#10: September 2024
Grants for writers, weekly writing groups, & more!
Welcome to Camberville Lit!
We accidentally took a bit of a summer hiatus, but we’re back with information about new grant opportunities, upcoming events, and writing groups. We hope you’re having a lovely autumn so far!
Opportunities
[Somerville] Local Cultural Council Grants
Fellowships are available for artists based in Somerville. Fellows receive a grant to support their work, and complete a community benefit component to give back to the community. Fellowships are awarded in: cultural heritage, dance/theater, film/video, literature, interrelated media, music, and visual arts. Apply by October 16.
[Massachusetts] Grants for Creative Individuals
We believe creativity has the power to transform society and make our state a better place to live, work, and thrive. Grants for Creative Individuals are unrestricted grants of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners to equitably advance creative expression throughout our diverse communities. Apply by October 24.
Upcoming Events
[Cambridge] Marian Schembari at Harvard Book Store
Monday, September 30 at 7pm
Harvard Book Store welcomes Marian Schembari—essayist with works featured in the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Good Housekeeping—for a discussion of her new book A Little Less Broken: How an Autism Diagnosis Finally Made Me Whole. She will be joined in conversation by Shalene Gupta—local journalist and author of The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD.
[Somerville] Worldbuilding Wednesdays
Wednesday, October 9 & 23, 6-7:30pm
Gearing up to write 50k words of the next great fantasy novel in November? Or maybe you just really like worldbuilding games? Either way, join us for two Wednesdays of worldbuilding, community, and fun! Hosted at Side Quest Books & Games; tickets required.
[Cambridge] Wednesday Night Creative Writing Group
Wednesday, October 16 from 6:30-8:30pm
Writers of all experience levels are invited to join a casual, peer-supported writing group. In this group, participants take turns bringing short in-progress or completed pieces of any genre. The group reads several pieces each month, sharing feedback and constructive criticism in a supportive and inclusive environment. Registration is required. Hosted at the Cambridge Public Library.
Recurring Events
[Somerville] Side Quest Cozy Hour
Every other Sunday from 11am-12pm
A Sunday morning hour of peace and quiet where you can bring your book, your writing project, or your solo RPG and just soak in the vibes! Tickets are $5, which can be used for store credit — only 12 spots available per week! Hosted at Side Quest Books & Games.
[Somerville] Shut Up & Write!
Tuesdays at 7:30pm
Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done around other people doing the same thing. Hosted at Mr. Crepe in Davis Square.
[Cambridge] Boston Poetry Slam
Wednesdays, doors at 7:15pm
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. This is the flagship show of the Boston Poetry Slam and the entire night is devoted to the craft, performance, and enjoyment of poetry. All shows include an open mic and a featured poet or slam.
Local Spotlight
[Bi+ Book Gang] Writing group for bi+ writers open to new members
Calling all bi+ writers! If you are new to writing or a well-established author, the Bi+Book Gang welcomes you. With a rich Discord server, weekly accountability groups, publishing resources, writing workshops, and more, this writing group is open to any bi+ writer, poet, essayist, etc.
Are you hosting an event, launching a book, looking for a writer’s group, or running a workshop sometime soon? Let me know via this handy form and I’ll review it for next month’s issue!
Our next issue is scheduled for: Sunday, October 20.
Until next time,
Kay Marlow Allen (they/them)
Editor, Camberville Lit