A Literary Soiree

~ Margaret McCaffrey

It’s summer in Melbourne, but you might not know it. Rain poured down during our Elwood Writers‘ summer soiree this December. If you can imagine, it was a bit like inviting our guests to a literary Key Largo. No Lauren Bacall or Humphrey Bogart to hand, but we battened down the hatches nevertheless, and enjoyed a late afternoon of readings in memoir, poetry and fiction.

Being the resourceful characters that we are, Barry, Helen and I – despite Covid concerns – decided to go ahead with the event, throwing open the windows and keeping audience numbers low. The range of short pieces touched on everything from writers on writing to Samuel Beckett as ‘influencer’, from the allure of cupcakes to the mysteries of haiku and senyru. Tony Thomas, partner of the late Jennifer Bryce, performed readings of her heartfelt work and finished with a catchy limerick dedicated to the group itself.

Our guests were well behaved and stayed beyond ‘intermission’! (No need to lock the doors.) We warmed to our performances, as did the weather, which finally allowed the sun to shine through and into the living room. It has been a big year of change for Elwood Writers, and we were happy to round off the year with a commemoration to Jenny and a celebration of the spoken word. We look forward to heralding in the brightness of the new in 2024.

We hope you will stay tuned. Who knows, next year we may go public with our event.

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Published by Margaret McCaffrey

Margaret is a Melbourne/Naarm-based writer currently writing about the relationship she had with her father, a veteran of World War II, who was injured in Greece and a prisoner of war in Germany for four years. Excerpts from her manuscript can be found in American Writers Review, Jewels of San Fedele and Clairitage Press. Margaret was awarded a scholarship to the Norman Mailer Writers Colony in the US to develop her memoir. In 2015, she received her MA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University, PA. She writes non-fiction, memoir and the occasional short story.

6 thoughts on “A Literary Soiree”

  1. ‘A literary Key Largo’ – love it! And not only was there no need to lock the doors, we didn’t need the menace of an Edward G. Robinson to keep everyone in their seats. Although it’s a thought for next time, just incase.

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  2. They don’t make them like that anymore Margaret – Humphrey, Lauren and Edward G. I’m honoured to be named alongside the greats – in any context. It was a wonderful afternoon – the changeable weather just added to the atmosphere. I certainly am looking forward to heralding in the new!

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