LTB 697/16 WORKERS WRITES CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

[TrueBlueTerrier]

LTB 697/16 - WORKERS WRITES CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

No. 697/2016

30th November 2016

WORKERS’ WRITES CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

Dear Colleagues,

“If you don’t write your story yourself, someone else will do it for you. So you’ve got to get out there and write it,” (Benjamin Zephaniah).

In the past few months we have seen a number of media stories placing the blame on the working class for a whole range of society’s ills, from Brexit to Donald Trump. Typically the working class have been ignored and even told that they don’t exist for decades and then all of a sudden we are rediscovered – in order to be made a convenient scapegoat for the wider failings of our political and economic system. Our culture and media are increasingly dominated by middle and upper class voices. It is time for that to change.

The CWU Education & Training Department have launched the Workers’ Writes creative writing competition in order to encourage CWU members to feel confident in expressing ourselves and telling our stories. The competition is open to all members from now until 1st March 2017.

Write a short story, poem or other form of creative writing around the theme of ‘Making My Mark’. Entries can be up to a maximum of 1,000 words - or as few as you need. They can be funny, sad, moving, angry – whatever you want them to be.

All entries should be sent to learn@cwu.org or

Workers’ Writes CWU Education & Training Department 150 The Broadway Wimbledon London, SW19 1RX
Entrants must ensure that they include their name, contact details and CWU Branch.

The competition is supported by Express Yourself, an online course on CWU Left Click.

The course offers tips and tricks for creative writing and also helps with practical writing skills like writing a formal letter and how the English language works. The course is available now on http://www.cwu.org/leftclick" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A poster advertising both is attached to this document. Could all branches please circulate to encourage maximum participation.

Yours sincerely,


TRISH LAVELLE
HEAD OF EDUCATION & TRAINING

[LoveChild]

It seems as though
we were living life
but all the time
life is passing through us.

A trickle, a surge,
then a sweat in cruel sand.

That suited cherub
was that any more me
than that swaggering fool
landed a swordfish ?

Is there a me
or is there life
passing through us ?

[JKSmudge]

Once upon a time, CWU stood up for workers' rights.
Now clueless, a writing competition reveals it's run by sh*tes. :D

[LoveChild]

How do we become confident, that we might one day stand up for ourselves ?

Its an important question - because until such time that we can, the union is nothing anyway.

I think its a welcome initiative.