Shut Up & Write!
2026-02-17 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-02-12 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-02-10 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-02-05 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-02-03 10:00 - 11:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Box Office, 77 Preston Street, Geelong West, VIC, 3218, Australia
SHUT UP & WRITE
Meet up with others, and write. No critiquing, exercises, lectures, ego, competition or feeling guilty. Just write.

Ponds Poets
2026-02-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Waurn Ponds Library, 230 Pioneer Road, Grovedale, VIC, 3216, Australia
This vibrant new group welcomes beginning, emerging and published poets. Attendees are asked to bring a selection of their works for creative discussion and feedback.

Dome Poets (Fully Subscribed)
2026-02-15 10:30 - 12:30 | VIC
This vibrant group of new, emerging, and published poets is fully subscribed. Interested poets are advised to join Ponds Poets instead.

Belmont Page Writing Group
2026-02-12 13:00 - 15:00 | South Barwon Community Centre, 33 Mt Pleasant Rd, Belmont, VIC, 3216, Australia
Belmont Page provides a supportive and nurturing environment for writers of all experience levels in all genres.
Second and fourth Thursdays of the month | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
South Barwon Community Centre, 33 Mt Pleasant Rd, Belmont
$3.00 which includes tea and coffee.
Please book beforehand: Contact Claudia Collins for further details and bookings – claudiacollins95@yahoo.com

Play Writing Workshop
2026-02-11 10:00 - 13:00, 2026-02-04 10:00 - 13:00 | Eastern Hub, 285a McKillop Street, East Geelong, VIC, 3219, Australia
With the Geelong Short Play Festival returning in 2026, Geelong Writers is conducting two workshops to assist scriptwriters with their submissions to the competition where six plays will be selected to be performed by local theatre companies at the festival on 14-16 August.
Convenor: Christine Croyden
Cost: $20 for members. $30 for non-members.
Completing both 3-hour workshops is recommended.

Geelong Writers Book Stall at Barwon Heads Market
2026-02-07 09:00 - 13:00 | Barwon Heads Community Hall, 79 Hitchcock Avenue, Barwon Heads, VIC, 3227, Australia
About
Market stall selling books by local indie authors! Next opening to participate: Term 4 (February to April- 3 monthly markets). Local writers are invited to submit up to 2 different books (max 20 copies total). Set your price; 100% of sale goes to the author!
Cost
Variable, as costs are split evenly between all participants. Costs cover: stall hire, public liability insurance, petrol & printing. Approx. $15-20 per participant for 3 markets.

2026 Short Play Competition Submissions Open
2026-02-02 - 2026-03-15 | Online
Following last year’s highly successful, inaugural Geelong Short Play Festival, when over 300 people attended the three sessions, the 2026 Festival is open for writers to submit original, fifteen-minute plays, six of which will be anonymously chosen by a panel of experienced judges to be performed by local theatre companies at the Geelong Arts Centre in August.

Ekphrastic Challenge #2 2026 Open
2026-02-01 - 2026-02-25 | Online
Ekphrastic Challenge #2 2026 is now open. Go to https://www.geelongwriters.org.au/competitions/ekphrastic-challenge/ for details.

Submissions close 25 February 2026.

The Courthouse Writers' Retreat
2026-01-30 11:00 - 15:00 | Courthouse Museum Writers’ Retreat, 11 High Street, Drysdale, VIC, 3222, Australia
About
A space for writers to meet, write and workshop their work. Be inspired by this quirky venue to write in an interesting environment away from home. Take the opportunity to share work/ideas with other writers and learn of/create local writing activities.

Fee $5 cash/visit. This goes towards museum running costs (power etc)
BYO coffee/lunch. Instant coffee/tea bags available. Café Zoo two doors away
Casual meeting/discussion/writing space in the main courtroom
Quiet Writing Room available suitable for up to five or six at a time
A prompt may be provided for those who like a challenge…to be workshopped with others at 2:00 pm

Ekphrastic Challenge #1 2026 Open
2026-01-01 - 2026-01-25 | Online
The first Ekphrastic Challenge for 2026 is now open. Go to https://www.geelongwriters.org.au/competitions/ekphrastic-challenge/ for details.

Submissions close 25 January 2026.

Festive Season Celebration
2025-12-17 18:00 - 20:30 | Industry 26 Cafe, 26 Pakington Street, Geelong West, VIC, 3218, Australia

Funniest 500 Competition Submissions Open
2025-12-17 - 2026-02-14 | Online
Entry to the Funniest 500 members-only competition is now open.
First Prize: $500
Theme: Hang on Tight!
Closing Date: 14 February 2026.
Go to www.geelongwriters.org.au/competitions/funniest-500 for guidelines and submission details.
