Chapter One Creative Writing Group

Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor

Visit now

Chapter One Creative Writing Group

Chapter 1 Books, Manchester
23 May 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
Book now

Chapter One is a haven of calm, coffee and now creative writing in the heart of the Northern Quarter. As a coffee shop that stays open later than most, it’s a welcoming and rare place to enjoy an evening activity without the presence of alcohol. Between their art classes and reading groups you can find like minded individuals to share a herbal tea with while you paint or discuss a common interest. Recently, they have introduced new weekly creative writing sessions for those who are keen to get more hands on with text.

Embarking on a creative project on your own can seem daunting. Often, the reason why people’s work goes unfinished is that it’s incredibly hard to complete something when you have to find the ideas, the motivation and the hard work from within yourself. A simple yet incredibly effective antidote to this common problem is finding a community that supports you in your mission. Creative writing groups like the one at Chapter One can be vital to keeping a writer feeling like their project is worth pursuing.

The sessions take place every Tuesday evening and are free of charge, you simply turn up with whatever you’ve created and you don’t even need to come up with all the ideas yourself. Each Friday, Chapter One is posting writing prompts via their instagram. These range in theme and can be interpreted however participants feel like responding. Let the prompts push you beyond your normal practise and lean on the group for feedback as you explore new creative territory.

With a group aimed at encouraging creativity and inclusion it’s no surprise that there’s a heavy emphasis on all levels of writer being welcome. Whether you’ve got a couple of English degrees and have been published or you used to write haikus about the people you had crushes on as a teenager your voice is equally valid within the group.

Sessions take place at 6:30 pm every Tuesday. Get involved via instagram and just turn up to the next session to see what the hype is about.

Where to go near Chapter One Creative Writing Group

York Festival of Ideas
York
Tourist Attraction
York Festival of Ideas

York Festival of Ideas is a cultural festival in York, England, that aims to “educate, entertain and inspire”.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Rat & Pigeon

A slice of alternative Manchester in pub form, down a grotty, gritty backstreet and with a disgusting name. What’s not to love?

Twenty Twenty Two in Manchester's Northern Quarter
Manchester
Bar or Pub
TwentyTwentyTwo

TwentyTwentyTwo (formerly 2022NQ) is a bar, art gallery and performance space in Manchester’s Northern Quarter that’s underground – literally & metaphorically.

Manchester
Restaurant
Sampa

Colourful Brazilian fine dining at Caroline Martin’s intimate restaurant, Sampa.

Calcio
Manchester
Restaurant
Calcio

Welcoming Northern Quarter venue, held above wonderful Brazilian food concept, Sampa.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

Foundation Coffee House Manchester
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Foundation Coffee House

An echoey, spacious coffee house in the northern quarter, filled with designer furniture, a meeting room on wheels and carefully-crafted brews.

Bundobust Manchester
Manchester
Restaurant
Bundobust Manchester

Head to Bundobust Manchester for fantastic and endlessly original Indian street food, all vegetarian (and often vegan).

What's on:

Pinocchio at the Lowry
Until
FamiliesMediaCityUK
Pinocchio at Lowry

Watch a playful, high-energy adaptation of Pinocchio where everyday objects become puppets and family relationships take centre stage.

Culture Guides

Theatre

Classic texts and new work meet in our Theatre Guide, featuring shows shaped by power, consequence and collective action.

Music

From underground festivals showcasing emerging talent to global icons unveiling new work, here are our latest live music highlights.

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is coming, at some point. As for now, it’s cold and grim so take our advice and shelter in a nice warm restaurant, pub or bar.

Exhibitions

From monumental to minutiae, this month’s exhibitions trace power, care and community across galleries big and small.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.