Shut Up and Write! EARLY Waterstones Piccadilly (LG Cafe)

Shut Up & Write! is back at Waterstones Piccadilly on Saturday 7 November, part of their early morning session. It's a free writing gathering that runs from 10:00 to 12:15, and it's open to anyone working on their own project.

The format is straightforward. A host of the day opens with brief introductions, and then everyone gets to work in company on whatever they've brought with them. That could be a book, a blog, a screenplay, a dissertation, a poem, a song, a memoir, a play, a journal or travel writing. The session is split into two 45-minute writing periods, with a break in between for social interaction. The golden rule is that no one sees what you're writing and no one gives unsolicited advice, so you can work in peace without having to explain your progress or show your pages. Newcomers are always welcome.

Shut Up & Write! is a global network that hosts these sessions for writers all over the world, and the London group is hosted by Sarah, Nick, Anna, John, Emily and Solitaire. They've moved to the LG Cafe — the lower ground basement cafe — because the shop's upstairs space is closed for refurbishment. This early session runs every Saturday until 19 December 2026, so if you're looking for a regular spot to get your writing done, this is one you can come back to week after week.

It's free to attend, and the session runs from 10:00 to 12:15, though the hosts ask that you arrive by 10:20 at the latest.