Join us

Are you a writer with experience of living abroad?

Are you looking for a friendly, fairly informal, virtual writing group?

Perhaps Pens Around the World would be a good match for you.

Pens Around the World is a peer group of creative writers working in English, who live, or have experienced living, in far-flung places. We believe this gives us a perspective not shared by writers without this experience.

Members of Pens Around the World support one another, for example by:

Participating in offering and receiving reviews and critiques when asked,
Sharing writing opportunities and ideas,
Participating in the ongoing development of our WordPress/BuddyPress website,
Writing blog posts in he categories Writing Life and Writing Prompts. (Your commitment would be to write roughly four times per year.)
Attending our video business meetings regularly, and video feedback and social meetings as desired. (We hold business meetings for one hour per month, ten months of the year.)

We anticipate your minimum time commitment to be a couple of hours per month.

Members gain access to members-only content on our website, which includes various discussion groups, a FAQ guide, and instructional videos.

Note that new members are assigned a “buddy” to assist them in getting to know our meetings routine, our members, and our WordPress site.

Pens Around the World is looking to welcome new members!

If you feel you might be a fit for us, and we might be a fit for you, wow us by completing our application form below!

The application process includes a video conversation of approximately 30 minutes with a member of our Executive Committee.

We look forward to hearing from you!

NOTE: Before submitting this form, please read our Privacy Policy, in particular the sections that apply to Members.
Our Privacy Policy is here. This link will open in a new tab.

Required fields are marked *

1. Your name *

First

Last

2. Your e-mail address *

Confirm Email

3. Share your professional bio, as it might appear in a magazine or on a book. Write max 150 words. *

4. Tell us a bit about your writing life. *

These questions may help: What do you write? What are your writing aspirations? What do you see as your writing strengths and weaknesses? Do you have experience of publishing your writing anywhere? Can we read samples of your work on-line? Can you share links to one or two examples? What would you hope to get out of membership in Pens Around The World? What skills and passions would you bring to the group?

4b. Can you share a link to one piece of your writing we can read on line?

Share the exact URL (Internet address) to a page of your writing. For example, the exact address to this page is https://pensaroundtheworld.com/join-us/

5. Pens Around The World members take it in turns to write public blog posts in different categories. Posts in the Writing Life category are "About writing, writers and our inspiration for writing." Please write us a draft Writing Life post (max 500 words). *

If you become a member, this can be the kernel of your first blog post for us. Even if we can’t welcome you as a member, we may invite you to write up your piece as a guest blog post.

6. We aspire to a regular level of membership activity on the website and through our Zoom meetings. We are active through sharing our writing, providing feedback, commenting on forum and blog posts, sharing opportunities for writing submissions and contests,and publishing updates on and sharing our own writing progress. Please describe your interest in these activities. *

Write as much as you like.

6b. From which state, city or time zone are you most likely to be joining our video conferences? *

7. There is a modest annual membership fee (currently €35) to cover our costs for the website. The fee depends on costs during the year and the number of our members. Are you prepared to contribute by paying an annual membership fee? *

8. Do you have a website or a blog? Please share the link.

Share the URL (Internet address) to your blog or website. For example, the address of this website is https://pensaroundtheworld.com

9. Do you have an active social media account? (Facebook, X – Twitter as was, YouTube, etc.) Please share a link to your account.

Share the URL (Internet address). For example, our Twitter account is at https://twitter.com/AroundPens

11. Please confirm that you have read our Privacy Policy. *

I have read the Privacy Policy
I have not read the Privacy Policy

Please read our Privacy Policy. See the link in the NOTE directly above this form, or the link at the foot of this page