Discovery Writers – Our History in Words and Works

Hurstville’s Discovery Writers embrace the power of the word through poetry, plays, memoir and fiction. The group meets on the last Tuesday of the month 1-3pm (excluding January and December) at Hurstville Library.

Begun in 2007, the group has continually provided creative writing afternoons, with local projects their forte.

After a call-out by Community Development Officer, Anne-Marie Wiles, of the then Hurstville City Council, interested locals started meeting once a month. Creative writing workshops, led by local playwright Pat Cranney focused on the enhancement of writing skills, with a variety of community-based projects initiated.

The group was soon encouraged to stand alone in their administration, and a steering committee was formed.

In 2011, poet Margaret (Margo) Owen Ruckert began as Facilitator, presenting monthly workshops for ‘Hurstville Discovery Writers Group’. This name was later changed, removing the reference to Hurstville, due

Projects were often supported through a Community Grants Program, and this furthered innovative ideas.

Over the years, Discovery Writers have hosted literary competitions, workshops with well-known writers and produced regular publications. One year, an exhibition of ‘concrete’ texts, using screen printing techniques, was held at Hurstville Library. The group has featured on local radio 90.1 NBC FM. In 2017, the group won a Community Group Achievement Award, presented by Mark Coure MP, Member for Oatley. Recently, texts written for exhibitions as Hurstville Museum & Galleries, have been published on the Museum’s blogsite.

In 2021, Discovery Writers were welcomed into the Georges River Libraries’ Adult Program, with the group granted use of the Miles Franklin Room. During COVID times, when the room was unavailable, meetings continued over the Internet. A collection of Discovery Writers’ publications, held in the library’s Local Studies section will give future researchers an idea of ‘what life was like back then’.

Discovery Writers organise their own program, with a yearly theme inspiring talks and anthologies. Their Constitution allows for regular elections, with Facilitator, Secretary and Treasurer the main office bearers.

Monthly meetings now include a short professional development segment. Each writer has the opportunity to research a literary topic and present a talk. Writing exercises and readings of works complete the afternoon.

Networking is encouraged during the afternoon tea break.

With encouragement from their peers, members have published memoirs and poetry collections. Poets feature regularly on internet sites. The membership includes winners of major poetry competitions, a winner of an international film competition and those highly successful in scriptwriting.

Hurstville is a central point of contact for growth and development of local writers, whose age and background are no barrier to success. All levels of government have provided support at some stage, an assistance necessary for the competent delivery of voluntary services.

In their writing room, away from the everyday, individuals can reflect and write, imagine and rethink. In this way, not only the local community but the world-wide web of readers are strengthened by the works of

group’s members have been at the ‘write’ place and time, as they carry out their ‘write’ community support, for such recognition. BY 2027, the group will have encouraged and assisted local writers for two decades.

What an achievement milestone that will be!