All Roads Lead to Bute (Feb, 2008) NEW

Gordon's 6 minutes of Fame (June, 2007)

New web address (Feb 2007)

Steve Rae (December, 2006)

More Success for Alison

Our New Chairman (June, 2006)

It's here at last - our new anthology! After two years of compiling, complaining, considering, and editing - it's finally finished, and we'll all very pleased with the result. We spent a good deal of time looking into various small press publishers for our 'masterpiece' - and in the end we opted for Leaf Books (www.leafbooks.co.uk) - and aren't we glad we did! They've made a super job, and we were all smiles when the books were finally taken out of the box at our last meeting. We even broke open a couple of bottles of Champagne!

So all you have to do now is read it. And you can do that by buying a copy from good old Leaf Books themselves. Click Here. Happy reading.

Geo. R. MacDonald

When we received information about a six minute playwriting competition run by Total Beast Theatre Company a few months ago, four or five of us thought we'd have a go at it.

But you know how these things go: you write what you think is the best thing since sliced bread, kiss the envelope, and send it off with every finger crossed. Then you hear nothing. Nothing, that is, unless your name happens to be Geo. R. MacDonald (or Gordon, as we know him).

No, he didn't win first prize - but he came very close. Highly commended, no less, and one of the top ten plays received. And not only that, but Gordon's play "The Bus Shelter" will be performed at a special event in London this August. As the judges said, the play was "funny and touching with good characterisation."

He hasn't been in the group two minutes, and he's produced six of the best. All we can say is, WELL DONE GORDON!! More of the same again, please.

http://www.totalbeast.co.uk/sixminute.html

www.butewriters.co.uk

We have moved our site to a new address - www.butewriters.co.uk. The reason for the change is simple: it's a lot cheaper!! More news to follow soon.

We were very sad to hear about the recent death of our own Steve Rae, after being diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2006. Steve made a great contribution to the group, both with his writing and his perpetually cheery demeanour, and it was great pleasure to know him as both a writer and a good friend. Before his death, Steve was working on his memoirs, which his wife Joyce hopes to put in book form in the near future.

Apart from writing, Steve was Chairman of the Bute Outdoors Centre and an active member of the island's chess club.

He will be greatly missed.

Jenny Campbell

At this years AGM, with the retirement of Maureen O'Neill from the Chair, we welcome Jenny Campbell as our new Chairman of the group. Jenny brings to Bute Writers her experience at SAW Conferences, her short story and article writing, and the experiences of writing a first novel.

Our Treasurer Dave Melville stands down from his position after many years at the post (too many to mention, says Dave). We thank Dave for his unstinting efforts looking after our books over the period: he deserves a medal. Dave hands over to newcomer George MacDonald. It's good to see George getting involved in the club so soon.

With the growth of writing competitions (particularly on the Internet) it was thought that a new post within the club should be created - that of 'Competitions Secretary' - and we are very gald to have Kris Manvell as the first person to hold this office. Kris brings to the task his enthusiasm for finding and entering competitions, and says he is keen to link our programme to the various writing competitions available. Watch this space for more competition winners from Bute Writers!!