A passion for writing has seen a local group double its membership over the last decade with a launch in December last year of its 2025 publication ‘Convergence’.

Members from Yackandandah Writers, affectionately known as Scribblers, joined with partners, friends and community members at the town’s Old Court House with around 40 people attending to celebrate.

Local well-known writer and author Bev Lello and Yackandandah Writers’ organiser, said the publication ‘Convergence’ (a collage of styles, techniques and individual voices) has brought the best two of each writer’s stories together since 2020.

“This was our sixth publication with the first produced in 2020 and the first time we’ve held a launch to offer it to a wider audience other than ourselves,” Bev said.

The group started in 2016 when Bev ran a short story writing workshop over six weeks.

“The group enjoyed it so much, they wanted to keep going,” Bev said.

Bev said the group with members supporting and encouraging each other, continued to meet monthly to share their writing.

“Feedback on each other’s work helps improve pieces,” she said.

As the group has grown bigger since it began, Bev said members take turns in facilitating the meeting with a different task or topic set each month.

“We have three weeks to work on the task or topic, then we share our work through email,” she said.

“People read all the pieces, comment on three in detail, and when we meet, we discuss the work.”

With the initial focus set on short story writing, a change of direction over the years has included the group delving into creative non-fiction and memoir.

The group also worked twice with the Yackandandah Theatre Company to provide scripted material for productions “There’s a Valley’, and ‘Gypsies Don’t need Guide Books'.

Yackandandah’s ukulele club for social strumming and singing ‘Uke-n-dandah’ delighted the gathering, launching the publication.

One song included a clever tribute to Bev about using words and punctuating,

“We had drinks and nibbles, I talked a bit about the history of the group, editor Michael Metzer spoke about the process of putting the publication together and we had a few readings,” Bev said.

One of our members a performance poet also recited a poem.

“This has really been quite different as we don't always get the chance to celebrate some of the quieter groups,” Bev said.

Yackandandah Writers and ‘Uke-n-dandah’ are both sub-groups of Arts Yackandandah.

‘Uke-n-dandah’ started 10 years ago with musicians entertaining audiences at a wide variety of events in the town since then.

The celebration was hosted by Arts Yackandandah and Yackandandah Writers.