Group Spotlight: London (Waterstones Piccadilly)
Consistency, Calm and Community create a successful Shut Up & Write!
Waterstones Piccadilly in the heart of London is widely considered to be Europe’s largest bookshop: six floors visited by thousands of customers every day, each browsing, discussing titles and at the point of purchase engaging in Britain’s greatest past-times of queuing – all in one of the city’s busiest and most tourist-y areas.
But visit the café on its uppermost floor on any given Saturday morning and an oasis amid the chaos emerges: anywhere between 25 and (at our recently-achieved record) 52 dedicated writers, headphones on and laptop-focused to the whirr of the coffee machines and the occasional visit by a bemused patron looking for lunch.
Welcome to the London branch of Shut Up & Write!
Formed by a dear friend who has now set up her next branch elsewhere, we – Nick, Laura and Sarah, a sci-fi novelist, an author of historical tomes and a thriller writer respectively – are the proud hosts of what has become one of the busiest branches of this great global network. For anyone who ever wonders what the impact of our groups can be, it can be huge: as one of our members Anna recently shared, she has “always dreamt of being a writer: since I discovered SUAW that dream finally feels like it could become a reality”.
We put our numbers down to three key factors: consistency, calm and, crucially, community.
Firstly, consistency: come rain or shine Shut Up & Write! (central London) happens – and the format is always the same. No matter who is hosting or how many are attending, we always start with introductions. Fear not the dreaded ice-breakers of workplace bonding: we simply ask people to say their name, and what they plan to write. This always reveals some surprises – we have people writing novels, poetry, short stories and non-fiction as we expect, but also those completing their theses, drafting job applications and journaling. Then there’s the format – 45 minutes of writing, followed by a 15-minute break and a further 45 minutes writing time. Everyone who comes regularly knows what to expect – but we also start every session explaining how it works for those who may be a new member of our group. Regular attendee Rowan recently said that it has become, “a wonderful spot to focus on my writing with peers as well as a place to have fascinating conversing about books and other pieces of media. Several times I have found myself staying for…an hour after a good session of writing just in pleasant conversation”.
Then there’s the calm. Like most, if not all, Shut Up & Write! sessions, we don’t look to take registers or monitor who is coming or going when. We welcome the early starters and the late-comers equally, and it is all very relaxed. It means anyone who may be having a more lazy start to their Saturday morning need not be put off attending – although space is increasingly at a premium! Annie recently arrived at Shut Up & Write! London for the first time, and said how “it feels great to balance the intense concentration of writing with a buzz around me”, while for Rahul, “it’s the only time during the week that I write and it’s all due to the accountability I have to the other wonderful writers that show up”. And in keeping with the SUAW ethos, everyone is welcome.
But we have also established community. That introduction at the beginning of every session enables people to identify those who may be writing in the same genre or simply the kind of thing that they have come to produce. And that 15-minute break between writing sessions enables – in fact, encourages – conversations to take place, writing experiences to be shared and friendships to be formed. Every new face is met as they arrive – but we also help them settle in, where we can introducing those people who they happen to be sat next to so they get to know the others attending – and as a consequence, those new people often quickly become just as regular as those they have shared tables with on their first visit. As Adam recently told us, “it’s great that there’s a community space for writers where they can meet. The venue itself is a lovely space and you’re always made to feel welcome”.
We have people regularly sharing their writing outside of our Shut Up & Write! meetings to get feedback which, while not the aim of our sessions, provides people with those crucial Alpha and Beta readers of their work. And we have sought to arrange events outside the confines of our Saturday morning meet-ups to provide more opportunities to forge those connections. As Siobhan describes it: “camaraderie, solidarity, the amazing focus of showing up to tie words together again – and it’s fun!”
Last year we had our first Christmas drinks and with a limit on numbers due to the size of the venue, it was oversubscribed. Even more successfully, our Summer picnic meant we all-but took over a large section of nearby St James’s Park, sharing food and drink (someone even brought their own margarita making kit) with views of the London Eye and the occasional visit of some very curious geese! Those friendships formed over keyboards and coffees were all present and correct, and have continued in the months since. And this is evolving, with some of the now-published authors that join us on Saturday mornings coming to us as hosts, generously offering to answer questions for those looking to follow in their footsteps – this is something we’ll be looking to pursue in the New Year.
Of course one factor we cannot entirely rule out for the numbers we attract to our group is convenience – being at the heart of London, at a venue easily accessible from major London Underground lines and taking place on Saturday morning do all work to our advantage! But these things alone would not be enough to keep people coming. Writing is, after all, a solitary business and even the most dedicated of scribes will find committing their weekends to their projects difficult after a busy week at work. The community we are creating, the calmness we offer and the consistency of our being at the café at the top of Waterstones Piccadilly all offer a place to take time in a friendly setting filled with people facing the same struggles and successes as them. And of course, who would pass up the opportunity to buy another book?
Nick, Laura and Sarah are the hosts and organizers of Shut Up & Write! London, which takes place 11:30-1:30 every Saturday morning. Find their group on Instagram @shutupandwriteLDN
Comments from members of Shut Up & Write! London:
“New to London to but not to writing groups – and this is the best I’ve ever attended!” – Anonymous
“A very welcoming group that delivers on its promise to Shut Up and Write! It’s only my second time, but it’s great to find a dedicated space and time to write, and to speak to fellow writers between sessions.” – Anonymous
“Camaraderie, solidarity, the amazing focus of showing up to tie words together again – and it’s fun!” – Siobhan
“I love the balance between serious write in silence and social interaction during the breaks. It is a very pleasant way to become a more productive writer.” – Anonymous
“I have been coming to the London Piccadilly group for a month now and really enjoying it. Great space, great atmosphere, well organised. It’s nice to meet other London writers too and learn about their projects and discuss our writing approaches. Will definitely block my Saturday mornings for this!” – Sonali Misra
“I come regularly – or almost regularly – because I love how the group is structured…also love the location among books, how wonderful and the time of the week which sits in with my lifestyle/work life. Love the people I meet here…it is also a good working environment where ideas are exchanged. Love it, love it, love it” – Patrizia Sgaravato
“It’s great that there’s a community space for writers where they can meet. The venue itself is a lovely space and you’re always made to feel welcome.” – Adam Martley
“I came to this community two years ago and it has been wonderful to connect to people, journeys together and get that wonderful creative support during this process.” – Anonymous
“This is my first time and it feels great to balance the intense concentration of writing with a buzz around me.” – Annie
“I have a feeling if I keep coming I’ll be rich soon,” – Gavin
“I finished writing my debut novel this year thanks to Shut Up and Write. It’s looking for funding now, but I would never got this far had it not been for this writing community,. This is a really wonderful group of kindred spirits.” – Kay
“Shut Up & Write! has accessed a wonderful spot to focus on my writing with peers as well as a place to have fascinating conversing about books and other pieces of media. Several times I have found myself staying for…an hour after a good session of writing just in pleasant conversation”. – Rowan
“With the power of peer pressure and having people working around me I finally get something done myself too! It’s great.” – Marco