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Interview: Paul's All Write
Rachel Broady18/11/2005
PAUL Abbott, a multi award-winning writer famous for Shameless
and Coronation Street shared his embarrassment, fears and joys with
the hundreds of pupils, many of whom had entered a competition,
keen to see their work in print.
All Write is an anthology of the best writing by students from
school and colleges across the North West, who entered the
Arts-Council-funded competition oirganised by Manchester
metropolitan University.
Contributors, aged between 14 and 19 and come from over 20 schools
and colleges, to celebrate their work and the work of the
classmates and listen to fellow writers , including Paul Abbott,
Mandy Coe and Melvin Burgess talk about their own
experiences.
"My school was a bit of a Borstal, an ABSO central," Paul told
them. "It was completely under-funded but my English teacher
hammered us on standards of English and I'm grateful to him for
that.
"I come from a massive chaotic family and realised I had started
writing things down. I realised I was feverishly writing fiction.
Because I was way down the pecking order of the kids, it was my way
of speaking without being interrupted.
"My teacher Bill Bradley had sent one of my stories off to a
journal who paid £10 for publication. When it was published it made
me feel dignified and very appreciative of his efforts.
"In my job I have had a ball. It's always incredibly hard
work."
The hard work of the pupils from schools across the city paid off
when they impressed a team of judges who chose their short stories
and poems for the All Write anthology. The competition was judged
by a panel comprising MMU English Department staff and postgraduate
students, teachers from schools and sixth forms and an English
advisor for Manchester LEA.
And those who had contributed or intend to contribute in future
were inspired by Paul's words.
"The people who become writers are the ones with an internal
dialogue. They imagine dialogue and film images. I feel lucky I
have gained a career out of that!" he said.
And he recognised the problems teens face when embarking on the
challenge of writing.
"I grew up in the punk era and the last thing I wanted to be seen
to be doing was writing.
"I knew I wanted to type faster so I went to lessons but I was the
only bloke in the typing class. I wanted to write but my brothers
thought I wanted to be a typist."
Success helped Paul overcome any worries or embarrasment.
"As soon as my family could see anything I did it was exciting for
them," he said. "I became hugely loved.
"When I started writing Coronation Street they acted like I wrote
it all myself and were incredibly proud of Shameless - but they
wrote most of that!
At 18 Paul sold stories to Jackie, a popular photo story magazine
aimed at teenage girls. "I decided then that I could pay for my
flat with that and allowed myself the time to do radio drama, which
is what I really wanted to do.
"Nobody but you can write the way you do. I realised that it was
something that could not be taken away from me."
All Write costs £4 and is available in Blackwells Bookshop,
University Precinct. Order forms are available on the Association
for Creative Writing & English (ACWE) website or by emailing
k.tew@mmu.ac.uk or call 0161 247 1966.
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