A Year of Writing and Activism

As 2011 draws to a close (cliché alert) I thought it might be worth writing up a short summary of the year.

Perhaps the greatest change to take place this year was my launching of Passing Nightmare. The site came about following an earlier abandoned experiment with current affairs blogging. Much of the site design was done over the course of a week last Christmas, along with several launch articles on economics and the media. One early article was referenced by the Guardian newspaper, which certainly provided a large boost to both my self-confidence and to the reputation of the site.

The site has since grown beyond my wildest expectations, having now published over 40 articles on a wide range of subjects. This year was undoubtedly an extraordinary year for the media news cycle, so from the summer riots and the war in Libya to the anti-cuts movement and the occupations, I’ve been writing on all of the major events taking place. I’ve also taken my angry keyboard skills to a variety of other issues including consumerism, US and European politics, the Arab Spring and media misrepresentations of the British welfare state.

As my competency in writing has increased I have also been provided with fantastic opportunities to write for established and well-respected websites such as New Left Project, Minority Thought and the Huffington Post. Once I get some more free time (unlikely to be any time soon) I have my eye on a few other projects, including writing for Manchester Mule, with whom I recently attended a fantastic media training day.

Meanwhile, my Open University work has continued apace. I finished my work for DD132 in April and am presently studying for DD203. I still have several more assignments and an exam (which I’m frightfully worried about!) remaining before I complete the course in around May or June, so I imagine there will be limited time for writing until then.

Another development running parallel alongside my writing has been increased activist activity. This year I have attended independent media conferences, occupations, protest marches and went out on strike myself in November. I’ve also been getting out on the streets, talking to people and making some fantastic new friends.

This year has been by far the busiest I can remember for quite some time.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.