall Market. So come along for some classic pub food as we dive into this fascinating book! N.B. We will be charging an event fee of £3, non-refundable, to discourage no-shows and contribute to the running costs of the group. Please only sign up if you intend to come along as space is limited to make for an effective discussion!

Have you ever felt like someone could sense what’s happening inside you — even before you say a word? That’s often how people describe sessions with me. I offer **trauma-aware Reiki energy healing** that combines energy work, somatic awareness, and intuitive perception to support emotional processing, nervous system regulation, and deeper clarity. Each session adapts to **what your system is ready to process**. Some sessions bring deep relaxation and regulation, while others create emotional release or insight. ### Reiki Energy Session — €40 A full Reiki energy healing session focused purely on **the energy work itself**. We begin with a short conversation about how you’re feeling or what you’d like to focus on. Then you relax while I channel Reiki energy. This option focuses primarily on **energetic healing and regulation**, without extended intuitive guidance or deeper analysis during the session. Duration: \~1 hour ### Reiki Energy Healing + Guidance — €60 This session includes the **same Reiki energy healing**, with additional intuitive insights and reflections about emotional patterns, blockages, or themes that may arise during the session. In addition to the energy work, I may share: • intuitive observations about patterns or emotional dynamics • somatic impressions that appear during the session • reflections that help bring clarity to recurring situations This option is ideal if you're looking for **both healing and deeper understanding of what is surfacing internally**. Duration: \~1 hour # What Reiki Can Support Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive energy practice that supports balance in the body’s energy system. Sessions may help with: • emotional regulation • stress or burnout • releasing stored tension • feeling more grounded and present • gaining clarity around recurring patterns • reconnecting with your intuition You don’t need to believe in anything for Reiki to work — the energy simply supports your system in restoring balance. *** # Session Format Sessions are held **online via Zoom (recommended) or WhatsApp video call**. Languages available: English • Polish • Italian # Booking To book a session, send me a message on Meetup or email: 📩 withawakenedrose@gmail.com I’ll confirm availability and provide payment details (Revolut). # Disclaimer Reiki is a complementary energy practice and does not replace medical or psychological treatment. By booking a session, you take responsibility for your own physical and emotional wellbeing.

*Is privacy a fundamental human right?* *Should privacy ever be sacrificed for security?* *How does surveillance change how we behave?* *Is privacy necessary for democracy?* This time we will be discussing the **right to privacy** in the relative privacy of an upstairs room of a North London pub! No walk this time (due to a broken toe)! Instead we will head indoors and experiment with a different format - a talk and discussion session. Meet at 2pm at the Star of Kings pub in King's Cross, upstairs in the green room. If you want to do some reading on the subject I recommend **The Right to Oblivion** by Lowry Pressly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Right-Oblivion-Privacy-Good-Life/dp/067430490X A YouTube video on the same book by Unsolicited Advice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5sx5nGNIyc If you have any other recommendations on the subject feel free to post in the commends below. There will be a short presentation then group discussions. This group encourages friendly, constructive conversations rather than confrontational debates; so give everyone space to talk, be respectful and actively listen to others. It's not about 'winning' a debate but about expressing your opinion and learning about other people's views. Admission £5, if you are a student, unemployed or retired then you can attend for free. You can pay in cash or card on the walk or online with this link: [https://pay.tide.co/products/philosophy-kfDyHrXZ](https://pay.tide.co/products/philosophy-kfDyHrXZ) **This event is supported by the Royal Institute of Philosophy.**

