Newham Writers Workshop Anthology 1999

		INTRODUCTION By Derek Smith Welcome to our 13th anthology. We cover the real world, the imaginary, and the half world between. We go to Nigeria, to Cyprus, to Germany and to a country of darkness and corpses. We are in the present, we are in the past, we are in the future. We are in poetry, we are in prose. Variety is our nature; we take what comes. Members have selected their own pieces for inclusion. So there is a variety in standards too. We are a conglomeration of beginners, experienced writers, and those who may break through. We enjoy our diversity. Current members write short stories, travel writing, novels, poetry, drama, film, journalism, writing for children, writing for teenagers, biography etc. By necessity our lingua franca is English. Perhaps a little sadly, considering the number of languages in the borough - but we must communicate and, without the support of a United Nations of interpreters, English it has to be. We began as an evening class run by the borough. Now Newham Writers Workshop is an independent group running as a co-operative. Our democracy is healthy; rarely are we quarrelsome (Is that tempting fate?). We are members of the Federation of Worker Writers and are just beginning to explore the writing world beyond our borough. Our aim is to support the writer. That doesn’t mean we say everything is brilliant. That would be a poor support, temporarily feeding an ego at the expense of mediocre writing. A bad bargain indeed. Rather we encourage writers to rewrite, to look again, to have another go. Few of us get it right first time. But back to the anthology. That’s why you have come. That’s why you have paid your pound. So reader, begin at the beginning or the end if you prefer, or dive into the middle. I am sure you will find much to amuse you, divert you and make you stop and think. Let me hinder you no longer. Newham Writers Workshop meets on Thursday evenings during term time, from 7-9 pm (and round the pub afterwards) at Sarah Bonnel School, Stratford, (main entrance Deanery Road off Water Lane). The cost is £10 per term if you are employed and £5 if you are on benefits.