HighlandLIT’s March meeting was the quarterly open mic, held at the Glen Mhor Hotel and streamed live on Zoom. There were 11 people in the room, and 6 on Zoom.
It was a lovely and encouraging evening. Those in the room certainly had a sense of friendship and fellowship as we shared the anger and indignation we all feel at what’s happening in Ukraine, and also as we were able to celebrate something of beauty and kindness. I hope folks attending on line were able to enter in somewhat to this writerly community in the face of the darkness of war.
12 people read (four of them via Zoom): there were poems from Timski, Cáit O’Neill McCullagh, Penelope Hamilton, Meg Macleod, Sharon Gunason Pottinger and Clive Grewcock. Duncan MacInnes and Graham Bullen read from novels-in-progress, Hazel McMillan and John Dempster shared non-fiction work. Scott Fraser read the opening of an intriguing short story, and Malcolm Timperley concluded the evening with a typical macabre story, this time in just 206 words.
It was an inspirational evening which left us wanting to hear more from each of these writers! Thanks to everyone who took part in person and on-line, to Cathy and Scott who ran the electronic systems, to John who chaired and to Drew who designed the flyer for the event.
(Malcolm’s piece features in 206 Word Stories: A Horror Anthology published by Bag of Bones Press. (There are 206 bones in the human body!) All proceeds are going to charity.)