“It’s like Book Club but for readers who also want to write." 

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Each Sunday Essay Club session is centered around one carefully chosen essay. We read it closely, discuss it together, and then use it as a starting point for our own writing. Imagine the Sunday Essay Club as part lecture, part reading group, part writing workshop, and part quiet accountability space—designed to help you think better, write more honestly, and build a sustainable relationship with your voice.

What we do:​

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The first hour begins with a brief lecture introducing the author and contextualizing the work. We read closely and discuss technique — structure, tone, movement, voice — to understand what makes the piece work and how it can inform our own practice.

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In the second hour, we write.

You’ll be guided through focused exercises and prompts designed to help you apply what we’ve discussed — whether you’re working on personal essays, narrative nonfiction, or developing your voice on the page. Prompts are generative, flexible, and rooted in craft.

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All levels welcome.

The Sunday Essay Club is hosted by bilingual writer and visual artist Sophia Hembeck. She has published three books of essays called:  Things I Have Noticed, 2020 & Things I Have Loved, 2023 & Things That Are Different Now, 2025. Her bestselling substack 'The Muse Letter' is published every week, where she wonders about the meanderings of life.  She holds a M.A. in Playwriting (Szenisches Schreiben, UdK Berlin) and has been teaching creative writing classes since 2020. She is represented by Zoe Martin from JE Literary Agency in Berlin.

​The Sunday Essay Club meets monthly on the last Sunday of every month from 4-6PM GMT.

Sessions are recorded, so you can watch the replay, if you cannot make it on the day.

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Below you’ll find the first half of the Sunday Essay Club curriculum, the other half will be shaped by the Club member’s interests.