Every Friday from 07 July onwards, I will be hosting a Scriptorium day from 08h30 until 17h00 at the hall of St Margaret's Anglican Church in Fish Hoek.

A scriptorium – literally ‘a place for writing’ – is an idea borrowed from the Christian monastic tradition, and involves the integration of solo work with communal prayer and mealtimes. It provides an alternative to the relative isolation of working from home, in a library, or hot-desking in a co-working space or cafe, and the added bonus of having a prepared lunch.

Tables and chairs for work/study are available (with nearby plugpoints), and there is space to make calls if required. Please bring your own mobile hotspot for internet.

The day begins and ends with brief liturgical prayer. We work or study in between, with a morning coffee/tea break and lunch. The coffee break offers an opportunity for informal conversation and getting to know fellow members.

The communal lunch is the most significant part of the day – just under R50 gets you a seat at the lunch table and a bowl of steaming soup and buttered bread. Our time at the table is centred on a conversation topic that someone brings to the table – this may be a question that emerged during the course of the morning’s work, or a persistent, longer-term question that has been on someone’s mind. These discussions often explore the intersections of theory and practice, work, study, life and faith – sometimes deep and difficult, sometimes hilarious and fun.

Who is invited to attend?
* both Christians and non-Christians
* remote workers
* college/university students and researchers
* older home-schoolers or those attending online schools
* stay-at-home parents in need of a quiet workspace
* members of St Margaret’s and those from other churches

The daily schedule is as follows:

    08:30 - Day Begins/Morning Prayer (in the Lady Chapel)
    08:50 - Work goal setting in pairs
    09:00 - Work/Study session
    10:30 - Coffee Break
    11:00 - Work/Study session
    13:00 - Communal Lunch
    14:00 - Work/Study session
    16:45 - Evening Prayer (in the Lady Chapel)
    17:00 - Day Ends/Drinks

Please note that Friday mornings are guaranteed to be quiet, but there may be noise in the hall after lunch.