About Sheffield Novelists

Writing a novel is a lonely business.

That’s why, in 2009, several students and graduates of the Writing MA at Sheffield Hallam University got together for mutual support and guidance with their novels. Eventually, we decided to open the group to all writers working on a novel, and the group continues to be popular with novelists from Sheffield and the surrounding area. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out, or if you already have several novels under your belt, you’ll be very welcome.

Membership of the group is free. We are currently meeting virtually on Zoom on the third Monday of every month at 7.30pm.

Two weeks before each meeting, members send in extracts of their novels – usually around 3,000 words, or individual chapters, whichever works best – we just want to avoid group members being overwhelmed by the amount of reading. I send the chapters out via email to be read in advance. Constructive feedback is very important. Group members understand that joining a writing group can be a very nerve-wracking process, and everyone submits work, so it’s important to be kind to each other! However, it’s important to be honest too, and hopefully as a group, we help each other through our literary problems!

Sheffield Novelists also shares information and news for writers. We’ve entered writing competitions, and annually host the Novel Slam, as part of Off the Shelf. We are closely aligned to other groups for local writers, such as Sheffield Authors, and work to help keep a lively literary scene going in Sheffield.

If you are interested in joining Sheffield Novelists, email: sheffieldnovelists@gmail.com for more information.