Our 2027 programme - being finalized

MONDAY 4TH JANUARY 2027

QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, 7.30PM

Marc Lambert: Support For Authors

Marc Lambert will speak to us about the opportunities and resources available to writers through the Scottish Book Trust.

Bio - Marc Lambert studied history at Edinburgh University. He worked for Waterstone and Co. as a main fiction buyer, then for Penguin Books in Italy and the UK. After four years of interpreting contemporary art at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, he joined The Edinburgh International Book Festival, becoming the Assistant Director. In 2002 he was appointed CEO of Scottish Book Trust.

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MONDAY 18TH JANUARY 2027

ON ZOOM, 7.30PM

Esther Chilton: Writing Competitions – What Judges Are Looking For?

Esther will discuss her work as the leader of the Writers Bureau, an organization that helps teach creative writing through courses and workshops. She will share what she had learned about the craft of writing.

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Bio - Esther Chilton is a widely published, award-winning author of short fiction and novels. As well as working as a writer, she is a copywriter and editor. She is the principal of the Writers Bureau.

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MONDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 2027

QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, 7.30PM

Vesna Rajacic: Edinburgh Central Library Resources

Vesna will present on Lending and Children’s Library resources.

Bio - Vesna Rajacic is Library Development Leader for the Central Lending and Children’s Library Team at Edinburgh Central Library. She studied English Language and Literature,  and Comparative Literature at the University of Zagreb as first degree, followed by an MSc in Applied Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh and PG Diploma in Library and Information Management at Robert Gordon University.  Vesna worked in several Edinburgh community libraries, including Wester Hailes, Morningside, Moredun and Mobiles, in a variety of roles, as a Library Assistant, Library Officer and Team Leader before undertaking her current post in 2011. Her interests include language acquisition, information literacy,  reader development in reading groups, and impact of public libraries and reading on community health and wellbeing.

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MONDAY 15TH FEBRUARY 2027

ON ZOOM, 7.30PM

Jeremy Nelson: Tips on the Craft of Writing Poetry

Jeremy will speak to us about his winding journey into the world of poetry, from how he started in fiction and then shifted into writing poetry, to how he has established a successful career as a poet, and tips on the craft of writing poetry.

Bio - Jeremy Pak Nelson is a writer and artist from Hong Kong who now calls Manchester home. His work has appeared in Magma Poetry, Interpret, and others, and his climate fiction has been selected as a Grist: Imagine 2200 Editor’s Pick. He was writer-in-residence at UK Space Conference 2025. He holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and was part of the inaugural Poets of Colour Incubator program. His preoccupations include outdated methods of putting words on paper, folk fiddle, and the game of go. Jeremy became a City Poet of Manchester in 2026.

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MONDAY 1ST MARCH 2027

QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, 7.30PM

Flora Johnston: Scottish Historical Fiction

Flora Johnston will discuss her work in Scottish historical fiction, her approach to research and craft, and her experiencing publishing several novels.

Bio - Flora Johnston is a writer from Edinburgh with a particular interest in stories from Scotland’s past. Her latest novel, The Endeavour of Elsie Mackay, is inspired by a pioneering aviator from 1927, who dreamt of being the first woman to fly the Atlantic. Her other novel, The Paris Peacemakers, follows the stories of three Scots rebuilding their lives after World War One. Her debut novel, What You Call Free. She spent years researching adn telling Scottish stories through exhibitions, books and digital media, and has written several non-fiction books. Flora has a Scottish history degree from the St. Andrews University, has worked at the National Museum of Scotland, and worked in heritage interpretation.

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MONDAY 15TH MARCH 2027

ON ZOOM, 7.30PM

Connor McAleese: Speculative Fiction

Conner will explain what speculative fiction entails, what structural elements speculative fiction genres can contain, the boundary between speculative and other genres, as well as cross-genre work – and will give a writing exercise.

Bio - Conner McAleese is a writer, researcher, and educator based in Dundee. He holds a PhD in contemporary horror literature and has published fiction across the UK and North America. His writing explores trauma, familial decay, and theology. He teaches creative writing and literature through workshops and seminars across Scotland.

ON ZOOM, 7.30PM

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MONDAY 5TH APRIL 2027

QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, 7.30PM

Members Reading Event 

Our second reading event of the year. Come along and read out your revised work or new work. Same criteria apply: come prepared with up to 750 words or 3 minutes of a story to read aloud in a safe and supportive environment.  Ideally, a complete story or an extract from current work.  After everyone has read, we will break into small groups to share feedback.

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MONDAY 19TH APRIL 2027

ON ZOOM, 7.30PM

Annie ZH Sun: Short Fiction Writing Tips

Annie ZH Sun is a successful writer of short fiction who has published widely, and will share her craft tips on writing effective, well-structured, and thrilling short fiction.

Bio - Annie ZH Sun is a Chinese Writer who grew up in Malta. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing with distinction from the University of Edinburgh. Her work has appeared in Pseudopod, Flash Fiction Online, Hex Literary, Zoetic Press, and others.

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MONDAY 3RD MAY 2027

QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, 7.30PM

Zebib K. Abraham: Stakes, Jeopardy and Tension in Creative Writing 

Zebib will present some of the most important aspects of creative writing.  How to raise the stakes, introduce jeopardy and create tension when developing your plot. She will review characters’ internal and external motivation and the three-act structure.

Bio - Zebib K. Abraham is a psychiatrist and writer.

Her debut novel, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, is forthcoming from Amistad (Harper Collins) in 2027. She has published short fiction in Clarkesworld, Fantasy Magazine, Podcastle, Fractured Lit, JMWW, and more. She has also published non-fiction, film criticism, and poetry, performed as a storyteller, and run successful mental health and writing workshops. She attended Weill Cornell Medical College and graduated with a medical doctorate, and works as a psychiatrist. Z. K. Abraham is a recipient of the 2025 New Writers Award, under the Callan Gordon Award. She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow.

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MONDAY 17TH MAY 2027

ON ZOOM, 7.30PM

Edinburgh Writers Club Flash Fiction Competition 

Come prepared with up to 250 words of a complete story. Give your work a title. State the genre and read it out online.  Everyone has the chance to vote for their favourites and the winner will be presented with the Edinburgh Writers Club Flash Fiction Award at our AGM in May.

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MONDAY 31ST MAY 2027

QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, 7.30PM

Annual General Meeting (AGM) and 80th Anniversary

Celebrate our 80th Anniversary with a review of this year’s programme, ideas for next years and the presentation of the Edinburgh Writers Club Awards.