A Fading Sweetness. First of articles commissioned by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten who invited Wesker to join six other European writers and write a column once every eight weeks - correspondent from UK! First one appeared 17 January 1990.

Free Men Invent. Article written for Aftenposten on the experience of directing Merry Wives for the Riksteatret, with reference to Ruskin. February 10 1990. Printed in two parts: 6 and 9 April 1990.

The Intimidated Poet. Second article for Aftenposten. Printed 21 February 1990.

Queen Moves to Protect King. Third article for Aftenposten. Printed 21 March 1990.

Art Beware Art. Fourth article for Aftenposten. Printed 4 July 1990. (5th printed).

Big Question for Small Column. Fifth article for Aftenposten. Printed 17th October 1990 (8th printed)

Whack! Whack! Whack! Sixth article for Aftenposten. Printed 16 May 1990. (4th printed).

Ode to a PC. Seventh article for Aftenposten. Printed: 15 August 1990. (6th printed)

Lady Showbiz and the slut, Art. Longer piece written for Aftenposten’s Culture Page. Printed 1st August 1990. (Slightly rewritten 16 June 2002 and offered to Normal Lebrecht at London Evening Standard. Not used.)

Let Us Consider Politicians. Longer piece written for Aftenposten’s political pages. Printed: 10 August 1990.
Offered also to paper in Cologne. (Not picked up. Not even acknowledged! Copy to Observer - responded to.)

Questions! Questions! Questions!
Ninth article for Aftenposten. Printed: 5 September 1990. (7th printed)

Conflicting Emotions.
Tenth article for Aftenposten. Written 10 October 1990. (8th printed) Printed: 21 November 1990.

‘Thus Conscience’: Eleventh article for Aftenposten. Written
22 October 1990. Printed: 1 March.

Three poems for my daughter on her 21st birthday and All Things Tire Of Themselves. Printed in Imagen. June

The Day of the Poet. Longer piece written for Aftenposten’s Culture Page. Printed: 11 March.

Stay Dumb For Comfort: Twelfth article for Aftenposten. Written 29 October 1990. Printed: 5 April.

Saluting Ron. A tribute to Ron Groom read at his cremation. Ron and Mikki Groom – family friends. 22 April.

To Believe is to Offend: Longer article written at request of Aftenposten 27 December 1990 on the announcement that Salman Rushdie had returned to the Muslim faith. Printed 5 January 1991; in Politiken 6 January.

I do not want to talk about the Gulf ...: Thirteenth article written for Aftenposten, ironic defence of tyrants. Written 2 February. Printed: 8 February.

Authors take sides on the Gulf: Following ‘Authors Take Sides on the Spanish War’, 1937, ‘Authors Take Sides on Viet Nam’, 1960, ‘Authors Takes Sides on the Falklands’, 1982, another was proposed about the Gulf War. Commissioned and written 7 March 1991. Book never published.

Breathtaking Cynicism: For Aftenposten to coincide with production of The Merchant of Venice by Oslo’s New Theatre in Autumn. Long article combining much of lecture ‘Birth of a Play’ and Guardian article of August ‘81.(Also in Methuen student edition of ‘The Merchant’) Written 5 April. Printed: Aftenposten 20 Sept.

Credit Grabbers Credit Deniers (Deny-ers): Fourteenth column for Aftenposten. Written 6 April 1991. Re-written 13 May. Printed: 24 May.
Reprinted in ‘The WYE Festival Supplement’ May 1994.

To Serve or Not to Serve. Fifteenth column for Aftenposten. Written 10 April 1991. Printed: 28 June.

Limits to Expression. Sixteenth column for Aftenposten. Written 21 April 1991. Printed: 26 April 1991. Politiken 2 June.

Parsimony or Necrophilia?: Written for Weekend Guardian 7/8 May 1991 in response to Michael Billington’s ‘Broadside’ (Weekend Guardian May 4-5). Turned down by them. Rewritten (13 May) as The Necrophiliacs for The Independent. Turned down by them. Printed in The Times cut and renamed Raise the Living Above the Dead: 3 July.
Printed Aftenposten 12 July based on the (cut) Times version. Printed Politiken, Denmark, 4 August. In full. Printed Espressen, Sweden, 17 August.

Breathtaking Cynicism. Variation on an article for The Guardian printed 29 August 1981. For Aftenposten to coincide with a production of The Merchant of Venice in Oslo. Written 5 April 1991. Printed 20 September 1991. Printed in Politiken 31 October 1991.

Ibsen via Shaw: For Aftenposten. To coincide with Ibsen festival in Norway. Written 1 September. Printed 9 September 1991.

