The Politics of Writing

Writing matters: it plays a key role in the circulation of ideas in society and has a direct impact on the development of democracy. But only a few get to do the kind of writing that most influence this development.

The Politics of Writing examines writing as a social practice. The authors draw on critical linguistics, cultural studies and literacy studies, as they explore and analyse:

* the social context in which writing is embedded

* the processes and practices of writing

* the purposes of writing

* the reader-writer relationship

* issues of writer identity.

They challenge current notions of 'correctness' and argue for a more democratic pedagogy as part of the answer to the inequitable distribution of the right to write.