On the first Wednesday of May, The Amba Writers Collective, a free monthly writer group created by the House of Amau in association with the Islington Council will be launched in Islington.
It will be held in the Central Library: 2 Fieldway Crescent, London N5 IPF
House of Amau is a group that campaigns for the recognition of African Carribean artists. They do so by creating opportunities for these artists to develop their art and by promoting their work.
However, The Amba Writers Collective is open to anyone regardless of their origin.
The first session of the meeting group was originally scheduled for April, but it had to be rescheduled due to the illness of the group’s facilitator, Bishop Ngoma.
Each meeting will take place on the first Wednesday of every month.
“Though facilitated, it is not a class but a development opportunity where participants learn from each other,” said Mr Ngoma.
Each month, members will be expected to produce a piece to share at the next meeting session based on a specific theme. They will share their work with the rest of the group and receive feedback.
“It is the ideal forum to try out new material and share ideas in a friendly and informal atmosphere, as well as giving and receiving helpful feedback,” said Mr Ngoma
“This mutual support group welcomes novelists, short-story writers, playwrights, poets, and other creative writers of all abilities, experience and cultural background,” he added.
Everybody, no matter their writing level is allowed to take part in the workshop.
“You need not be a prolific, hugely experienced or amazingly talented writer but you must be serious and disciplined,” explained the fifty-nine years old facilitator.
All throughout the duration of the Amba Writer Collective, Mr Ngoma will also be available to give one to one tuition. However, this will be charged.
Though not a writer by profession, Bishop Ngoma “has been writing has long as he remembers.”
He regularly writes poems and short stories and even published a biographical fiction novel called Spread your wings, loosely based on his own childhood, back in 2010.
At the moment, Mr Ngoma’s main job is to manage the various cultural events organised by the House of Amau.
Writers in the borough were ecstatic at the news of The Amba Writers Collective arrival.
“I’m very happy that a writing workshop is being organized in Islington and it’s free, so it’s even better,” said Miranda Valls, 22, an aspiring writer . “I think, it’s always easier to improve as a writer when you’re working with other people.”
For more information concerning the Amba Writers Collective, you can contact the House of Amau at houseofamau@gmail.com
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