The Angus Writer’s Circle was founded in 1894 by Nathaniel Gutbucket, an illiterate toad sexer from Fithie, after he was miraculously cured of his chronic drool by his alien abductors. The first meetings were held in a small barn outside Gardyne, and were attended by Daisy and Mathilda, two Fresian cows, and Benny, Nat’s faithful three-legged dog.
From these humble beginnings, the Angus Writer’s Circle has grown to its present, international status.
Our mission: to promote the craft of writing for the pleasure and profit of our members.
We hold twice-monthly meetings, offering a varied programme of activities, comprising:
- Visiting speakers, talking on some aspect of of writing
- Guest judges, adjudicating our competitions.
- Club nights, during which members may read out their work for friendly and constructive comment.
- Social activities.
At all meetings we have members’ news, and information about events, courses, and competitions of interest to writers.
We have a small library, from which members can borrow books.
Interested in being involved? See here for types of membership.
This page has the following sub pages.
Angus Writers' Circle 
Can we do any better?
I wrote this because – well – I was a bit bored and needed some copy to fill up the space. But then I thought: Why not have a bit of fun!
Anybody fancy writing a short piece – 100-250 words – to explain the origins, aim, and operation of the club? The twist is: can you do it in a recognisable style? Philip Marlowe? Science Fiction? Mills and Boon? Your choice. The more sent-up, the better!
Go ahead, have a bash! I’ll put the best one up here, and put the remainder into the competition listings.
Let’s bring our great new website to the attention of the SAW committee and other writers’ circles. I’m very enthusiastic about it. I think it will pump new life into our somewhat stick in the mud club.
MOOORNING JULES
Great-great granpa Gutbucket wooold be so proud that tradition has led me to become the latest family member to join the circle. He always maintained that his sisters Daisy and Mathilda could not help the fact that due to the earliest genetic engineering experiments by those aliens (pre Dolly the sheep) the female side of the clan tended to keep the bovine atributes. Buying suitable bras will always be a lifelong problem for some of us but we do have beautiful rose gardens and can always make a few extra bucks at Christmas Panto Time
Contrary to what you might believe if you have read the other comments about Angus Writers’ Circle, we are in fact a lively group of writers at all different stages of writing. Some have been widely published and some are just beginners but we support and encourage each other. The group started in 1991 and has steadily grown and developed. There are currently over 20 members and we have club nights where we can read aloud our own work and get a constructive crit. on it if desired. Other evenings we have interesting speakers and adjudicators who are usually entertaining as well as being instructive.
If you would like to join us, you will be made most welcome and if you are expecting us to speak or write gobbledegook (Apart from the other comments on this website), you will be disappointed.
Can I Join Jules and Barbara’s Club? It sounds so much more fun. And so very inclusive.
Hi Ermintrude
Delighted to welcome you. Do join us. The gate is open.
Tell us about yourself and if you intend to come along to our meetings in Arbroath. I hope so.
Hi there all you fellow nutters,
I was horrified to read the opening paragraph on this site. I can assure you that the dog had as many legs as any other three legged dog. I know this because I am a founder member and have been in the club since 1894,(that’s the writing club not the pudding club) and have almost, very nearly been published in hundreds of magazines, brochures and chip wrappings. I hope the club continues to go from strength to strength and that all the gutbuckets and moo moos are as successful as what I have been.
PS Even after all those years I STILL don’t know where apostrophes go.
In 1894 it was reported in the Scotsman that a gang of coos rampaged over Arbroath to anihalate a great big chunk o’ the countryside.
As a researcher into bothy baddies I came across the above snippet by accident. My true mission was trying to find out where a group of mad pen wielders were hidden. Rumours abounded that these sly spys were instructing coos to share their tails; sorry tales through the quill. Unable however to grasp the ink and pen at the same time they broke out of their comfortable barn and were seem no more.
I believe they eventually mastered the craft, re-emerged from bracken to meet monthly in a Hotel in Arbroath. My mission, should I accept it, will be to face these intrepid animals along with those daring pen wielders on the 20th august, 7.30pm and see if they have indeed mastered the art and reached literary genius; or is it all dung?
this message will self desruct in two seconds;
see ya
jess
Dear potential members/fellow writers,
You must be either thoroughly bemused, amused or confused after reading any of the above. I am not as stick in the mud as my last entry may have seemed and all of us are as zany / sane ?/ entertaining / imaginative (or use any other adjective you wish to describe us) as you will find if you are brave enough to venture into our domain at the Viewfield Hotel Arbroath on the first and third Wednesday of any month throughout the year. Our Vice president (notice the capital V in Vice) Jules, hopes to have our programme on the website fairly soon so watch this space. Also look out for our new venue which we will be moving into around September as the Viewfield Hotel is to be closing. The good news is we will still be in Arbroath.
By the way I love Wilma T Gutbucket’s entry and she is just as amusing in person and in her poetry and prose. Keep the entries coming in folks (both members and non-members).
Was interested to discover the AWC this very evening, then disappointed to see that I’d missed the special event during the Brechin Arts Festival (I live in Brechin and only found out about the festival last week…no, I don’t get out much.)
Entertaining website too. I pity the 3-legged dog. I’d also be very inclined to turn up for meetings, except that my back shifts at work (which also contribute to my not getting out much) would make regular attendance rather awkward.
Still, I’ll be watching this space…
http://www.fenriswulf-books.co.uk
The Angus Writers Circle certainly read like an interesting bunch (who’d have thought it in Arbroath?).
I’m chuffed to bits that there’s a writers club nearby-ish as I’d love to be a writer when I finally emerge from school, but need some stimuli as living in a village with nought but my socially challenged parents for company and no car to escape in means I haven’t got much to get my brain going.
I look forward to meeting you all though I fear that won’t be till November.
I love your site! 🙂
Appreciate for your wonderful blog post. The info is exactly what I was searching for. I look forward for your updates and will undoubtedly be checking back again. One last note, I have bookmarked and tweeted about this post. Many thanks!
Was at the Falkirk Tryst today and very pleased to meet Eleanor and Grace who will be returning home as I type with an impressive haul of prizes!
All the best, and thanks again for your company today, ladies. Hope to make it up to one of your meetings some time.
Gavin
hi my name is sue wright i have a new web site for writers where we put their work on our web site and hope we can get a publishing deal for then we do not take any money from then if we get then a deal all we ask is five pounds per month to put their work on the web site is swbooksandmorebooks .com