Opinion
Here I comment on a wide range of issues from education to politics, the arts and more. I welcome lively and opinionated debate, so please leave your comments.
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Using publishing tools to create thriving creative writing communities and cultures
Publishing isn’t just about books—it’s about shaping identity, community, and activism. This blog explores how the MA Creative Writing and Education at Goldsmiths uses publishing as a pedagogical tool, from internal dialogues between the Writer, Publisher, and Healer within us, to global projects like GlobalGRACE and Creative Voices, which use storytelling, theatre, and art to amplify marginalised voices. Discover how publishing extends beyond the page to empower writers, challenge dominant narratives, and foster creative communities. Read more about how publishing can be a process of transformation, resistance, and education.
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How can writers benefit from learning about the Publishing Industry? Three key points and two questions
This blog post explores how creative writing teachers can learn about the publishing industry, and invites them to think about how it can used to develop their craft, their pedagogy, and generally help them learn and grow.
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Learning to write, publish and teach, all in one go!
This blog explores how learning to write, publish and teach can help creative writers in multiple ways; they can hone the craft of their writing and pedagogy by using publishing as a pedagogical tool. A truly innovative approach…
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In what ways can publishing support writers’ emotional needs?
This blog explores how publishing does and does not meet writers’ emotional needs. It introduces and explains the concept of emotional needs, and then shows how publishing might address these.
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Towards a methodology for creative writing educators to use publishing to develop their writing and teaching
An article which discusses how creative writing educators might develop their own methodologies so that they can become fruitful creative writers who use publishing to develop the literary and pedagogical practices that work for them.
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Four lessons I learnt from the late Canon Christopher Smith
A short article on the lessons I learnt from my late godfather, Christopher Smith.
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The History of Publishing in 7 Objects
This article explores the Publishing Industry in 7 objects. It starts with the dawn of humanity to the present day.
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Five key lessons about S.E. Hinton’s ‘The Outsiders’ and publishing
This article explores how and why outsiders, in the form of writers, readers and texts, came to shape the publishing industry, particularly Young Adult novels.
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Will Labour’s policy of adding VAT to private school fees improve educational standards?
This blog post briefly explores the benefits of reducing spending upon private education and boosting spending on public education. It includes an interview I did on LBC’s Iain Dale programme, December 2024.
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Entering Viola’s Room: four key lessons I’ve learnt from Punchdrunk’s Immersive Theatre
An article which explores 4 key things I’ve learnt from experiencing Punchdrunk’s Immersive Theatre events.
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Four ways ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is therapeutic — and two ways it is not!
This blog post explores the therapeutic effects of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, and its non-therapeutic effects as well.
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Two reasons why school trips go wrong
This blog explores the issues involved with school trips, considering the reasons why problems happen. It follows an interview I did about the matter on Talk TV, December 2024.
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Towards boundary crossing: primary and secondary school teachers teaching creative writing and its redrafting
This academic article, written by Professor Tom Dobson and I, explores the research we did looking at primary and secondary school teachers attitudes towards creative writing and redrafting. This is a rare piece of research which compares primary and secondary school teachers’ approaches to teaching creative writing. It shows that primary school teachers can be formulaic in the way they teach creative writing, using product approaches. However, in secondary schools the picture is different: teachers, particularly those, who are writers themselves, give students more agency in redrafting and shaping their writing. This indicates how professional development should involve primary and secondary school teachers in dialogue with one another to cross boundaries of practice.
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The British Library, research and creative writing
Creative writing can be used to help people engage with the British Library and its collection. MA students led members of the public through the Library, inviting creative responses to its archive and exhibitions.
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What can the opera ‘Carmen’ teach us about domestic violence?
A blog written for my publishers, Blue Door Press, which explores how and why the opera ‘Carmen’ can be seen as a critique of violence and masculinity.
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Four reasons there is a Connected Curriculum at Goldsmiths
Why bring all the students at a university together to learn critical thinking and research skills?
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Why are three in ten teachers bringing in food for hungry pupils?
58% of households in the bottom fifth of incomes have cut down on or skipped meals, or gone hungry because there was not enough money for food. That is 3.4 million households. Poverty-stricken households would form one of the biggest cities in the UK.
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Inspiring Creative Writing and Learning: Multidisciplinary Approaches
How and why creative writing can be improved by a multidisciplinary approach including freewriting, drawing and art, writing letters to different audiences (even imaginary ones)
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Parklife Project: Students’ Creative Advocacy for Local Parks
This article explores the research primary school pupils carried out in order to improve their local park in east London. It shows how they produced creative outputs such as pictures, models and poems which enabled them to both research their local park and advocate for change.
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Four reasons we should all learn about Green Careers (+ some top job hunting tips!)
A recount of the Green Careers event that I co-ran (with Widening Participation, the Horniman Museum, and Lewisham’s Young People’s Climate Network) in May 2024 at Goldsmiths University.