All working class writers want is a chance to shine
A pioneering programme co-founded by actor Michael Sheen to champion working class writers is back to challenge the bastions of literary privilege
HERE in England, if we're being cynical, then we might say that working class people aren't supposed to read books, let alone write them; such things are aping their 'betters'.
Cynicism aside, the odds are heavily stacked against working class writers, or indeed working class creatives more generally. Whether people from such backgrounds craft short stories and novels, stage or screenplays, or essays and journalism, the hurdles are plentiful.
Writing is a tough gig, of course, whatever your background. The children of the middle classes and up, may not exactly 'saunter' in to publishing and media, but for those stuck firmly out in the cold, it's no doubt tempting to feel that's the case.
This isn't just 'sour grapes', by the way; there's been plenty of evidence produced that explores the barriers and structural inequalities that make the creative field anything but level. There's no conspiracy to keep out the 'oiks', as it were; there doesn't need to be.
Britain's syndrome of chronic regional and social inequalities has a lot to answer for; as does the dominant – domineering? – position London holds in the nation's economic, political, and cultural affairs.
Taken together, such factors make it more likely that writers from working class or low income backgrounds will find themselves shut out of the literary citadel, but not everyone is satisfied with such a status quo.
According to the research conducted in recent years, a combination of London-centric industries; low-paid internships and starting salaries; the casualisation of work; and a reliance on informal networks and personal contacts, make it so much harder for people from working class and low income backgrounds to launch and sustain a writing career.
We might add that Britain's chronic housing affordability crisis doesn't exactly help. Stratospheric private rents, damn-near oligarchic house prices, and the insufficient availability of social housing place London practically off-limits, these days.
There was a time when working class creatives from the regions might 'up sticks' and move to London; find cheap 'digs', slum it with casual work, and seek to pursue their dreams. Maybe some still – just about – manage to do that, but they are surely a rarity now.
To quote a bygone former Tory minister, the days of 'getting on yer bike' to seek your fortune, are pretty much as long gone as Norman Tebbit's period in government, but maybe that's being a tad facetious.
Such things aren't the only challenges people from working class and low income backgrounds face; there's more, as the research has also revealed. Working class writers face intersecting challenges born of historic under-representation in publishing and the media.
These include ethnicity, disability, sexuality, gender identity, age, and religious beliefs, although this list is by no means exhaustive.
High barriers to access, and poor representation across these industries, not only affect individual writers’ careers and opportunities; there's also a more insidious effect in shutting out such voices and experiences from wider mainstream attention and public discourse.
“No writer should ever feel silenced because of their background or situation. No voice should feel unwelcome or unheard.” Alison Phillips
A lot of the research recently has been led by Katy Shaw, professor of contemporary writing, and director of cultural partnerships, at Northumbria University, in the North East of England; conducted with a view to tackling the issues head on through a collaborative approach.
“Our mission as a university is to unlock opportunity for innovation, and to invest in cross-sector collaborations with partners to further knowledge and understanding about some of the most pressing challenges facing society today,” Shaw said.
“Through our research and policy-shaping, we can see the power of partnership working to create new knowledge and solution suggestions that will help level up opportunity in the creative industries more widely."
The Northumbria research, and its partnership approach, has served – so Shaw claims – to make significant policy impacts, both in central government, and in the publishing industry itself. More pertinently, for our purpose here, it has also underwritten a bold initiative to champion working class writers.
The venture in question isn't exactly new any more, but it's new enough that it remains a standout example of a platform set up to boost those writers from less 'favoured' backgrounds.
A Writing Chance seeks to challenge the privilege that so effectively – if inadvertently – exiles working class writers to the wilderness, while elevating their better-off peers. It offers an opportunity for those taking part to shine through – and potentially breach – the class ceiling.
“The greatest writers do not always end up writing for the biggest media organisations, or penning a best-selling tome,” said Farrah Storr, head of partnerships at Substack UK & Europe, which is supporting the programme.
“Instead they are quietly working away, often alone, and without support and guidance. A Writing Chance is an incredible opportunity for us to find those voices, support them and give them a platform to share their work with the world.”
A Writing Chance was co-founded by actor and philanthropist Michael Sheen in 2021, together with New Writing North, Northumbria University, and the anti-poverty thinktank, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The debut programme was considered a resounding success; now it's back for more.
Actor Michael Sheen’s support for new writers is a class act
Mark Cantrell, Author (Tykewriter), 2 July 2021
“When we first launched A Writing Chance, I was bowled over by the quality of work that was submitted, and by the writers that we selected for the programme,” said Sheen. “It’s clear to me that we need to continue to work hard to enable access for talented people into the arts and creative industries, and to understand and remove the real barriers that prevent this.”
Husna Mortuza, the JRF's associate director for public engagement, added: “This powerful project is much needed if we are to break the class ceiling in our media and publishing industries, and to bring on talented voices who need to be heard.
