Three years ago, Zeeshan Ahmed moved to London from Hong Kong. This transition was difficult due to the pandemic, and meant leaving her last writers’ group behind. She still wanted to write, as a way to “find solace through art” she says; and by running her own group, she could do it her own way. 

Glass House, the LGBTQI+ arts venue that houses The Common Press bookshop and café, had a call-out asking if anyone wanted to use their space. Ahmed seized the opportunity. She wrote back: “I want to start a writer’s club and I want it to be free.”

Ahmed, 34, is an English teacher living in Bethnal Green and currently working at a private school. “I wanted to do something for free and offer my services to my community,” she says. “The one thing I know how to do is run a class.”

She is starkly aware of the increased pressure to defund arts degrees, and believes that the government’s push towards STEM subjects undermines the practical benefits of the arts – which have helped many people process pandemic-induced trauma. “Art is one of the only ways to process some of the horrible stuff going on,” she says.

“How many cities have queer spaces? There are lots of gay spaces,” she says, “but they tend to be dominated by cisgender gay men.” The Queer Writer’s Circle attracts diverse voices and backgrounds, and when writing something really sensitive, your immediate audience can change the way you express yourself. “I definitely write differently and more true to my queerness,” Ahmed says. 

Maame Efua Boham, 23, had also just settled into London when Queer Writer’s Circle came into her life through social media. “I had recently moved from Accra [Ghana’s capital city] and stumbled across an advert for Queer Writer’s Circle on Instagram,” she says. Given that she already wrote poetry and spoken word, it was a good opportunity to immerse herself in the London scene. “In Accra, the spoken word community is close-knit. You see the same faces at the same events. It is different in London because you are always meeting new people. I’m still figuring my way around,” she says. 

Ahmed estimates that 50 per cent of the members are from London, which could be the reason why so many friendships are forged at the sessions. “When you move continents, it can be hard to meet people. In London, there are so many people everywhere, you think ‘How do I fit into this?’ It is really easy to feel lost,” Boham says. 

Queer Writer’s Circle quickly made her feel grounded in an unfamiliar city, providing a network of like-minded people that she felt comfortable sharing her work with. As a self-proclaimed homebody, the group has also become her primary means of socialising. “If you leave me alone, I will sit in my house for weeks on end. Queer Writer’s Circle is my one social event every month.” 

The magic of the group lies in its simplicity. “It is very straightforward. We write for an hour, we read for an hour, we leave,” Boham says. At the start, a random prompt is given, and this naturally stimulates ideas. “It’s designed in a way that inspires creativity.” 

All forms of writing are welcome, from critical prose to abstract poetry. However, there is one rule: you have to share. By doing this, “You have to trust people, and you have to be really generous. These are some of the things that become a community effort,” Ahmed says. 

This forces people to be confident in their abilities. “One of our first members wrote the most hilarious stories and we were all cracking up, and then she transitioned into performing stand-up comedy, which she now does. She said all she needed was that push.”

Managing a queer community is a delicate matter, and both facilitators stress that their priority is to make sure people feel comfortable. “When you are running a space centred around identity, you need to make sure you are meeting people’s expectations on what a ‘safe space’ is,” Ahmed says. “I used to feel really nervous about it, but it is a place of acceptance, and my general philosophy is that I do not know everything, but I am willing to learn.” 

This is a constant learning curve for both Ahmed and Boham, and they are both proud that the group is run by London newcomers who aren’t easily as accepted as leaders of these spaces. And with membership steadily increasing, they are excited to see what the future holds. 

Queer Writer’s Circle is held once a month at The Common Press, 118 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 6DG. It is free, but spaces are limited so pre-booking is required: tickets are available here.

Follow our series, Reading Between the Lines, this week to read more about literature across our boroughs