NEWT
Network of Experimental Writing Tutors
c/o Dr Robert Sheppard
Writing Coordinator
Department of English
Edge Hill College of Higher Education
Ormskirk
Lancashire
L39 4QP
shepparr@edgehill.ac.uk
In Britain there has been an explosion of creative writing courses in higher education. On some of these, kinds of writing that might be described as ‘experimental’ are sometimes taught. (I’m hoping my neat acronym might obviate the necessity of having to argue over any other terms for this: linguistically innovative, performance writing, non-linear poetry, whatever….) Sometimes they are tolerated. There is no connection between the people who operate these courses, it seems to me, and a loose network of those involved in teaching such writing (and its poetics) might be useful. I am proposing to do little, other than inviting people to join and then hoping actions will follow. A list of who we are might provide a useful compendium of people to call upon for a variety of examination purposes (externals and PhD examiners), validation consultants, publishers’ readers and referrees, and conference attendance. I certainly know there are times when I have felt exposed doing the work I’m doing. Or even threatened. The latest trend in HE seems to be to appoint well-known writers to leading positions (regardless of whether they have any history of teaching writing). We might be able to pool teaching materials though this is not my immediate aim.
Please reply if you’d like to sign up. But don’t immediately tell others about it. Tutors who teach ‘free verse’ in week 12 of a 12 week semester have no need of the mutual contact we have the chance to develop. Just putting on your cv that you are a member of NEWT might be a protective move. I’ve only asked a few people so far: Scott Thurston, Patricia Farrell, Maggie O’ (‘I’ll join anything to do with reptiles’) Sullivan – people I’ve personally met over the last few weeks and days when I thought it might be the time to launch it.
I wonder how many there are of us? Can you suggest any other potential members?
Here’s hoping you will reply.
Robert Sheppard
(Provisional) Coordinator of NEWT
