SLO County California Writing Club chapter hosts author lectures, poetry book celebration 

Based in Nipomo, the Coastal Dunes chapter of the California Writers Club (CWC) will be celebrating its fifth annual Anthology of Prose and Poetry, a free event meant to expose locals to the vast world of creative writing.

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• Photos Courtesy Of Viviana Hall
• BELOVED FOUNDER Catherine Kitcho, who created the Coastal Dunes chapter of the California Writers Club in 2014, has written books in fiction, business, marketing, humor, cooking, and wine and spirits.

The CWC prides itself on being the oldest writing club in the country, and the Coastal Dunes chapter was founded in 2014 by Catherine Kitcho. She focused on discovering new authors from around SLO and Santa Barbara counties, assisting them in developing their talent, and sponsoring free educational meetings to promote professional growth, said current CWC President Viviana Hall.

"Each branch is a hub for writers to meet and cultivate the craft of writing," she said. "Our events are held on the first Saturday of each month at the Nipomo Library from 10 a.m. to noon, and admissions are free."

Hall said professional writers, including professors and authors, hold lectures and workshops and answer questions for attendees.

"The workshops are on various themes and genres, whether crafting compelling mysteries, penning heartfelt memoirs, writing poetry, or mastering the art of speculative fiction," she said. "Whether you dream of traditional publishing or want to explore self-publishing, our events cover it all."

This month, members are in for a special treat as the CWC will launch its fifth annual Splash event.

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• Photos Courtesy Of Viviana Hall
• TO TELL THE TALE Mary Firestone, who wrote about her experience surviving the 2018 mudslide in Montecito, will speak as part of the fifth annual Splash at the Santa Maria Public Library.

Held at the Santa Maria Public Library on Oct. 13 from 1 to 5 p.m., this event will host lectures from California authors as well as offer a sneak peek at the chapter's new Anthology of Prose and Poetry book. Local artists who are featured in the book will have five minutes to give readings of their poetry and stories.

The first round of presentations will include talks from Mary Firestone, who wrote a memoir about surviving the Montecito mudslide in 2018; Lida Sideris, a Southern California author who writes mysteries based loosely on when she was working as an entertainment attorney for a well-known movie studio; and Mara Purl, a former actor from Days of Our Lives turned author who writes the Milford-Haven novels.

The second round of lectures will host Gerald Di Pego, a screenwriter who helped create movies such as The Forgotten, Angel Eyes, and Message in a Bottle before he bacame a novelist and wrote the book Laketown; club founder and SLO County local Kitcho, who's written nine books and is currently working on her book series Dark Side Redemption; and Lee Herrick, a Fresno City College professor and California poet laureate who's published four poetry books.

"At the end of the presentations by our speakers, we will be introducing our fifth Anthology of Prose and Poetry and bring our community and club closer to the craft of writing," Hall said. "This is an event that is for everyone, and we will provide free snacks and refreshments."

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• Photos Courtesy Of Viviana Hall
• POET LAUREATE A Professor at Fresno City College, Lee Herrick has two poetry books published, with his most recent book published in September 2024.

Hall said CWC's roots date back to 1872 after a group of San Francisco Journal journalists founded The Bohemian Club in San Francisco, which provided an environment for young male artists such as Jack London and Mark Twain to meet.

Similar clubs that allowed women to join started to pop up in different Bay Area cities, and in 1909, Jack London and a few of his friends from The Bohemian Club decided to break off and start their own group, the CWC. There are now 22 branches across the state, from Orange County to Mendocino.

"This period prioritized moral equity and fundamental human rights where the California Writers Club emerged," Hall said.

The club was formed to celebrate writers' impacts on society, as their words help shape societal values, cultural narratives, and community engagement, she said, and that mission is still true of the CWC today. Δ

Reach Staff Writer Samantha Herrera at [email protected].