‘I’ve written travel pieces and had quite a few poems published when I was at high school in the US.

‘I read Catcher in the Rye last summer, which led me to write a very weird first person rant, but the books that I’ve actually managed to complete are all sci-fi and fantasy; I like dragons!’

Sara hopes the group will meet on the third Thursday of each month. Around twenty writers attend each month, of all backgrounds and levels of ability.

‘There’s a young girl, probably about seventeen-ish, who comes along with her father, and it goes all the way up to a retired lady. We have people who are writing novels, some interested in travel writing for magazines, a couple of poets; it’s a wide, wildly eclectic mix.

‘There’s even a couple who’ve never put pen to paper before, so this is a first for them.

‘But it’s nice for them to have their first efforts looked at by people who can help.’

To find out the date of the group’s next meeting, or for more details, call Borders’ Birstall branch, tel: 01924 474914.