About Writers' Works Bern, Switzerland

By: aromaproductions on 7:52 PM

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Writers' Works' Bern

 

Writers' Works Bern is a group of writers who live in Switzerland and write in English. The group was started in 1992 after a writers conference that was held in Zurich.  The group's members are international. They come from Australia, South Africa, The Virgin Islands, Barbados, England, Ghana, Switzerland, and the USA.

First based in Bern, the group is now based in Biel, Switzerland. The group has published four poetry collections: Writers' Works Berne Anthology 2000, Wittwer Druck Bern, 2000, Mind the Gap: Stories and Poems from Writers' Works Bern,Wittwer Druck Bern, 2004, Jigsaw: Writers' Works Bern Prose and Poetry, Gnaegi Druck Ag. Berne,2007 and Jigsaw: Writers' Works Bern Prose and Poetry, CopyQuick Media Center Regli, Thun, 2010. 

Our last poetry and prose collection was published in 2014 and we are overdue for another.

Our members consists of  Agnes Bieri (Ghana), Sue Birrer (Australia), Glynis Gertsch (South Africa), Archie Hooton (USA), Irene Käsermann (Biel, Switzerland), Althea Romeo-Mark (Virgin Islands/Antigua), Mary Lou Melville (USA), Kate Mühlethaler (UK), Susan Räber (UK), Irene Ritter (France/UK), Lorraine Watson (UK), Sylvia Wiederkehr (Barbados), Kitty Hooton (Geneva, Switzerland) and Josephine Frei (UK).  Almost all non-Swiss born members are married to Swiss nationals, have raised families in Switzerland and are now have duel nationalities.

The group meets on the 1st Saturday of each month in Biel, Switzerland. Members travel from various part of Switzerland to this destination as some members live in Geneva, Montreux, Luzern, Solothurn, Fribourg, Basel, and small towns near these cities.

Our recent deceased member is Barbara W. Mott (USA) who departed in 2011.  Members who have returned home or moved away because of work are: Duncan McGibbon, who now resides in Bath, England, Margret Powell, who now resides in Oban/Argyll, Scotland and Susan Pareto Rose who now resides in Petaluma, California.


Once a year, in summer, we meet to socialize and not talk about writing, but share stories about our holidays, family and our places of origin. Since we come from different parts of the world, there are always interesting things to talk about. We bring food and drink from our country of origin and enjoy the beautiful landscape which surrounds us. Sue Birrer is usually the host of these social events as she has adequate room and a large swimming pool for those willing to dive in. She is multi-talented. Here she is playing the guitar, and Lorraine is singing along.

In 2012, several of our members became "new baked" grandmothers. Our next grandchild will arrive in February.

We are writers and also friends.  Our friendship guarantees very frank, constructive criticism and has made us better writers.  

We attend international writers' conferences whenever the opportunity arises as they are stimulating and connect us to writers from all over the world.  










On the Right, below is our member, Barbara Willoughby-Mott, who passed at the age of 63 in 2012, right before retirement.  Irene Ritter, on the, left, a former journalist and a writer of children's books, is proudly our oldest member.

 Archie Hooton, whose wife was raised in Spain, is our resident expert in the making of sangria.  Here, we are drinking wine.  The sangria was so delicious, it was finished in no time.

Archie Hooton and his family entertained members of our at his home in Geneva in summer 2013. Unfortunately, many of us were away on holiday and did not partake of that wonderful feast. He published his first novel, The Reluctant Spy that same year.

Archie Hooton, center, is holding a copy of his novel.

We are about to embark on our fifth JIGSAW: WRITERS' WORKS BERN anthology. Copies of our previous anthologies can be seen below.