Cutting Edge Writers : We are a small not for profit society
I’m Simon Watts. I was born in the Yemen of British descent. I grew up going between the Yemen and England until 10 – my father worked for the British government as part of the remains of the British Empire. I last went to the Yemen in 1964 not knowing it would be my last visit. I found schooling and English difficult. I focussed on Maths and Science. I worked for Shell for about 30 years in statistics and IT. I took early retirement aged 52. Without IT I would not have been able to pursue my interest in Creative Writing. In 2012 I joined a writing group and trained as a co-counsellor. In 2018 I self-published my first novel using the pseudonym Foresaw. In 2019 I started the Therapiece pilot. In 2021 I took on the running of Cutting Edge Writers (CEW).
I hope my writing and understanding of people are still improving! Find more about my writing here https://www.foresaw.org
~~~~ Role: Officer, Chair
I’m Georgina Parfitt (or Nini to some people!). I was born and raised in Norfolk, England, in a little village. I moved to Massachusetts when I was 19, to attend Harvard University, where I really found and explored my love of short stories. The next decade of my life was spent between the US and the UK, learning to write and teach. I now live in Liverpool. I am always at work on a short story and I’m excited to have one in the Best British Short Stories 2023, published by Salt. I met Therapiece in 2021, and was taken by how it gently transforms the traditional creative writing workshop into a time for personal discovery and helps people connect more deeply with others. I also have experience helping people to write and construct their life stories, so if you’re thinking about starting your memoirs, this is the place to be. You can find more of me and my writing here: www.georginaparfitt.com
~~~~ Role: Officer, Creative Writer
My name is Steve Morgan. I was born in Scotland, brought up in Hampshire and now live in East Suffolk. After a brief career in graphics and printing, I was mostly a vicar, but took early resignation several years ago. I have self-published one novel and three memoirs over the last ten years, but am best content with writing short, funny stories.
I joined the CEW main group some years ago and when the CEW journal started online, I tried it out; I find an ideal mid-week mood booster. The format is simple: we introduce ourselves with a chosen word. There is a fifteen minute writing time (using up to eight randomly generated words provided, or none), then members are free to leave if they so wish. The remnants are divided into smaller groups to share what we have written. Finally we come back together to briefly share parting thoughts.
The atmosphere is congenial and mutually supportive and I always finish the hour feeling energised, motivated and reaching for my keyboard!
~~~~ Role: Officer
Maggie Cammiss
Following a long career in television news I began writing seriously after I moved from London to Norfolk and joined Cutting Edge Writers. Write about what you know, they said, and my experiences in 24-hour rolling news provided a lot of inspiration for my first two novels.
Writing can be a lonely pursuit and the regular input and support from people who understand the process is a huge benefit.
I believe that staring into space with a cup of tea to hand is a legitimate use of my time and I take a notebook and pen everywhere because I’m an inveterate eavesdropper.
~~~~ Role: Officer, Bank Signatory