Declarations d’Esch: About the Luxembourg seminar on ‘Europe 2000’. Written for Aftenposten 2 October 1991. Not printed.

Dark Suspicions: A rework of ‘Breathtaking Cynicism’, or rather that piece with some seven or so pages added and sent to 200 ‘friends and colleagues’ in the theatre, media and commerce. 20 October 1991. Printed Guardian’s quarterly magazine ‘Impact’ ‘Spring 1992’.

Almost A Gentleman: For Aftenposten about Osborne to coincide with the publication of the second volume of his autobiography. Written 27 October 1991. Printed 22 November 1991. La Republica 10 March 1992.

Yes, the playwright is unpacified: Letter responding to profile of Deborah Warner by Catherine Bennett in Guardian. Letter printed 16 December.

Shabby Debate: For The Jewish Chronicle, a response to Chaim Bermant’s article about ‘Dark Suspicions’. (29 November 1991). Written 3 December. Printed 20 December.

All Things Tire of Themselves & To All My Children. Two poems printed in ‘Terra Del Fucco’, Italian magazine with Italian translation alongside by Giuliana Lucchini Bononi.

Verbal Versus Visual. For Aftenposten. A defence of words in the theatre. Written 30 January. Printed

Babette’s Feast. A eulogy for a collection of essays on one of their favourite films written by writers and artists from other mediums for a collection to be published by Sun and Moon Publishing Co. L.A. USA. Proceeds to go to an aids fund. Last draft written 12 February.

Three Acts and an Epilogue: Opening paper for seminar at Drama Dept. B’ham University entitled ‘Beyond Words’ 10/12 April. Culled from ‘Interpretation’ and the Aftenposten article ‘Verbal Versus Visual’. Written 25/27 March. Printed in the (U.S.) Dramatists Guild Quarterly. Vol. 29. No. 3. Autumn 1992.

Attack on the Modern Director . ‘Act One’ of Birmingham paper printed in Guardian Arts Page 15 April.

Down the Rushdie road: Letter printed in Guardian 6 May in response to report of ‘Muslim Parliament’s’ deliberations under leadership of rabble rouser Kalim Siddiqui.

The remedy that humanity deserves. (International Benign Force - the argument for). About defending the defenceless everywhere, inspired by Serb attacks on Bosnians. Printed The Guardian 6 August. Politiken 9 August. Aftenposten

The Odd Couple. Broadcasting and the Arts. Written August/September. Printed in The Guardian October 27.

Charlie. Review of Attenborough’s film on life of Charlie Chaplin. ‘Second Opinion’, Guardian. Written 23 November. Printed 17 December. Cut!

Letter on Tolerance. For a German anthology. Written 28 November 1992. Translated and published by Luisenstädtischer Bildungsverein e.V. Berlin in 1993.

Ullmann. Profile of Liv Ullmann on her debut as director of film ‘Sofie’. Written 8 December. Printed 18 December.

Dream of fair to middling women. Review of early Beckett novel. For La Repubblica. Written 23 December. Printed 12 January 1993. And an Argentinean newspaper Clarin ...

Shylock. Review of book by John Gross for La Repubblica. Written 5th January. Printed 8 April. Also variation for ‘Aftenposten’ and ‘The Jewish Quarterly. Aftenposten didn’t pick it up. JQ did.

Tomas Tvaroch-Avis. Obituary. Guardian. 22 January.

Week’s Diary. For Weekend Guardian. Week of Monday 11/16 January. Printed weekend of 23rd.

Breathtaking Cynicism - variation of an article on ‘The Merchant of Venice’, with references to the book by John Gross, occasioned by the announcement that yet another production of the Shakespeare play is to be mounted by the RSC directed by David Thacker. Offered to the Guardian but held over by Targett for The Sunday Times. Written 3 February 1993. Printed S.Times 6 June 1993.

Following week, 13 June, ST published review by John Peter (who referred to previous week’s article), and a response to my article by David Thacker. Follow-up ‘Letter to The Editor’ sent by AW. Very truncated version printed 20 June. Also wrote letter to John Peter. Sent both to Thacker.

The Rushdie Letters. Review of a book of letters from other writers such Maria Vargos Llosa, Gunther Grass, Nadime Gordimer etc. Written 22 February for La Repubblica. Not printed.

Elements! Subjects! Themes! Qualities! Perceptions! - a brief introduction to an impossible task: my work! Six page lecture written for day long seminar - 26 March - on my work at the Department of English, University of Alcala de Henares outside Madrid.
Two versions written. One for Moscow University - to be delivered mid May and to preceded reading of Whatever Happened to Betty Lemon. The other for Alcala to precede reading of Letter to a Daughter.