“Hearing voices from all parts of our society matters, and both writers and readers will benefit from a widening of the lens. Unfortunately, talented storytellers from working class and lower income backgrounds have too-often found it difficult to break into the industry without the networks or connections to learn and get published.
“This project helps to open those doors and to showcase the talent and perspectives of more writers over the coming years.”
The write place
Earlier this week, the deadline for this current round elapsed. Now comes the task of sifting the entries to select the 16 writers – of both fiction and non-fiction – who will carry the torch for their peers.
The 2024-25 season is produced in partnership with publisher, Faber & Faber, newspaper the Daily Mirror, and – as already mentioned – Substack (host of this newsletter), with audio sponsorship from Audible.
By uniting partners across the charity sector, the media and publishing industries, as well as challenging the status quo, the aims of A Writing Chance is to continue to build a movement for lasting change.
That may sound high-minded and a little out of reach, but it remains the case that left unchallenged nothing ever changes, so such an aspiration certainly matters. It's about allowing all writers to fairly benefit from opportunities and progress, and create a cultural scene that better reflects their talent and abilities, no matter their background.
“We have worked hard to build the next stage of A Writing Chance and our ambition is to not only support a new cohort of 16 writers to enter the industry, but to continue to work with industry partners to look at how we can together ensure that opportunities are widened out for all in the future,” said Claire Malcolm, New Writing North's chief executive.
“I’m heartened that new partners have joined us this year, and how we’ve raised the funds to develop some new areas of work around the programme, which we’ll reveal [later] in 2024.”
Tracey Markham, country manager with Audible UK, added: “As a company, we believe it is vital that voices from all backgrounds are championed in the arts, and we are proud to support an important initiative that helps stories from working class and lower-income backgrounds be heard.”
Once identified, those 16 successful applicants will be set up with what you might call a crash course in how the industry works. They'll get one-to-one mentoring over 12 months with an experienced writer or editor from either the Daily Mirror, Faber & Faber, or Substack, but that's not all.
The winners will also become part of a writers' network; undertake a residential writing retreat with Arvon, and gain ample opportunity to forge those all-important contacts. They'll also receive a bursary of £2,000 to support their participation.
Alongside support for these individual writers, there's apparently a little something for the rest of us proletarian scribes, too. Set to launch later this year, the intension is that A Writing Chance will also offer free open-access resources and opportunities for all working class and lower-income writers.
The words are out there
Much of the programme is underpinned and informed by Shaw's growing body of work, supported by research associate Sarah France. The analysis undertaken for the first round of A Writing Chance in 2021-22, provided a wealth of material for vital advocacy work.
The message has been presented through industry roundtables, academic conferences, TED Talks, and taken into the heart of the publishing industry with the London Book Fair, as well as in the theatre of national politics – the House of Commons.
Quite how much attention the members of these establishments paid is open to question, of course – although it is said to have made some impact – but the research, and the advocacy work, is far from over. War and Peace wasn't re-written in a day, you might say.
"Northumbria University is a founding partner of A Writing Chance and we are delighted to be evolving this important intervention into a second phase,” said Shaw. “From TED Talks to BBC podcast series and policy papers, the programme has created a wealth of meaningful change in industry and government to date.”
Meanwhile, among that continued work to foster greater inclusion and representation, further research is being undertaken by StoryArcs, an Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded programme run by The Story Society at Bath Spa University.
“Hearing voices from all parts of our society matters, and both writers and readers will benefit from a widening of the lens.” Husna Mortuza
Angharad Hampshire, a StoryArcs associate based at York St John’s University, is working closely with the team at A Writing Chance for 12 months. Much like Shaw's work, the aim is to research barriers and pathways to inclusion within the wordsmithing industries.
“This newly commissioned research aims to build further understanding of the socio-economic inequalities that prevent talented writers from breaking into the publishing and media industries,” said StoryArcs' director, Bath Spa's professor Bambo Soyinka.
“In addition to evaluating the challenges that working class writers face, the StoryArcs research will review and propose solutions for overcoming barriers ... We hope that Angharad's research will contribute to the success of A Writing Chance’s mission to create more career-changing opportunities for new writers from lower-income backgrounds.”
Privilege doesn't give ground easily, of course, and the weight of well-established presence is on its side. We might counter, then, that A Writing Chance offers up but a small number – a mere token – when set against the sheer scale of the issue.
True enough, but it's about shining a light on the path forward, leading the way, and inspiring more to continue the journey. Sometimes, you might say, a token conveys more weight than it measures, but much remains to be done if Britain is to gain a more truly representative reflection of itself.
Such things matter, as Alison Phillips, editor of the Daily Mirror, points out.
"For the past 120 years, the Daily Mirror has played a vital role in holding those in power accountable. We've consistently exposed wrongdoing at the highest levels, and we've forced change for the better for British people,” she said.
“It is a mission which is incredibly important and rewarding. But it's also a mission that relies on us fully reflecting our diverse society. No writer should ever feel silenced because of their background or situation. No voice should feel unwelcome or unheard. And that's why this scheme is so exciting."
MC