The Cambium: 2nd Layer

Two hundred subscribers, online meetups, and a map for environmental writing

Cambium: a layer of growing tissue between the wood and the bark of a tree.

Woody Dicot Stem Cambium in One Year Sambucus Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library

I’m delighted to say we now have over 200 writers in this group, representing all six permanently inhabited continents! (Anybody know any Antarctic researchers…?) I started Wild Writers after a long and fruitless search to find a writing group that was aimed at people working with nonfiction prose, preferably with writers who cared deeply about the planet and wanted to share that in their work. I’m absolutely blown away that what was basically my last ditch attempt to find a meaningful, collaborative space has resonated with so many of you. Thank you so much for being here. I’ve organised a couple of events this month to help us connect with each other in a more face to face way: a virtual meet and greet, and the first online feedback session.

I have some ideas about more ways for us to connect, which I will be exploring in the coming months, but if you have any suggestions of your own, please let us all know!

Virtual Book Share

I’ll be hosting a welcome meet and greet online next weekend. Just a chance to get to know other writers in the group, and I thought we could each bring along a book we’ve read, or something we’re currently reading, and briefly talk about what we enjoyed/didn’t enjoy. Liberal tea-drinking is of course also encouraged!

Sunday 5 July 19:00UTC (click link for other time zones). I’ll email the video link to subscribers the day before. I look forward to seeing as many of you as can make it.

Monthly Meetup

The first online writing feedback session will take place Monday 13 July 18:30UTC. Apologies to anyone not able to make this time slot, I’ve done my best to accommodate as many as possible. If need be I’ll look at a different time/date for next month and we can alternate between them, so please get in touch if the timing is a real issue for you. Again, I’ll email the video link out to subscribers the day before.

Format: The meeting will be two hours, each person gets up to 10 minutes to read one piece of writing or an excerpt from a larger piece they would like feedback on, and then 5-10 minutes for responses from the group. That means we have time for ~6-8 people to read on a first come first served basis. Sharing work is optional. You’re welcome to join and just be part of the discussion.

Community Announcements

• I was contacted by Robinson Greig at Going Off-Trail. He is looking for writers who want to add their posts to an interactive map of communicators engaging with their environments. Get involved here.

• We now have some great new book recommendations up on the site, thanks to Kirsty Fox for her suggestions.

If you have news to share, or wins to celebrate, let me know the details and I will include it in the next newsletter.

Wild Writers’ Chat

Recent conversations in the chat have included:

• What we’re currently working on

• The role of AI in Substack posts

Come join the discussion! You can also add your own threads to open new topics, and upload media if you want to share work in progress and ask for feedback.

Other Upcoming Events, Competitions, Submission Windows etc

• Moniack Mhor, the Scottish Creative Writing Centre, are running some online workshops over the next couple of months. Staggered pricing tiers, GBP0-30.

  • Thursday 2 July 18:30-20:30: Creative Responses to Place with Amanda Thomson

  • Wednesday 5 August 19:00-21:00: Narrative Non-Fiction – Writing from Observation with Neil Ansell

• Landfall Tauraka Essay Prize. Writers from Aotearoa New Zealand are invited to submit essays up to 4000 words that engage with and reflect on NZ culture. Prize: NZ$3000 + 1-year Landfall Tauraka subscription. Closes 31 July 2026.

• The Colorado Review is seeking nonfiction submissions for their next issue. Reading fee USD3; all submissions through Submittable. Payment is USD300 for published pieces. No deadline, but they read nonfiction only until August 1.

• The Wild Muse Nature Writing Prize, run by Gabriela Blandy, is now open for submissions. Up to 2000 words on the theme of “Nature’s power to heal, guide, and transform.” GBP10.36 entry fee, with limited bursaries available. Entries close September 14.

• CRAFT is accepting submissions of nonfiction, standalone pieces 1000-6000 words. Submission is free through Submittable and they offer USD200 for publication. No deadline.

Prompt of the Month:

Describe the living being currently closest to you.
Who are they? Why do they matter?

That’s all for now, and I wish you a month of wild writing.

Anna.