Writing Group Thing is a space for conversational takes on writing. Writers gather to reflect on various themes that consume their practice. The first chapter (5 sessions) concluded with reflections on the narrator voice, writing in structure, writing on sound, on space, and writing standalone pieces.
Directed by rotating hosts that come with their own set of interests and questions. We go around the room discussing ideas relevant to the practice, or share commentary on our bodies of work, often prompted to write near the end of the session. The writing group is generative, in the sense that it leaves you with more to contemplate and integrate into your writing habits. Members are notified by Newsletter, amounting to 30 writers in the group’s first chapter, with weekly regulars.
WRITE TO SOUND
This session featured friend and artist Marco Bazerji, as part of a Writing on Sound session. Marco created immersive ambient textures that enveloped the space. During the writing session, sound was explored as texture, scene, or environment, drawn from landscapes or cultural contexts, from the Athan to the modal melodies of Jabal Amel and the prolonged tones of Bahraini mourning ceremonies. The session highlighted sound in words; through tone, style, alliteration, spacing, line breaks, and silences. Marco’s improvisation played with dislocated sound as a way to evoke sentiment and shape experience, and writers were encouraged to embrace mistakes in their own sound-making, intentional or otherwise.
Another exploration of sound invited artist Chris Aoun.
In a cacophony of decaying and nostalgic sound, with a play on synth and elements that reminisce, Chris plays with a soundscape to deliver you an open writing experience.
In this session, sound conjured up ideas around:
Everything touches me the same way,
Time stand still,
Nowhere to put it so you let it go.
In the “Write to Sound” session, Chris Aoun built an immersive sound landscape using analog and lo-fi cassette samples from the 70s and 80s, embracing the limitations of the medium to evoke trance-like repetition and monotony. Using techniques like reverb delay on the Roland SP-404 and manipulating low and high frequencies, he transformed short clips into textures that were often unrecognizable, creating a dense, submersive haze. The session emphasized alternative sound over melody or ambiance, offering a sonic environment that shaped writers’ engagement and responses.
Participants’ readings at the session’s close reflected their immersion, demonstrating how the atmosphere and subtle manipulations of sound can interact with rhythm, cadence, and the delivery of text to enhance expressive impact.
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