The Workshop Meetings
The Workshop meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month from February to November.
Our Workshops on the 1st Tuesday of the month from March to October are on Zoom. All other Workshops take place in the downstairs Lindisfarne Room at St Aidans Church, 97 Onewa Road, Northcote. The car park entrance is via Woodside Ave (opp. no. 3). Click here for map. Parking also on Onewa Road after 10am.
The doors open from 10 am for members to mix and mingle prior to the meeting and help set up the room. Tea and coffee should be ready by 10.15 am – you are welcome to bring biscuits or a gold coin would be appreciated. Come early and get to socialise with other writers.
The Workshop starts at 10.30 am sharp and continues through to 12.30 pm.
First up is the readings of the day's 100-word trigger. The 'trigger' word(s) will be supplied prior to the meeting. Your challenge is to use the word(s) in no more than 100 words total – or exactly 100 words for an even greater challenge.
Click here for the List of Triggers for 2026.
This is followed by a workshop with an IWW member or a guest tutor, or the results of an IWW competition followed by readings.
Prospective members may attend two Workshops before making the commitment to join. At Workshops with guest tutors a $10 fee for visitors applies (and will go towards membership fees if deciding to join at end of first or second meeting). Due to the popularity of some of our Workshops and space constraints at our venue, some meetings may be 'Members Only'. These will be advertised as such on the website.
Upcoming Workshops
- Tuesday 4 August 2026
Workshop Meeting
Venue: Zoom (link to be announced via email).
Visitors $10.
| |
Trigger
... in the dead of night ...
Workshop
Memory Writing Workshop with Margaret Moores
IWW is delighted to welcome Margaret Moores as presenter for this Workshop in the the lead-up to the next IWW writing competition, which will be for a Memory Story inspired by a personal memory and written in first person point of view up to 750 words.
Margaret asks that participants provide a photograph of themselves up to about 12 years of age for this workshop. Details where to send will be sent by email.
Margaret, who has a PhD in English and a Masters in Creative Writing from Massey University, was the winner of The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems in 2022 where her poems were inspired by family photographs.
Competition Due
A Single Poem – up to 40 lines, to be judged by Gail Ingram. Check out her bio on her website
theseventhletter.nz
What Gail looks for in a poem
- Originality of language – surprising word choices, images and sounds
- Insight – that moment in the writing where the view of the writer/reader shifts and we gasp; we discover something about the the world and ourselves
- Fine crafting – that movement across a line or stanza, the subtle play of the poem's shape, deliberate repetition not accidental, form enhancing content
What Gail would rather not see in a poem
- the flip side of above points – not original (cliched, same old language)
- doesn't have movement towards discovery, merely descriptive
- the form, shape, language of the poem doesn't really capture or enhance what the poet is trying to say
An email with submission instructions will be sent to all 2026 IWW members. Submissions will open on Wednesday 29 July and close at 5pm on Tuesday 4 August. The Monthly Competition Rules apply.
|
- Tuesday 18 August 2026
Workshop Meeting
Venue: Lindisfarne Room, St Aidans.
| |
Trigger
... bolt ...
Workshop
Results of the Single Poem – up to 40 lines judged by Gail Ingram followed by readings of the poems from those who entered and are at the workshop. Entrants, please ensure you have a copy of your poem with you to read.
Members Share segment
A member-hosted writing prompt or activity.
|
- Tuesday 1 September 2026
Annual General Meeting and Workshop
Venue: Zoom (link to be announced).
Annual General Meeting – starting at 10.30am sharp.
Matters to be dealt with include:
- Minutes of the 2025 Annual General Meeting
- Presentation of Annual Reports and accounts for 2025-2026
- Election of officers
- The setting of the annual subscription
- Other business that was sent to the secretary as a remit (in writing) by 11 August 2026
Click here for access to the AGM forms.
This will be followed by readings of today's trigger and a short workshop.
| |
Trigger
... under construction ...
Workshop
Following the AGM, if time, there will be a member-hosted activity or writing prompt.
Competition Due
Memory Story – a personal memory written in first person point of view, up to 750 words, to be judged by Margaret Moores.
This competition is open to paid up IWW members only.
An email with submission instructions will be sent to all 2026 IWW members. Submissions open on Wednesday 26 August and close at 5pm on Tuesday 1 September. The Monthly Competition Rules apply.
|
- Tuesday 15 September 2026
Workshop Meeting
Venue: Lindisfarne Room, St Aidans.
| |
Trigger
‘... turkey ...‘
Workshop
Results of the Memory Story judged by Margaret Moores followed by readings and synopses from the entrants into the competition. Entrants, please ensure you have a copy of your entry acccessible.
Members Share segment
A member-hosted writing prompt or activity.
The Kathleen Grattan Prize for a Sequence of Poems manuscripts, deadline 6 October (see below), can be handed in to the Competition Secretary at today's Workshop.
|