Inkwell Shanghai is not a single group. Instead, Inkwell Shanghai is comprised of many different subgroups that all contribute to the arts collective that is Inkwell. Each year, our organization grows, and we dream a little bigger, but for the sake of clarity, I’ll list all the different branches of the workshop that are currently active. If you are at all interested in joining any of these workshops, please contact Ry at his WeChat, texaswriter.
Workshops
Fiction and Nonfiction workshops meet at 105 Whisky Lounge on Shaoxing Lu.
Nonfiction workshop meets at Vesh coffee.
Screenwriting and Youth Writers Project move around. Join the chat for more information.
The Inkwell Fiction Workshop meets every other Tuesday 7-9 pm and is currently led by Math and Elena. They focus primarily on short fiction with the occasional novel. All genres and styles are welcome. Submissions should be less than two thousand words. Workshop members read in advance, so workshop time is dedicated to reviewing and discussing people’s work. Check out the frequently asked questions.
The Nonfiction Workshop is currently led by Hannah Lund and Alex Fong. Nonfiction alternates Tuesdays with Fiction, and they also alternate between generative workshops and review workshops. For more detail, join the chat or check out the calendar.
The Poetry Workshop is run by Russell Grant and meets every other Wednesday. Participants are encouraged to bring printed copies of their poems to the meeting, which generally starts at 6:30.
Youth Writers Project is run by Patti MacAlpine and focuses on providing high school students with a free, well-run creative writing class. It meets once a month at a local international high school.
Screenwriting Workshop is led by Ender Walters and meets once every month on Thursday and also holds screenings and table reads of work.
Translation Workshop is run by Sabrina Zhang, the CEO of Inktale, and it meets once a month on a Thursday.
Literary Groups
The Inkwell Reading Club focuses on classical and contemporary short prose works. They meet every other Monday at 7pm at Garden Books on Changle Lu.
Sunday Scribbles is a casual writing meetup that meets every other Sunday in the late afternoon to chat and write. Location changes every week, so join the chat if you’d like to know where the group is meeting next.
Poetry Discussion focuses on the reading and interpretation of poetry. They meet once a month and focus on different poets and movements within poetry.
Public Events
Shanghai Voices is the workshop’s public reading series. It is a curated reading series featuring strong, local writers. It takes place two to three times a year. There is a call for readers for each Shanghai Voices.
Circle of Sages is the workshop’s lecture series. For this event, exceptional educators from Shanghai present on irreverent topics in a fun and engaging way while drinking.
Visions is the workshop’s zine that is printed twice a year. It is given out for free at different workshop events. Considering submitting.
Retreat occurs twice a year and is our major event. Spring retreat occurs in Shanghai while Fall retreat is usually located somewhere around Shanghai. Presenters give short lectures to help writers’ professional development. Fall retreat focuses on generative prompts while the spring retreat has no restrictions. For more details, follow the official WeChat.