Whether it pushes them to dig deeper, change tenses or points of view, or get to the heart of their story, finding a group can be a huge step in a writers’ journey.
The groups that we help to facilitate are relatively informal meetings where writers exchange work and feedback with one another. We help people set up feedback groups and are hands off from there, though every group must abide by a basic Code of Conduct to maintain access to our systems.
Active Groups
Duivens - Dutch Language Fiction (Online)
Over de Groep
In de Duiven-groep van Strange Birds geven schrijvers feedback op elkaars Nederlandstalige fictie. Sommige leden hebben al eens wat gepubliceerd, anderen zijn kersverse schrijvers. Er wordt geschreven in verschillende genres. De groep volgt het gebruikelijke Strange Birds format wat betreft de procedures voor het inzenden en feedback geven (zie de omschrijving van de meeting voor details). Er zijn momenteel vijf vaste leden, dus er is nog plek voor drie anderen. Als je mee wilt doen kun je RSVPen voor een meeting. Vragen kun je stellen via Meetup.
The Host
Herons - Poetry (Online)
About Herons
The Herons are a fortnightly critique group for poets from around the world looking to share their poems and get constructive written and verbal feedback. We’re open to all genres, forms and styles of poetry. Many Herons have published poems and are currently working towards a first chapbook or collection. That said, don’t worry if you’re new to poetry or if you have never been to a writers’ group. It is important to us that we create a safe and supportive environment for aspiring, emerging and experienced poets looking to help each other improve their craft. Just come prepared to read, discuss your work, and receive feedback with an open mind.
If you are interested in joining The Herons, please sign up through the Strange Birds’ MeetUp page. Most participants are regulars, which means that we cannot always accept new poets. However, you are always welcome to join our waitlist and/or audit sessions to see if you enjoy our feedback format. If you have any further questions, please get in touch with Joe or Dilys through MeetUp, or send us an email at herons.strangebirds@gmail.com. We look forward to meeting you and to reading your work.
The Hosts
Papegaaien - Open Genre Fiction (In Person)
About Papegaaien
The trouble with friends is that most friends don’t read, so you get them to look through your shiny new manuscript, and they give you terrible feedback. Our group is definitely less terrible! We’ve got folks working on novels, some short stories and one film script at the mo. We have a 2000 word submission max which helps you get through those longer pieces at a good clip. We’re an open group, so RSVP on MeetUp. Luc is pretty shit at Meetup, so you might also want to WhatsApp him. We meet in real life in the centre of Amsterdam
The Host
Platypuses - Open Genre Fiction (Online)
About Platypuses
The Platypuses is a group that started through our MeetUp page. We primarily work on fiction and are genre-agnostic. Some weeks it’s mainly literary realism, others it's sci-fi and fantasy. Many of our attendees are working on novels and we’ve got a strong contingent of regulars, so we are only very occasionally open to new members on MeetUp.
The Host
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Emil Čolić (he/him) is Yugoslavia-born, Australia-raised, Amsterdam-dwelling writer. His writing's been featured in blockbuster AAA video games, sci-fi literary magazines, chilling horror podcasts, and for many years before that, obnoxious TV commercials. You can find him on BlueSky @chol.ch |
Inactive Groups
Crows - Spoken Word Poetry Group
About Crows
The Crows are a fortnightly critique group on Thursday evenings for spoken word artists looking to share their work and receive constructive written and verbal feedback. We’re open to all genres, forms and styles of spoken word.
If you’re in doubt as to the definition of spoken word, you’re not alone. It is a broad blanket that covers a range of forms. Though some spoken word is published on the page, the genre has its roots in oral traditions and performance. Spoken word can encompass or contain elements of rap, hip-hop, storytelling, theatre, and jazz, rock, blues, and folk music. The form is characterised by rhyme, repetition, improvisation and word play. We welcome any contribution that lands in this vast basket.
Don’t worry if you’re new to spoken word or have never been part of a writer’s group; it’s important to us that we create a safe and supportive environment for emerging writers looking to help each other improve. Simply come prepared to perform, introduce and discuss your work with an open mind.
