After a chat between local writers, Mary Nightingale Bell and Chris Robinson, about the need for a writing group, Easington Writers was set up about ten years ago. It has developed into a springboard for burgeoning writing talent in the Easington District.

Easington Writers frequently works with others, for example East Durham Creates’ Easington Stories project where members of the community, adults and children, worked with Easington Writers to write about their perceptions of Easington past and present. For the last few years the group has also worked on the Crossing the Tees writing project as part of Tees Valley Book Festival.

While some members of the group are published more widely in poetry and short story anthologies and on the radio, other members of Easington Writers have gone on to place writing at the centre of their lives, including founder members Mary N. Bell and Chris Robinson. Mary has published books; her ‘Chronicle of Easington Colliery’, published in 2014, is available on Amazon.

Easington Writers focussed originally on heart felt narratives based on Easington’s mining heritage and contemporary tales of the disaffection of the young and the social consequences of the lost industrial base. Their tales and poems in the third anthology, ‘The Salt of the Earth’ now often focus on the beauty of the beaches, denes, and the sea; on the idiosyncrasies of the modern world with unique humour and lyricism.

Some members of Easington Writers are now producing novels which are independent of the work of the group but which are still supported by the group’s critiques and guidance. We look forward to working on our fourth anthology, with the theme of Fire, our ideas are sparking already.

Click here to read the full history of Easington Writers.

Edit Mode

Easington Writers work with HMRS

Easington Writers have been working at Peterlee HMRS as part of a focus on the mental health and well being of staff.

Pauline Long worked with members of the Tax office team, during their breaks, discussing approaches to creative writing; critiquing work and ways forward with their writing. This was an event organised by the workers' union to encourage tax office workers to engage in creative activities to help to relieve stress.

Several team members already had pieces of writing on the go which they had become stuck with or had abandoned; having the chance to talk to a member of Easington Writers group encouraged them to take up their writing again and see it with a fresh eye.

Pauline was available from 4pm-8pm so that any workers at the tax office could drop in to have a chat during their break time. After chats and discussions on approaches to writing, how to structure their work, genres and many other topics, some budding writers followed up the session by forwarding their work to the group for critique and follow up. The process was so popular that Easington Writers have been approached to carry out follow up sessions.

A donations was made to the group which was then passed on to the Food Bank at Easington Welfare and Social Centre.

Merryoaks WI, Neville's Cross, extends invitation to Easington Writers

Easington Writers have been invited to the next meeting of Merryoaks WI, at Neville's Cross Primary School, on July 9th to give readings from 'The Salt of the Earth' and to answer questions about the writing process.

The group will be reading and chatting about the book and how it came about from 7pm - 8pm at the school in Relly Peth, Durham. Copies of 'The Salt of the Earth' will be available to buy.