CREATIVE WRITING
Kit Parsons and Angelina Murthy, both Year 13, and both members of the Upper Case writing group, reflect on the importance of creative writing in their lives, as they prepare to leave the College and JAGS for pastures new WRITING PRODUCES A MAGICAL FEELING Angelina Murthy For me the act of writing produces a magical feeling. The French ‘époustouflant’ perfectly encapsulates the mood: breathtaking. The process of writing – the experience of creation – can be felt both by solitary writers and by those gathered together in groups. Creative writing can help us to understand the complex world, opening our senses to new adventures. And I say ‘senses’ because I do mean all of them. When you are describing a scene in a café, you, the writer, smell the cinnamon buns on the counter, hot to the touch, just out of the oven, with a hint of nutmeg. You see the people standing in line, dressed smartly for the jobs they have left temporarily, to find their caffeine-rich drink. You hear the ringing of the till, and the waiters call- ing out the order numbers, and you feel the warmth of the cup your coffee comes in. All this you is available to you, with the help of the simple tools of pen and paper. Exciting as it is to experience this alone, the feeling is amplified when writing alongside others. The joy of writing in a group is something which every student (and non-stu- dent) should know. It is all very well reading through your own work unchaperoned, but to discuss ideas and to play around with them in a group of friends and peers is some- thing very special. I was delighted to be invited by Ms Akrill to join the Upper Case writing group in the Autumn term of 2023. It has been a wonderful experience to write regularly each week, helped along, of course, by the charming atmosphere of the Masters’ Library. The bookshelves
filled with ancient tomes, the beautiful fireplace and the six or so very comfortable armchairs create the perfect environment for an evening of creative enjoyment each week. Being one of the writers whose work features in our collective anthology is, for me, a privilege. In addition, I have invited writers to contribute to my own semi-autobi- ographical account of my time in the Upper Case group. The College Archives will keep a copy of both works, which is very exciting.
TO WRITE IS TO OPEN ONE’S MIND Kit Parsons
Since the age of 12, I have been attending creative writing clubs at the College, under the careful and appreciative eye of Ms Akrill. What began with me stumbling into the slightly dank Lower School IT Room (no longer with us) having nothing better to do on a Friday lunchtime, has become the most regular fixture of my life while attending secondary school. Creative writing is a rather paradoxical hobby: it is simul- taneously both popular and obscure, old-fashioned yet now slightly trendy, thanks to the rise of ‘booktok’ culture. In this age of doom-scrolling and personalised algorithms, writing and reading can, admittedly, feel lengthy and dry, but these activities are also tremendously distilling, and rewarding. Where social media plays upon our most basic impulses – excitement, anger, joy, connection, lust – the act of writing and sharing that writing is appreciative and democratic. To write is to open one’s mind to the complex and contradictory nature of our collective experiences; to breach the gap through words. I do not wish to establish a false dichotomy, however, because both social media and creative writing are, in my opinion, fundamentally built upon exchange and community. To be in a creative writing club is to experience a gorgeous range of ideas and personalities. The mood can range from quiet reflection, to focused creativity, to sharp bursts of complete hilarity. Over the years I have been joined by
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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