Glints of Gold
The Glints Creative Writing Group was set up in April 2016 in association with Glints of Gold Senior Citizen’s Club (organised by Kate MacLean in association with the Highland Council and NHS Highland). The main objective of the club is to ‘increase social opportunities for older people’ through a wide range of events and activities, thereby working against social isolation and creating a sense of community and inclusion.
Our initial aim in beginning Creative Writing classes (held at the Spectrum Centre, Inverness) was to provide a supportive and encouraging environment for individuals in the 50-plus age group who were thinking about starting to write creatively. Since then the group has gained its own unique momentum and identity and has produced some outstanding, varied and well-crafted material.
Earlier this year, the Glints writing group were awarded funding from Book Week Scotland to go towards a publication and two launch events. The theme for Book Week Scotland this year is ‘Nourish’ and we chose one of the sub-headings suggested for further exploration: ‘Feast’. The book forms the sum of our collective efforts and includes recipes for elderflower champagne, lasagna and soda bread as well as reflections on childhood, old age, the natural world, breakers yards and how to cope with bad coffee! In preparing the book, we collaborated with the artist and illustrator, Drew Hillier, who prepared accompanying images for many of the stories and poems. It is our further aim to profile this fruitful collaborative effort and the book itself by publically exhibiting some the texts and images side by side.
(Please contact mailbox@highlandlit.com if you'd like to purchase a copy of Glints of Gold, which costs £5.95. It's published by For the Right Reasons.)