By Erin Madigan White
Writers came from across suburban New Jersey – from Madison, Montclair, West Orange, as far away as Princeton – to gather together for The Writers Circle’s inaugural Winter Solstice Candlelight Write on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.
They spent the darkest night of the year nestled in the cozy surroundings of The Nature of Reading Bookshop, in the warmth of community and the glow of electric candlelight.
And they wrote.
TWC Founder and Director Judith Lindbergh offered solstice-inspired prompts, including music and readings of poems by Wendell Berry, Nikki Giovanni, Margaret Atwood, Mary Oliver, and others.
Writers wrote freely what moved them, meditating on themes of darkness and light, as well as traditions, myths, and rituals associated with the Winter Solstice around the world.
“Let us pull back and inward to write into the darkness,” Lindbergh shared. “Find the still, small place that is the heart, where the spark of new brilliance must rest and regenerate before it can flame bright again.”
After the prompts, some writers volunteered to share what they’d created, including observations of the season, personal experiences, and poetry. In fact, one participant said that they wrote a poem for the very first time.
The sold-out event was a peaceful respite from the hurriedness of the season, a time for sharing, reflection, and connection, with sparkling apple cider, festive sweets, and a chance to linger among the books in this wonderful local bookshop.
The Writers Circle wishes everyone, near and far, a peaceful and inspiring holiday season as we wait together for the light’s return in 2026.
The Shortest Day (Excerpt)
By Susan Cooper
So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
