A couple weeks ago we pitched to you our proposal for a new Writers Cafe at Out North. Several of you chimed in, and based on the surveys we received, we’re proud to announce that we’ve received enough volunteer support to move forward in getting this project off the ground! Once up and running, the 49 Writers Cafe will be housed in Out North’s lovely Emerging Artists Gallery, and will provide a space–a hip, quiet, and well-lit space with great art on the walls–for our Anchorage members and friends to use for their writerly purposes. From open studio times, to writing groups, to literary events, and eventually to space for classes, our vision for this cafe is that it will serve to facilitate the needs of our lovely community of writers in the Anchorage area.
We’ve heard from several different writing groups in Anchorage, and here’s what their saying about the idea of a 49 Writers Cafe:
“I think creating a space would foster collaboration and communication and would be a huge springboard for creating a more vibrant writing community in Anchorage.”
“Love a place for writers to gather, groups to meet, classes to take place. Exciting possibilities for writerly synergy.”
“I love the idea of an open studio time. Many of us go to coffee shops around town, but some close early and at times they can be loud […] I also like the idea of meeting others with similar interests.”
“The company of other writers, the intent of the project, it’s ambitious and I like it.”
We like it, too, but we still need your help to see it through! The goal is to launch the cafe this fall, maybe even as soon as early September. If you’re interested in using the space, whether for your writing group or for the open studio time, it’s not too late to take the
49 Writers Cafe Survey to let us know about it. We want to hear your ideas for the space! And this will also help us ensure that we have all the volunteer support we need to make this dream float– because, remember, we writers pay for the space by providing a volunteer to run the already existing concessions while the cafe is open. Thus, the cafe can only be open if and when we have volunteers there to help out.
And remember the chairs? Out North only has a hodgepodge of chairs to provide, so to accommodate, you can purchase your very own 49 Writers bistro chair. You can even customize a 1″x3″ plaque on your chair, but only if you promise to let others use it while you’re not around. And do pass along all comments or questions to 49writers@gmail.com.
We’re thrilled about this opportunity, and we know you are, too. Stay tuned here at the blog for more details and updates regarding the cafe, and a huge thanks to those of you who’ve already jumped on board to volunteer your time– this would be an impossibility without you.
Us writers in Portland, ME have to find our own regular cafes to sit in. I wish we had a real live writer's cafe.
I'm sure Hemingway would have loved to have one of these during his time in Paris.
It does sound heavenly. My concern is in volunteering during the time our group is meeting. Could we arrange an equivalent time at the concessions so we don't have someone miss our meeting in order for us to use the space?