**This is an opportunity for you to meet native English speakers and get lots of conversation practise and see some London sights** **We'll Meetup outside Highgate Station (Priory Gardens exit) at 10.45** for an 11am start to the walk. We'll try to post a [Glympse.com](http://Glympse.com) location sharing link for anyone who's late or gets lost Back by popular demand is the next section of the Capital Ring walk, we are now up to section 12 out of 15. Starting from Highgate station, this section of the walk passes along a disused rail line called the Parklands Walk, through Finsbury Park, along the New River, past Stoke Newington Reservoirs, into the Clissold Park and finishes at the Abney Park Cemetery, from where Stoke Newington rail station is a few minutes away as well as several bus routes into central London. It is mainly level but there is a steep section near the start at Highgate station. We will be walking for approximately two and a half hours with a break in between. It can get muddy so bring suitable footwear and clothing if it looks like rain or has been raining. I'll keep a watch on the forecast and will cancel the event a day or two before if the weather is looking bad. Keep an eye on the event chat which I'll update a day or two before to confirm we are going ahead. We will meet just outside the Priory Gardens exit of Highgate station at 10:45am. Unless there is a transport issue affecting everyone, we will aim to start off on the walk at 11am. I will add my location tracking on Glympse so if you are late, we will not wait but you will be able to catch us up. After the walk at Stoke Newington I am planning on heading to a local pub for a drink and a bite to eat (pub/venue to be confirmed). If you are up for coming along please indicate in the comments. I'm estimating we would reach the end of the walk at Stoke Newington station at around 1.30pm.

**Londoners! Join us Sunday, March 29th at noon as we stare futility in the face and laugh: we're joining tens of thousands of proud dorks nationwide who love their communities and want them to be more beautiful. We refuse to accept that life under capitalism means swimming in the unwanted filth of our plastic-addicted civilisation.** **Sturdy gloves, bags and picking tools will be provided, so just bring good shoes, durable clothing and a fearless determination. Joining us will be residents of the local area who need our help to bring some pride back to their neighbourhoods.** **We'll meet at noon at Abbey Wood station on the end of the Elizabeth Line, about 20 mins from central London. Our community partners will lead us onwards from around 12:30.** **The intrepid picker who picks the most will win a £10 Co-op gift card!** Why is LCC doing litter-picking? Read on for our analysis of why this form of mutual aid is both necessary and weirdly fun. \-\-\-\- Have you noticed that lately, the filth seems to be spreading? Living in a great megalopolis like London, it's easy to gaslight ourselves into believing that it's always been like this, that "cities are just dirty"; and anyway if there's a problem, the council should solve it! What else do we pay taxes for? But no, it's not your imagination. Halfway through the 2020s and we really are living through an [unprecedented explosion](https://wastedirect.co.uk/guides/fly-tipping-statistics/) in fly-tipping and general filth. It's true that, [across the country,](https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/economic-growth/regional-development/2024/01/council-bankruptcy-tracker-local-government-authorities-finances) many of the local governments whose job it is to collect trash are going bankrupt or getting close. In Birmingham, which went bankrupt in 2023, this financial situation has provided cover for a refusal to pay sanitation workers a fair wage, leading to one of the [longest all-out strikes](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crleyz0d557o) in modern British history and sky-high rubbish piles - even as the council says it's [no longer](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crleyz0d557o) bankrupt. None of this really explains what's going on in London, where local authorities are still mostly solvent and sanitation workers not on strike, at least after Tower Hamlets [settled its dispute](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66917779) a few years ago. This despite the fact that London has some of the [highest fly-tipping rates](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fly-tipping-uk-map-ranked-worst-b2705154.html) in the country. To our historical-materialist minds here at LCC HQ, there are bigger forces than councils at work, namely: the exhaustion of the global supply chain in recycling and waste on the one hand, and on the other, the ongoing colonisation of our spectacularly corrupt political economy by organised crime. These days there's simply too much trash for councils to deal with, at any price - which is where fly-tipping comes in. Without most of us being aware, China - once the [leading importer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%27s_waste_import_ban) of the world's waste - quietly [stopped accepting westerners' trash in 2018 as part of National Sword](https://e360.yale.edu/features/piling-up-how-chinas-ban-on-importing-waste-has-stalled-global-recycling). Having allowed the [recycling and waste-processing infrastructure](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/09/britain-2bn-recycling-industry-export-plastic-waste) necessary to deal with it ourselves to collapse along with the rest of our industry, since foisting it on the Global South is more to our liking, we are now swimming in an ocean of garbage with no idea what to do with it. A paltry 600,000 tons of waste, including valuable recyclables, is now being dumped abroad annually - and with Indonesia [having just joined China in banning waste imports,](https://seasia.co/2025/09/06/indonesia-ends-plastic-waste-imports-amid-growing-environmental-concerns) it's no wonder that things are really starting to get bad here. Perhaps this explains why over the past couple years, [criminal gangs have been porting millions of tonnes of our junk](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/organised-crime-fly-tipping-police-environment-agency-b2853238.html) away from the cities, mostly to illegal "mega-tip" sites in the countryside. We've already [buried ancient woodlands and bluebell fields in Kent](https://news.sky.com/story/ancient-bluebell-woodland-smothered-in-illegal-waste-as-campaigners-tell-authorities-to-do-the-right-thing-13125165) under hundreds of tonnes of rubbish; we all saw the news about [Kidlington's 150m long, 15m wide, 10m high super-tip.](https://news.sky.com/story/kidlington-fly-tipping-two-men-arrested-over-rubbish-dumped-in-oxfordshire-field-13500924) Now that these sites have become too large to ignore, suddenly laws are being enforced out there. As of writing, it seems that the chickens have come home to the cities to roost: fly-tipping gangs are now simply leaving our alleys, parks and road by-passes strewn with a distributed, ever-growing network of waste piles. A situation now exists where the reality of waste has become impossible to ignore in the traditional way, that of putting it in the bin and forgetting its existence: the streets are proof that, in the age of plastics, nothing can ever really be "thrown away". In fact, there is no *away.* Alongside the proliferation of chemical waste, human shit and other effluvia now coursing through our rivers and water tables, we can add the trash crisis to Britain's overall *sanitation crisis.* So what? Like so much about life under modern capitalism, from the Epstein revelations to skyrocketing food insecurity, the mind looks for an escape route when confronted with the scale of the problem. British leftists raised on a steady diet of *Novara Media*-style social-democratic welfarism will protest: working-class people work hard enough without having to clean their own streets! The government needs to fund waste collection properly, rebuild our recycling plants and crack down on the fly-tippers! All that may be true. But Britain doesn't have a government, it has an occupying army of capitalist parasites wearing a liberal-democratic skin suit. They're not going to help us and they never will, because there is no sanitation crisis inside their gated communities. What's a proletarian supposed to do? Live with the indignity? Get used to living like an unloved animal, just because conditions outside are like a pigsty? You can definitely write your councillor, petition Parliament, and generally campaign for a state-led clean-up. But if we've seen much evidence of anything in politics in the last twenty years, it's that this kind of activism is niche. Too niche to make much of a difference. This won't change from the "top down", with one more big push by activist groups to get everyone involved in their letter-writing campaign. People, largely, lack the confidence to get involved in anything political. To rebuild that confidence, we need to work from the bottom up. Many hands make light work, as the saying goes - workers together can really transform an area in the space of an afternoon, if enough of them rally to the task. In this case, we're working from the *very* bottom: picking up trash may not represent even a small-scale political "victory", but having a more beautiful local street or park does make for a marginally more enjoyable daily life. Meeting and building solidarity with other people who love their community and aren't afraid to put some work in to make it better is also a powerful reason to get out there. Not quite "another world is possible", but maybe this - especially for those who are looking for a community of like-minded people - could be a step towards achieving that consciousness. Litter-picking groups have [grown in popularity across Britain](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgnne5mmz7o), but not so much London as of yet. Why? Maybe we think we're too cool for something so profoundly dorky, thankless and Sisyphean. Isn't the trash just going to come back? Maybe - but one must imagine Sisyphus happy. So pull on those work gloves and join us for a bit of litter-picking! https://www.tcv.org.uk/media_hub/litter-picking-a-beginners-guide/

Welcome to our **Free Event - Master the Art of Communication**! Join us at the Church of Scientology **Life Improvement Centre** to learn valuable basics of communication and skills that will help you in both your personal and professional life. During this event, you will learn some fundamentals of communication - what is it, what are the vital parts of the communication formula.... and have the opportunity to participate in these new skills. Hear from trained and experienced communicators, and practice communication techniques in a supportive environment. Whether you struggle with public speaking, conflict resolution, or simply want to improve your relationships, this is for you! Come and discover the power of knowledge and how to achieve effective communication. Find out how you could guide and control communication in your life! Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your communication abilities and connect with like-minded individuals. We look forward to seeing you here!

Join me for a Sunday afternoon cuppa/drinks and nibbles to get to know one another in this beautiful hotel. Please do not sign up and forget about this - please cancel if you can no longer go.

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, April 22 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.