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Montpellier Writers Group

We meet monthly at The Strand in Cheltenham

We welcome anyone who would enjoy being in a group that allows creative juices to flow and provides a relaxed and friendly atmosphere to write.

Montpellier Writers Group was founded by Liggy Webb in 2006

The first meeting was held at Moka coffee shop in the Suffolks, Cheltenham on 4th October 2006 and so in 2026 we will be celebrating our 20th year!

I had a vision that I wanted to create a writing group where people could come along, they could share ideas, they could really explore some of their creative potential, and most of all that they can have fun, they can make friends with people who’ve got similar ideas and approaches.

The Montpellier Writers Group was founded in 2006, when a hopeful flyer in Cheltenham’s Moka Café & Bistro invited people come along to share their passion. The place was buzzing at that first meeting and in 2026 the group celebrates its 20th anniversary. Over two decades many have seen their work published or simply found inspiration to exercise their imagination. To mark the occasion, this anthology brings together nearly 30 writers to showcase the work created in this very special community.

  • A detective investigates murders he’s committed
  • An old postage stamp revives memories of wartime separation
  • A poet-teacher consoles a pupil struggling at school
  • A Syrian writer remembers her father
  • A frog facing extinction mourns the follies of humanity
  • Colliding shopping trollies and mistaken identity lead to true love
  • Isambard Kingdom Brunel rues never meeting Marilyn Monroe

All life is here – authors, poets, dramatists, illustrators, memoirists and observers of the world’s quirks and dramas – more than 30 examples of the best of local writing in Gloucestershire.

We try a lot of different exercises and people write for about 30 to 40 minutes. They have a chance to read out their writing and share some of that content and I’m really amazed at how diverse some of the pieces can be and just listening to what people have to share is so enjoyable.

We have people who write poetry, people who write song lyrics, people who write drama, people who write tragedy, people who write comedy. We even have someone who writes about zombies!

Get inspired

We’ve been really fortunate that some of our writers have become published. Many of them have published their books on Kindle. They’ve been very successful so it’s been wonderfully motivational for creative people.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in a West End production, this book is for you. ‘West End Boys West End Girls’ is an authentic, authoritative raising of the curtain on the turbulent, torrid and ambitious world of the theatrical back stage.
The Dragon Train is a delightful children’s book, illustrating the birth of the steam age. This imaginative story of a steam dragon can be used as a tool for discussion with children about the industrial revolution in a truly fun and accessible way.
August 1942. The German Army stands poised to capture the city of Stalingrad. A group of men, led by Junior Sergeant Yacov Pavlov, are assigned to the capture of a single apartment block lying on the edge of German held territory, with orders forbidding retreat or surrender.
The first crime novel from Cheltenham based Dinwoodie twists the reader into the parallel lives of the pursued and pursuer.
An anthology of twenty-five crime, thriller, mystery and suspense stories from twenty-three authors, including Booker prize nominated Jim Williams.
I have always felt I had India in my blood. My first breath, sound, taste, touch, and sight were of India. In March 2012, in my 67th year, I set off on a return journey, not as a tourist, but as an observer of India as a prodigal son.