Inspiring writing for 11 years

For more than a decade, Pearl Wilson and Jenny Macaulay have come together to organise Midwinter Words, an annual literary weekend on the Bellarine, and this year is no different.

The event will return for its 11th instalment on July 26 and July 27, where the two locals have pulled together an exploration of flash fiction and short stories.

First held in 2011, the idea was inspired by Pearl’s earlier career and a community desire for a writers’ weekend.

Before retiring from journalism and public relations and moving to the Bellarine, the author worked at Monash Medical Centre, organising and training volunteers.

When first moving to the region, she started teaching creative writing at the local neighbourhood house as a way to meet new people, and met Jenny in the process.

“People were asking for more after they finished the course, it was six weeks, and I kept thinking about all those things I did at Monash,” Pearl said.

“I was trying to put it all together and I can remember Jenny saying to me ‘Do you need a bit of help?’, and that’s how it started.”

Jenny, a former primary school teacher, has always enjoyed writing, going to different courses and running a local haiku group, and saw the need for a local event.

 

“All sorts of different writing always appealed to me, and I find it a very relaxing thing to do, but it’s something that you can do on your own, but it then needs to be shared,” she said.

“And because I like it, I think other people must as well, so they must want to share it as well.”

For Jenny, organising Midwinter Words is almost an extension of her teaching career. Pearl similarly sees it as an extension of her journalism days.

Together the pair delivered the first event, hitting the ground running with a successful weekend that included 17 people, alongside guest speakers.

The event was so popular with the group that Pearl and Jenny were asked what they were going to do next.

“It always was a collaborative effort, it started with that idea, but it wouldn’t have gone ahead if it was just one of us doing it, it was a great team effort,” Pearl said.

 

Beyond the evolving topics and different presenters, the event hasn’t undergone many changes, with the organisers saying they run it the way people like it.

“A lot of the same people have kept coming back, because they like it the way it is and we’ve put out feedback forms and they’ve wanted it the way it is,” Jenny said.

“Why change something that’s working well?”

Pearl believes the reason it works so well is because it is more intimate than other events and attracts people who are passionate about writing.

“I think the theme through it all is it’s all levels of people’s writing, this year is the same you can be just trying it, or you could be someone who’s had books published,” she said.

“It’s got something for everyone but it’s not judgmental, some things you go to where people feel like they’re not good enough to read what they’ve written.

 

“It makes people feel comfortable to try, we just want people to try, we just want to help them to become better at what they do.”

As part of the offerings for 2025, this year’s writers’ weekend will feature author and RMIT University lecturer Clare Strahan, presenting a full day workshop on July 26.

To take place at the Boronggook Drysdale Library, workshops will range from creating a character and backstory through to showing and telling a story.

The second day of the weekend will feature flash fiction exercises with Ross Palmer, a librarian and writing facilitator.

While there are other literary festivals in the area, the Midwinter Words event runs slightly differently, with people physically working together, writing and sharing ideas, rather than listening to authors.

“It’s got a very participation focus to it,” Jenny said.

“People can come along and do it as a one-off just to have a bit of fun, a bit of writing or they can come and actually use it as a stepping stone to other things.

 

“Friendships have developed out of it as well and people are often making and have made new friends and seeing friends and going out for lunches.”

After 11 years, the two organisers are just as passionate about the event, with Jenny enjoying how spontaneous and instant it is.

“You can read it and it’s there; it’s in black and white, but I also very much like the group sharing and encouraging other people to do it.

“I think if I’m liking this, other people might as well, and I get a lot out of that.”

As this year’s event rapidly approaches, Pearl and Jenny are hopeful people will find enjoyment in the weekend and get the opportunity to meet more like-minded people.

For tickets and more information, head to trybooking.com/events/landing/1398245