Minutes of the meeting at La Rosa Hotel on Thursday 19 September 2019.
Present: Jonathan, Sue Thomason, Jenny Burns, Lesley, Mike, Ian (chair).
Apologies: Adele, Graham, Roy, Louise
Topic: Members’ work-in-progress.
Matters Arising
Ian reported on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which took place as planned on 11 September 2019 at La Rosa Hotel, and passed round a balance sheet for approval, showing the books sold, the takings on the day and what was due to our supported charities. The gross takings were £154.04, of which £25.00 would be disbursed by Ian to Motor Neurone Disease Association, and £77.19 to Freedom From Torture, being what remained after reimbursing authors for the cost price of books sold. Ian would do this following approval of the accounts by the Group (…this has since been done).
Disbursements to the third of our nominated charities, Help For Heroes, were being handled personally by Jenny, the author of the poetry collection Voices of the First World War, the paperback edition being labelled on the front cover as all profits going to this charity.
The meeting instructed Ian to thank Helen and the staff of La Rosa Hotel for the splendid support they gave us for the event, especially the copious supply of delicious complimentary food.
Jonathan recommended the Society of Civil and Public Servants Writers to any member entitled to join. Ian conjectured that it might include himself. SCPSW runs regular competitions with cash prizes.
Jenny Burns reported that she was due to give a talk on her books next Thursday to a Book Group in Scarborough. This sparked a lively discussion which resulted in Ian requesting Sue Thomason to research local book groups and report back. Such groups were a good way for published authors to bring their books to the attention of a wider audience, and Ian saw no good reason why our website should not maintain an up-to-date list of all local book-reading groups, with contact details, as it does already for writers groups.
Members’ Readings
Lesley — read out an article: Childhood Memory, describing visits to Foxdenton Wood near Chadderton in Greater Manchester. The nearby Foxdenton Hall is the historical home of the Redcliffe family.
Ian conjectured that the article would be acceptable to Down Your Way without any alteration, or to some other local nostalgia magazine. Mike (who has published several articles in the magazine) reported that he no longer does so because they no longer pay for articles.
Ian — seized the opportunity to read one of the extracts he’d prepared for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, but had run out of time to read there. It was from his published novel The Titan Kiss.
It is 1975. Jack Williams (Anitra’s grandfather), en-route for Mars in search of his errand alien daughter-in-law, has just proposed to American groubist Kitty Martin on the Moon, and they both repair to the Gaiascope for the Ring Of Fire celebrations. But just at the show’s climax a mystery caller bids Jack by wristlink to rendezvous urgently at the Moon Dog: the hideous monument in nearby Månehundtorvet.
Sue Thomason — read a new short story: Three Wishes. Kezi, a high-powered career woman, is visited by Hestia, the goddess of home and hearth, who grants her three wishes. Kezi, displeased with any of the lesser gifts she is offered, elects to become a goddess herself, unaware of what it is like to attain such a rarified state.
Jenny Burns — read Chapter 18 from her novel in-progress, The Farm on the Moors.
It is 1799. Jacob and Lydia break with tradition and arrange a Christmas Party at the Farm. They are hoping to lessen the isolation of their nubile daughters, who will soon be needing husbands.
Jonathan — read the introduction to an unfinished piece: A Less Well-Known Dale. It describes Nidderdale, near Knaresborough, with its significant features such as Ripley Castle.
A busy meeting concluded at 12:50 PM.
Whitby Writers Group 