The Grieg A Minor 45 years on - reflections in old age on the favourites of one’s youth. For Norwegian music Magazine Listen To Norway published in English. Written 9 April 1993. Printed May 1993.

A nasty piece of work. About ‘The Merchant of Venice’, printed in The Sunday Times 6 June.

Like Most Writers. Written for a brochure (can’t trace which one). June.

The Englishness of English (or some such title to come) requested by the Guardian by phone: a ‘thumbnail’ sketch of where I think English is at just now. Written immediately 7 July. 270 words.

Notes to a Young Writer. Written originally as a long letter to Magda St Luce (mother of my granddaugher, Natasha) a sometime playwright. 14 May 1985. Reworked for Meiling Jin, playwright student from Central School who was attached to me, December 1992. Rewritten version printed Sunday Times as ‘Master Class’, 11 July 1993.

Protect the Innocents. Written 18/19 November for Turkish newspaper ‘Cumhuriyet’ as one of 100 international intellectuals invited to write something for entry in 3rd Millennium. A variation of ‘Benign Force’. Printed 31 Temmuz 1994.

Gloriously Smutty Rosie. ‘A memoir’ written for Mail on Sunday’s ‘Night and Day’ section. About characters in ‘The Hungaria’ restaurant. Written 18/19 November. Printed - never! But paid.

Blood, set and pied de veau. ‘A memoir’ from a Paris diary, edited and honed for The Independent. Printed 23 February 1994.

The Hebron Massacre. Letter to The Guardian. Printed 5 March 1994.

Choice of three. Asked to select three favourite plays of all time. Chose my own since it’s a crazy request. Published in special Guardian supplement together with BBC Radio on 8 April 1994.

A Fading Sweetness. Re-printed in The Big Issue, magazine for the homeless, 5/11 April 1994.

Three Acts and an Epilogue. Printed in The National Association For The Teaching of Drama ‘Broadsheet’. May 1994

Stay Dumb for Comfort. Re-printed in The Red Kite (Newsletter for Democratic Left in Wales). No. 28. June/July 1994.

Review: ‘The Life and Lies of Bertholt Brecht’ by John Fuegi. Commissioned for ‘Mail on Sunday’. July 1994. Paid for but never printed!

The street where I was born: Reminiscences of Fashion Street. Daily Mail 31 December 1994.

(Letters followed from Helen Osborne, Harold Pinter and Antonia Fraser - 13 January 1995. From AW 14th. From Greville Poke on 16th.)

Love Letters on Blue Paper. Sonia’s last letter to be printed in 1995 in a book called ‘The Perfect Memorial Service’.

A Memory of John Osborne - written March 1995 for a ‘Casebook’ edited by Patricia D Denison for Garland Publishing, U.S.A. An amalgam of review in La Repubblica and extract from diary. Later: Book published 1997

Culture at the turn of the Century. 10 minute paper for conference in Barcelona organised by the Cultural Department of the Catalan Government. 15 - 19th March.

First Love: reworked from DARE about Esther and Cissie. Daily Mail 18 March.

Fellowship toast: response on behalf of the New Fellows to the New Fellows toast at the dinner following the award ceremony at Queen Mary’s College 21 March.

Poems: There goes the year, Vain Image, Come love me, she said, When I come into the house published in ‘Nineties Poetry’ Number Three, Winter 1994-95. (Lansdowne Press, 33 Lansdowne Place, Hove BN3 1HF.)

Prats & Cunts: commissioned by John Cunningham of The Guardian (3rd April), retitled by them Cursing the critics as the curtain falls. Printed 4th April in ‘Comment and Analysis’.

What makes a work of literature last through time and able to cross frontiers? Variation on ‘Elements! Subjects! Themes!’ etc written as introduction to a debate Theatre Seminar in Goteborg. Written 3 May 1995.

Greedy for Work: review for the Mail on Sunday of Stephen’s Fay book on Peter Hall. Written 12th May 1995. Printed as ‘Hall and sundry’ 28 May.

Two Roots of Judaism: excerpt from As Much as I Dare in New Humanist Vol. 110 No. 3 August 1995.

Death of a Statesman: A letter in The Guardian on the assassination of Yitzak Rabin criticising the ‘crie de coeur’ that ‘a Jew has murdered a Jew’. Printed 7 November 1995.

Queen Moves to Protect King: slight re-write of earlier pieces for Aftenposten, printed in ‘Exquisite Corpse’ edited by my cousin, Andrei Codrescu, published by Culture Shock Foundation Inc. Winter 1995.

Brenda Bruce O.B.E: Obituary. Guardian. 21 February, 1996.

