Our History

Information gathered by Vivien Teasdale

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Formed in 1935, the founding fathers included Sydney Moorhouse, a well-known writer on the local landscape, John Winston Dicks, who was then editor of Huddersfield Daily Examiner and John Marsh, who had founded the Halifax Authors’ Circle and provided invaluable advice to the new Huddersfield group.

The first president was James Richard Gregson, a writer, actor and local councillor. The presidency was, and still is, for one year only. Past presidents have included Hazel Wheeler, who wrote many books based on her life in Huddersfield.

In addition to poetry, short stories and plays, many of the members had articles published in local papers or read on the radio. The Huddersfield Examiner ran a weekly ‘Wednesday Article’ spot, inviting readers to send in suitable articles for publication, for which a fee was paid. Many HAC members appeared in print in these columns.

Meetings included speakers on a variety of topics: J. R. Hind spoke on the textile industry, John Russell, Drama Director of BBC told the group how they chose plays for radio. This was reiterated in 1955 by Patrick Campbell, then of BBC North Regional Drama, but also well-known on programmes such as Call My Bluff.  F. A. Carter spoke about writing in dialect and had a dialect column in The Examiner for almost forty years. Other topics included sports writing, romantic novels, writing for the theatre and writing for the Press. Many members took note of these and their work was often broadcast on the Light Programme by the BBC.

Other meetings were run as workshops on the art of writing or as reading meetings, where members bring work to read and receive feedback from others in the group – an excellent means of improving one’s writing skills. These aspects of meeting still continue today.

The group also instigated two competitions each year. One was organised and judged by the President, the other being set and judged by an external adjudicator. These competitions are still part of the Circle year, silver cups being awarded to the overall winner of each event. Categories may include short stories, plays, articles, and poetry. Nowadays, flash fiction and opening chapter of a novel can also be selected by the organiser.

Both venues and format of meetings adapted to new members and new circumstances. Meetings were held in various venues over the years, including the Pack Horse Hotel, the Town Hall, the Library, The County Pub, the Fire Station community room and even in members’ houses. The advent of COVID changed everything considerably. Online sessions allowed the group to continue to meet, read and run modified workshops, which is still how we meet today. Informal social meetings are organised on an ad hoc basis, with occasional visits to the theatre, cinema or ‘coffee and cake’ in a café.