Author: Croydon Writers

A writer’s group based in Croydon

Meet the Author

Jul 9, 2025

The Claret and Ale in Addiscombe is hosting book signing and meet the author sessions this week. Take advantage of a friendly local, with the bonuses of  Camra-approved ales and air – conditioning to find out about Addiscombe Murderers. Intrigued? Read on.

Local man and history buff Cane Hills will be on hand to sign copies of his book, “Addiscombe Murderers,1749-2021 “

Drop in, cool down, and meet the author.

The book records cases of uxoricide, ( killing one’s wife ), a shooting during the time of the Brixton riots, the killing of two men at the Good Companions pub on Hamsey Green and numerous grisly and tragic deaths. The author has a wealth of knowledge and has  undertaken hours of research, resulting in the publication of a fascinating account of dark deeds just on our doorstep.

Poets Anonymous

Jun 27, 2025

Members might be interested to hear about the regular local monthly sessions of Poets Anonymous. They meet in person on the First Friday of the month at Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Rd, Croydon CR0 1BD, from 8pm. The cost for attending is a very reasonable £2.

If you can’t get there in person, they also meet on Zoom on the Third Friday of the month at 8pm. Log-in details are sent out the day before.

To sign up for an online session or for further details please contact peter@poetsanon.org.uk

9 June – Open Meeting

May 31, 2025

Our meeting on 9 June was an open meeting, for sharing, reading work, and discussion. We read our work, which covered a variety of topics from the humble pressure cooker, a handbag, this “island of strangers”, childhood memories and death. 

A Croydon Writing Competition?

Jan 8, 2025

We are thinking of running a writing competition this year and would be interested in views. We provisionally thought that the competition should:

  • be called ‘The Michael Round Prize’,
  • be free to enter,
  • offer a first prize of £100 and a second prize of £50,
  • open for entries in June and close in September,
  • be open to anyone (ie not just members),
  • accept prose pieces between 1,000 and 3,000 words,
  • require pieces to be on the theme ‘Far and Wide’,
  • be judged by a panel responsible for producing a shortlist with final placings decided by a ‘celebrity’ judge (if we can get one),
  • require entries to be submitted by email, and
  • allow only one entry per person.

All of these points are very much open for discussion – let us know your thoughts in a comment, email, or at our next meeting.

Update: we discussed these suggestions at the January meeting. Members were broadly in agreement but thought the suggested theme sounded old-fashioned, and that a small entry fee was worth considering. The idea of a competition anthology was popular and members thought we might need to establish a competition sub-committee.

This will be discussed again at the February meeting – if you have ideas for a theme in the meantime, please email them to ecorduff@hotmail.com

10 February meeting

Jan 6, 2025

Jo Bodley performed her comedy routine to an appreciative audience.  Her quick-fire gags, infectious take on life, mental health and the horrors of the hospital ward were punctuated with clever use of props and audience participation. She had us in stitches!

The following Q and A session was lively, informative and funny. Jo outlined some of the many genres of comedy and gave a frank description of her journey through the process of becoming a stand -up comic. Favourite comedians were reflected on, with wide- ranging styles discussed. 

Members read self-penned pieces with a comic flavour. Phil’s take on the life of a fountain pen was thought-provoking, whilst Nikki ended the meeting in style with an extract from the inimitable Dorothy Parker. 

 Thanks to Jo for an uplifting session!

13 January Meeting

Jan 1, 2025

Simon led our January meeting, and asked members to bring along a pen portrait of someone to capture something of their character or story which we could share and discuss. Interpretations of a pen portrait varied and pieces in a range of different styles and interpretations were read, from brief biographies to evocative poems and a humorous obituary, Private Eye style.

Members also talked about progress with their latest projects, and the suggested competition.