Page of Wands to beat the indie SE London literary scene

Posted on May 26, 2025 in Launch, London

How a local writing circle became a zine (and much more): An interview with core members Angbeen Abbas and Alex Noble

Never trust a writer. They are strange creatures who work, eat, sleep and breathe alone, each at the top of their own cliff. Or so the legend went until Page of Wands came along. Two years since its foundation, the writing collective named after the creativity champion in the tarot deck accounts for more than 150 participants. At the vibrant SET social in Peckham, scribblers of any genre and ability join the free weekly sessions to share their work, receive feedback, work on their own projects or write collectively with the help of prompts and creative exercises.

Also, Page of Wands is about to launch the second issue of its own zine, which is a collection of themed short stories written by attendees. The launch party of feast! will happen on the 5th of June at SET, and if you manage to secure a free ticket, then you’re in for a night of celebrations, readings and open mics in the supportive jolly spirit that has become synonymous with Page of Wands.

In addition to the writing sessions and a zine sold by independent bookshops in SE London, the collective also boasts a newsletter, an Instagram page and a brand new website. To top it all off, a series of workshops has recently started in collaboration with diversity advocate Speaking Volumes. The once small page today grows strong and holds several wands thanks to a thorough behind-the-scenes work. To understand more about what it takes to tend to such a project and make it thrive, I had a chat with writers Angbeen Abbas, who started it all, and Alex Noble, who is part of the organisational committee. 

Where does the idea of Page of Wands come from? Was it your own, or did someone else suggest it?

Angbeen: It was actually pretty random. Back in 2023, I had spent six or seven months going to open mics and attending other writing groups in South London. I remember a feedback group based in New Cross. I’d just moved to Peckham, so I was getting to know people and would attend writing events happening locally. At that time, I also heard about SET and saw they’d put out a call for general clubs on Instagram, and I thought, ‘I could put a group like this together.’ Starting was simple, because they’re a community-centred organisation and were very open to new ideas and activities for groups. The next thing I did was set up an Instagram page, and began posting content. 

Did you have a huge turnout from the beginning?

Angbeen: There were a lot of people at the first meeting, but that died down really quickly. I mean, it completely nosedived. It was winter, and it was a very new group, but I personally think that the main reason was that meetings were scheduled every other week. Had they been weekly, people would have started showing up sooner. 

Back then, I was actually very close to packing it up. I was like, I don’t have the time for this group anymore, people are not showing up, and it just feels like a lot of work. However, I decided to try a weekly schedule for a month or two to see if that would work, and things just started rolling. I met the other guys instantly, we started organising as a group, and in 2024, it just picked up. And here we are! 

When did Alex come along?

Alex: I started coming to Page of Wands in March or April 2024. I’d written poetry and short fiction since I was eighteen or nineteen but stopped for a very long time. I joined the group with the intention of writing more, and during my third or fourth session, Angbeen asked if someone else wanted to help run the group, so myself and a couple of other people said yes. 

(Full version of the article available to members on the Resource Centre)

Written by Annapaola Paparo