Work Wonders-Review

CALLING ALL WRITERS.

As the first half of the 2011 semester comes to an end, a series of optional (yet vital) lectures on academic writing have been offered to students and lecturers alike.

Week four’s Work Wonders event was hosted by lecturer Matthew Birchwood, held on 21^st October 2011 from 4-6 pm at the Clattern lecture theatre, Penrhyn road. The talk explained essential tips on how to prepare an essay, with a friendly, casual atmosphere. ‘Feel free to interject,’ Birchwood invited, as he introduced the topic: Writing essays-Common mistakes.

A slideshow acted as the backdrop of the lecture, framing the audience’s view, whilst used as a teaching tool for the lecture. With various grammatical errors scattered throughout the PowerPoint, Birchwood joked that these mistakes were deliberate. The jury is still out, but premeditated or not, the intended lesson for the audience to notice subtle errors in English language was clear.

Adding to the welcoming atmosphere, a box of biscuits circulated the room as the lecture proceeded. The importance of language as a form of communication in society and culture was enforced as Birchwood described English as the ever-evolving dialect. As the fluidity of language and its structure challenges the structure of formal writing, it is vital that we, as professional writers, commonly agree conventions of written communication. Differentiating speech and written word, Birchwood pointed out that grammar cannot spoken- thus stressing the importance of a clearly structured essay.

Many attended Work Wonders to build confidence in themselves as writers. It was a relief to all when the audience learned that the Romantic myth claiming that only The Poet can produce an excellent piece of prose was in fact, only a myth. ‘There is no formula to a good piece of writing,’ Birchwood clarified, encouraging the audience to embrace all things essay.

As something to take home, Work Wonders reminded the audience that the origin of ‘essay’ was the French word Essai, i.e. ‘attempt.’ The message was clear: perseverance will prevail. Work Wonders was a pleasure to attend, and as a reviewer or otherwise, I will be attending to enhance my own writing skills.

Almass Badat