The Hosts
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Lachlan Brooksbank-Laing (he/him/his) is a Yorkshire-born poet with Scottish roots. What began as an angry young man writing political rap, grew with work into a love of words. Though spoken word remains his primary form, he has since expanded into poetry, short stories and lyrics. Lachlan regularly runs open mics around Amsterdam and is in the process of publishing a collection with Smokestack Books. |
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Alexander Cromer (he/him/his) is a spoken word artist living in Leiden. He is currently researching the interactions between spoken word performer and audience for a PhD. His work has been published by the Finnish Cultural Institute, and premiered at the Dutch National Opera House, Paradiso (Ams), De Marktkantine (Ams). |
Hornbills - Fiction Writers of Color
About Hornbills
This group was born out of the frustration writers of color often feel when sharing their culturally-nuanced work in primarily white and Western writing spaces. Rather than seeking to exclude, the members of this group meet fortnightly on Sundays to support and nurture each other with feedback that appreciates the richness that dialect, non-Western literary frameworks and diasporic narratives can add to the English literary canon. We’re an international group spanning three continents and specifically interested in adding 1-2 intermediate writers who have experience giving and receiving in-depth feedback. You are a writer of color if you identify as such
The Host
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Malaysian-born and of Sri Lankan Tamil ancestry, Ashanya Lingam spent a decade in the US before moving to Amsterdam. Her body of work largely centers around themes of identity and belonging for immigrants navigating Western spaces. She’s a 2021 Pushcart Prize nominee, with writing published in Boomer Lit, Litro Mag, Bold Magazine, and AAWW’s The Margins. She is one of the co-founders of Strange Birds. |
Lorikeets - LGBTQIA+ Prose Poetry and Fiction (Online)
About Lorikeets
A prose and poetry critique group focused on LGBTQIA+ authors
We are a Strange Birds queer-centric feedback group that aims to create a safe and supportive space for Own Voices stories and poems. ‘Own Voices’ means queer work created by queer individuals. We prioritize sign up availability for LGTBQIA+ folks first, allies second.
The Host
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Elena Sichrovsky (she/they/it) is a queer disabled writer who’s fascinated with telling stories through the lens of body horror. Through their work they like to explore the intersections of identity, grief, and rebellion. Her work has been published in Strange Horizons, Tenebrous Press, Nightmare, and Radon Journal, among others. Follow them on IG @elenitasich and X and Bluesky @ESichr, or read more on their website. |
Phoenixes - Memoir and Nonfiction Group (Online)
About Phoenixes
We’re a small group of international memoir / nonfiction writers. Are you working on a long-form project or collection of shorter pieces? Whatever themes you’re interrogating or exploring, this feedback group aims to create a supportive environment where you can feel free to relive and alchemise those thoughts, memories and experiences into a polished text. We’re specifically looking for dedicated writers interested in seeing their projects through to publication.
The Hosts
Scarlet Ibises - Caribbean Diaspora (Online)
About Scarlet Ibises
Christi runs the Scarlet Ibis’, a Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora fiction group run through Strange Birds MeetUp page. We put out a call for new members in the summer months (June/July).
“To date the group deals with fiction in short story and novel form (cap is 10,000 words). That said, we are open to creative nonfiction submissions. We have no restrictions on the type of fiction submitted. We are a group that typically write realist, magical real, or fabulist fiction but are open to other genres. You’re always welcome to join the waitlist or reach out to me via MeetUp if you’re curious to know more.”
The Host
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Christi Cartwright is a Bahamas-born, Bahamas and Hong Kong-raised, fiction writer who works in higher education and lives in America. She runs our Scarlet Ibis’ writing group, and loves every minute of it. |
FAQs
What role does Strange Birds play in the groups?
The critique groups themselves are run independantly by writers who serve as the groups Host/s. Strange Birds' role is mainly providing infrastructure such as Aoom links for feedback calls and a custom Google-based backend for managing submissions, duplicating and distributing them to each sessions' participants, and then returning those duplicates back to their original author with the readers' notes.
We do not provide a commercial service. We do not charge money.
Why are some groups classified 'Inactive'?
The groups themselves are a labor of love by the writers who host them, and those who come to share their work and feedback. As such, groups often pop up for a few years and then eventually, naturally wind down when the Host/s feel they've gotten what they need out of them. We try to keep this list up to date, but keep in mind we are all authors, and SB is our second-most imporant vocation (after writing).
Why can't I find all of the groups on MeetUp?
Some groups run publically on our MeetUp page. In fact, almost all of them started there. However, when they grow to a certain size, most choose to run privately to keep a consistent group. This is at the discretion of the groups' Host.
I want to start a feedback group. Can you help?
Maybe! If you're thinking of starting a group of your own and want some help, or just advice, reach out to our email address - team@wearestrangebirds.com. We do tend to insist that the person spinning up a group has been a member of an existing group for some time to use our systems. Happy to give advice to strangers, though!