Seminar and Book Launch

How Writing Works: From the Invention of the Alphabet to the Rise of Social Media

Speakers: Professors Teresa Cremin (Open University); Andrew Burn (IOE); Julie Dockrell (IOE) and Dominic Wyse (IOE)

Written language is a supreme achievement that distinguishes humans from animals. For many millions of people across the world, being literate gives access to vital parts of social and cultural life, and being illiterate results in more limited opportunities. For employment as an academic, journalist, and of course writer, writing is central to the work. For professional people, writing is a main vehicle for getting work done. For other jobs writing is vital to efficient practices including health and safety. And for many people, writing as a source of pleasure, recreation, and reflection is what they value most.

Each of the speakers in this event talks about writing from their perspectives as researchers.

Teresa Cremin’s work has included attention to teachers’ identities as writers and the impact of their experience of writing on the subject positions and opportunities made available to their students as writers. In particular her work highlights the significance of authorial agency and creativity. Andrew Burn’s work has focused on composition through digital media including games, and most recently ‘playing the archive’. Julie Dockrell has researched oral language and writing including for those pupils with special educational needs. Her work also includes attention to teachers’ knowledge about writing.

For the last four years Dominic Wyse has undertaken a multidisciplinary exploration of the process of writing, framed by a new philosophical and historical account of written language. One of the unique features of this contribution to knowledge is the comparison of the writing of text with the writing of music, resulting in a ground-breaking account of ‘the ear of the writer’ which it is argued is essential for all who wish to write well.

This seminar will end with a launch of How Writing Works: From the Invention of the Alphabet to the Rise of Social Media, due to be published on November 10th 2017 by Cambridge University Press in their language and linguistics list.

This is an insightful and far ranging book on writing, its history, and how to teach it. Drawing on the insights of philosophers, scientists, educators, and accomplished writers, Dominic Wyse lays bare the power, mystique, and the pleasures of writing.

Professor Steve Graham, University of Arizona.