Editorial | ||
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What's in a Name? |
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Who does the Australian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP) represent? Of the current membership of the AAWP, what do you think is: a) the number of members from Australian universities? Which do you think are the associations in other countries equivalent to the AAWP? Have you visited the website of the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) in the United Kingdom? http://www.nawe.co.uk/scripts/WebObjects.exe/naweSite/ Did you know that NAWE is "the one organization supporting the development of creative writing of all genres and in all educational settings throughout the UK" and its membership is open to writers, lecturers, teachers, arts advisers, students, literature workers, librarians, researchers and interested others in Britain? What do you think about the wide range of services provided to members on the NAWE website (publications, training, projects, funding, online services, study courses guide, events and opportunities guide, etc)? How much funding do you think lies behind NAWE, and where do you think they get it from? Have you visited the website of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) in the United States? http://www.awpwriter.org/store/index.htm Did you know that since 1967 "the AWP has supported writers and writing programs around the world" and they "now support over 21,000 writers at over 340 member colleges and universities and 125 writers' conferences and centers"? (http://www.awpwriter.org/) Did you know that membership of the AWP includes "writers, students, teachers, editors, literary arts professionals, and lovers of literature"? What do you think about all the services provided to members on the AWP website (bookshelf, conferences, placement and career services, publications, merchandise, etc)? How much funding do you think lies behind the AWP, and where do you think they get it from? Did you know that the AWP conference has an associated bookfair, a venue
for interviews for forthcoming university positions, and a meeting place
for publishers and writers to negotiate forthcoming projects? Did you know that the subscription list to TEXT this year topped the 1,000 mark? Did you know that the majority of these subscribers have international addresses? Are you aware that a correlation can be drawn between the membership of the AAWP and the number of people who attend the AAWP Conference each year? Do you know that there has never been more than 150 delegates at an AAWP conference? Are you one of the people who won't be coming to the Sydney conference this year? Why can't you attend? Is it because a) you are not employed by a university or TAFE? As a teacher, could you do a better job if creative practice were more fully recognised as research? As a teacher/researcher, could you do a better job or would it be a more rewarding job, if you had more links with international teaching/research organisations? Would you be willing to take up an exchange in the USA, UK, Canada or Hong Kong? Would you be interested in developing a research or publication project
with colleagues
Should the AAWP concern itself with other countries? What is the most important thing about the AAWP becoming more international: a) the increased strength of the Association? What do you think is the best way to incorporate new countries into the
AAWP: a) by changing the AAWP's name? Do you think AAWP membership should be opened up to all-comers? Do you think that teachers in schools, lovers of writing, writers' centre personnel and members, festival organizers, publishers and editors, booksellers, reviewers, readers, could also be members of the AAWP and the organization reflect issues of concern to those groups? Should conferences be held and financed by individual universities or
by the central AAWP? a) in wine-growing districts Should AAWP conferences become smaller and more regular, focused around a single issue, grouping together possible research collaborators, possible publication projects? Should the arts or publishing industries be included in such smaller groupings? Would you be happy to finance travel and accommodation for an AAWP conference out of your own pocket? Do you have the time and money to do more work in the cause of the nationalisation and/or the internationalisation of the AAWP? Do you think the AAWP is ready to go international or has it too much work to do nationally?
Nigel Krauth
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TEXT Vol 7 No 2 October 2003 http://www.griffith.edu.au/school/art/text/ Editors: Nigel Krauth & Tess Brady Text@griffith.edu.au |