Writers in Transition, an informal writers' group in Sarnia, Ontario

Lawrence House Centre for the Arts

Writers in Tansition (WIT) is a Sarnia-based writers’ group comprised of approximately 30 members, from professional and award-winning scribes to beginning writers, poets, and storytellers.

WIT members are involved in ARTwalk, organize contests, host book launches, poetry readings, author events, and writing workshops. On Sunday, August 22, WIT is sponsoring “How to Get Published” a full-day workshop with Brian Henry. Details here.

Regular Workshop Meetings

Members meet informally every Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Mall Road Library where they share their writing and welcome comments from the rest of the members. There are no fees, no board, and no executive. Anyone with a keen desire to improve his or her writing may attend. Poets, fiction writers, journalists, and beginners welcome. For more information, email Peggy p_fletcher@hotmail.com

Monthly Spoken Word Event
Check out Spoken Word where WIT members and the general public present new work and/or the work of a favourite author. Anyone may read or listen during these open mic sessions held on the last Friday of each month, except July, August, and December. The event starts at 8 p.m. in the Walter Petryschuk Turret Room of The Lawrence House Centre for the Arts. Admission is free. The evening is hosted by Lambton College English professor Ryan Gibbs and Ontario Poetry Society Vice-President, Debbie Okun Hill. For more information: spoken-w@hotmail.com

WIT History
First established in the late 1970s, Writers in Transition arose from a desire by local writers to support and encourage each other in a casual workshop setting. Many of the original members, Anne Beachey, John Drage, Jean Elford, Peggy Fletcher, Hope Morritt, Norma West Linder, and Carmen Ziolkowski, were former members of the Sarnia Creative Writers (established in 1963), an organization that eventually became a branch of the Canadian Authors Association. This core group has been working together for over 45 years. Many are still writing and attending WIT meetings.

Several members of WIT are also members of the Association of Italian Canadian Writers, Canadian Authors Association, Canadian Poetry Association, PEN International, The League of Canadian Poets, The Ontario Poetry Society, and The Writers’ Union of Canada.

For a closer look at WIT’s history, through true stories & fictional work by former and present members, pick up a copy of Ode to a Flattened Toad and Other WIT Stories: An Informal History of Writers and Writing Past and Present in Sarnia-Lambton (ISBN-13: ISBN 978-0-9732123-7-2), edited by former Sarnia resident Heather Rath, and now available for reading at your local library. This and other WIT books are also sold at First Friday events at The Lawrence House. Stop by the WIT table for more information!

For information about Brian Henry's writing workshops and creative writing coruses, see here.