Blood Libel. Letter in Eastern Daily Press responding to a letter from the Rev. Daniels of Norwich Synagogue headed: Wesker Play Must Not Sour Relations. Printed 2 March.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Centenary. Short piece written for a ‘commemorative keepsake’ - not for sale, ed. by Prof. Matthew J. Bruccoli of University of S. Carolina. Written 12 March 1996. Published 24 September 1996.

Fundamental truths. Letter to The Guardian suggesting Dr. Khalim Siddique is a dangerous man insisting - during 11th meeting of The Muslim Parliament - that the fatwa against Rushdie must be carried out. Printed 3 April 1996.

Feeling, fear, outrage, honour. Contribution to a book called ‘An affinity with Gustav Mahler’. To be published by Donald Knox-Richards. Written 31 July 1996. Pub August 1999

Remembrance: An anthology of Readings, Prayers and Music for Memorial Services, in aid of CRUSE – bereavement care. Permission given for last letter in ‘Love Letters on Blue Paper’ to be included, pub. Michael Joseph.

The London New Play Festival – Arnold Wesker on: short piece written for ‘hot tickets’ 30th August. About ever optimistic young playwrights. Originally a longer piece (written in December) ‘Plus ca change’ aimed at The Observer but not accepted by them.

Creativity Versus Power - an address to: The Global Media Dialogue, Conference of European Ministers of Culture, Copenhagen, October 1966.
Printed in Politiken.

Agents! - Printed ‘The Author’, Winter 1996. Volume CVII No. 4

Dear Chris …a few lines on what should happen to Lottery money, requested by Chris Smith, the new Heritage Minister, printed in Lottery Monitor, May issue.

Steely Trimmers and Round Warm Ones – speech for Commencement Day, Denison University, Granville, Ohio, USA, on the occasion of receiving an Honorary Degree 11th May.

Never Quite Out of the Wilderness: the Playwright at Sixty-Five: Interview with Naim Attallah for The Literary Review, June 1997.

Chips, Streisand and Mozart. For StageWrite, magazine of National Theatre’s Educational wing; on occasion of Chips With Everything at NT. Written 17 June. Printed Autumn 1997.

Creativity versus Power: variation of original Copenhagen lecture delivered on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Greek Dramatists Association in Athens 18th October 1997. Printed (edited) in Guardian under title: ‘Welcome to the real world, art’. 30 August 1997.

Troubled Gentiles: a 5500 word essay , observations on some of the plays of David Hare prompted by his performing his one-act play ‘Via Dolorosa’ about his trip to Israel. 29 September 1998. Unpublished.

Perdition or free speech? Letter to The Guardian about a revival of Jim Allen’s play ‘Perdition’ withdrawn from the Royal Court in 1980 after strong Jewish protest. 26 April 1999.

Shame on you , Shakespeare: (not my title!). Article about ‘The Merchant of Venice’ to coincide with Nunn’s production of the play at the Cottesloe. Printed in ‘The Independent’ 21 July 1999. Letter printed next day from Tom Morris, Director of Battersea Arts Centre. (Note: I’d sent the wrong version as an attachment by email – the 1330 word version instead of the 1200 one. They took it nevertheless!)

Mountview’s First: ‘Guest of Honour’ speech for the first ever BA awards to students of the Mountview Conservatoire. Delivered 17 September.

Explanations or Impositions: thoughts on Trevor Nunn’s production of ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at the Cottesloe Theatre in August. Written 25 August. Unpublished. Subsequently printed on AW.s web-site as ‘Theatre Cheats’ 13 November 1999. The Mail on Sunday requested a shorter version for them to print in their supplement, around 2000 words. At first thought this not possible but on 19 December did in fact write a 2000 word precis. More a rethinking of the open letter. Not printed.

A Hand-Reared Boy: review of short novel by Brian W. Aldiss. Written for The Erotic Review 28/30 July. Printed issue No.22. November.

The New York Times: Letter to the editor 24 October 1999 in response to an article they printed (17 October) by Mark Ravenhill, playwright of ‘Shopping and Fucking’ fame, who wrote suggesting Osborne et al were rebelling against a previous generation of gays rather than against anything social! Not printed.

Radio Times: Letter to the editor 4th November 1999, correcting nonsense uttered in an interview with actor, Anthony Booth, Cherie Blair’s father. He’d erroneously said Arden and Osborne were thrown into prison for CND activities! No record of it having been printed.

The Independent: Letter to the editor, 21 November 1999, correcting David Lister’s misquote from ‘Open Letter to Nunn’. Not printed.

The Merchant of Venice: A review of Nunn’s production at The Cottesloe. Honed from ‘Open Letter’ around October.