On ‘Their Very Own and Golden City’. A talk written for the occasion of the Osaka production of the play mounted in early February, outlining brief history and background inspiration for the play.

theatre@risk: review of book by Michael Kustow. Written 16th June. Not printed.

The Kitchen Musical: Programme note for world premiere in Tokyo, written 20th June.

Summer Reading: For the Observer. Written 22 June. Printed in The Observer Review 2 July.

What are we writers worth?: Commissioned by The Sunday Times on ‘selling one’s archives. Written July 4th and subsequently honed. Printed 5 November. Also used as address to Flair Symposium on archives and libraries at Austin, Texas (3/4 November).

Introductions – for two new Methuen editions of The Wesker Trilogy and One Woman Plays written 7/11 July. Trilogy published 11 January 2001.
One Woman Plays published February 2001.

Cultural Jeremiahs – letter to the editor, Guardian, about trivialising of five books by John Sutherland ‘They’ve never had it so bad’ appeared 6 September. Letter printed 9th September under heading: ‘Wesker has a grumpfest’.

Lost Generations – letter to the editor of the Independent on Sunday about David Benedict’s article (17th September) on ‘where are the political writers of yore’ followed by six thumbnail sketches of Howard Brenton, David Storey, David Hare, David Edgar, John Arden and AW as representatives of ‘yore’. They printed (24th September) a quarter of what was written thus rendering ineffectual the intent.

I Accuse – letter to the editor about an incredibly stupid article (of that title) on theatre by John Freeman, Senior Lecturer in performing arts at De Montfort University. 4 October. Printed 7 October. Further correspondence between Freeman and others followed.

Arthur Miller is 85. Eulogy delivered at the Norwich Guildhall on the occasion of him being made a Freeman of the city. 14th October.

A Childhood Christmas Memory – For the Statesman Magazine
150 words about an orange. 29 November. Printed 25 Dec/1 Jan 2001

Book of the year. 90 words for The Guardian on Michael Kustow’s ‘theatre@risk’. Written 2 Dec. Printed 16 Dec.

On Friendship. 113 words requested by Kim Bunce for The Observer. Written 5 Dec. Not printed. Bunce wrote 22 Feb.2001: The friendship piece is never going to run I don’t think. Nicci Gerrard spent a lot of time and energy on it and I did too. But, the editors, in all their might and power, changed their minds about it and now it goes into the vault of never to be seen again copy.

On Marquez. On 15 December 2000 AW received along with many other writers a poem purportedly written by a dying Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Sunday Times rang to ask for comment. AW emailed five lines. It turned out to be a hoax. The ST wrote it up on Sunday 17 December in the ‘Focus’ column.

Hugging The Chimney Sweep – a farewell to Mikki. Written 26/28 December. Delivered at Golders Green Crematorium 29 December.

Black Mascara. 250 word entry for a $10,000 Internet writing competition to begin with the words: Terrified, she pushed open the door to …Offered by Doug Honig of Blue Ridge Literary Services, in Afton, USA. Written 6/7 March.

The Lecture I Would Give. Another request from Kim Bunce for The Observer. 100 words on ‘The Book I Would Give’. Chose to give the Ruskin lecture ‘The Unity of Art’. Written 21 March. Printed in cut version 25 March.

Shylock. A programme note for Ankara production opening 8 May 2001.

Ariane. A 1500 word memoir of Ariane Mnouchkine for a book on her published by Alexander Wewerka, Berlin. Written 15th April. Due to be published 2002.

Talking ‘bout our genitalia. Feature in The Observer by Kate Kellaway about Eve Ensler’s ‘The Vagina Monologues’ in which she quotes from a letter written by AW to another Observer journalist, Kim Bunce, his responses to the play. ‘The Observer Review 22 April.

What Makes A Work Of Literature Last Through Time and Able to Cross Frontiers: Reprinted in a book containing lectures delivered at The University of Metz during a conference on ‘Modern British Drama in France’ which took place in 2000. Ed. Nicole Boireau.

The fable of ‘racist Israel’. 1500 word article incorporating the fable from Dare relating to Durban UN conference on racism in which the Arab States were calling for Israel to be the only ones damned. Offered to Telegraph – no response; to Guardian – Linda Grant had already written one; to The Spectator – Anthony La Guardia had already written one. Gave up! Written 4 September.

Monstrous concept. Short, two sentence letter to the Guardian. ‘What monstrous concept of God sanctioned such massive, violent cruelty? And what mentality dances upon the ashes? Written 11th September, printed 13th.

There are no more virgins left in paradise. 500 words after The Twin Tower murders. 18th September. No response from Guardian, Telegraph, Spectator. S.Times replied they couldn’t place it. Picked up by The Humanist and printed Winter 2001.

Believers and infidels. Letter to Guardian about bin Laden’s claim being presaged by Ayotolla Khamenei. Written 8 October. Not printed.

Has the world changed? 100 words requested by Guardian as part of feature containing answers from many. Written 10 October. Arrived too late to be printed but was put on to their website.

Osama phoned today. Letter to Guardian re anti-war demonstration in Trafalgar Square. 14 October. Not printed.

To Believe Is To Offend. Updated and offered to ‘The Humanist’ 14th February. Printed Summer 2002.

JNF (Jewish National Fund) Centenary 1901-2001. Commemorative tome with photos and messages from Jewish personalities. Messages are words about photos; this one by the actor the late Peter Sellers. Printed January.

Letters to Editor, Guardian. A response to article (Feb 28) by Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, reference to British theatre establishment’s refusal to perform ‘Shylock’ was cut, as I guessed it would be. (Full letter in ‘journalism’ folder.). Printed 1st March.

Letters to Editor, Daily Telegraph. A response to article quoting poet Tom Paulin calling for American Jews in Israel to be shot as Zionist Nazis. 13 April. Not printed.

Comments on Mid East Crisis: requested by Independent on Sunday as part of a number of comments. Written 19th April. Reworked over phone with Anne McElvoy (assistant ed.) who promised nothing else would be cut, but it was! Printed 21st

In the Good Old Days of Pogroms. Six hundred word ironic piece on current mid-east crisis. Written 4th May. Offered to The Guardian. No response. Then to Spectator who replied saying they didn’t think their readers would ‘get it’. Guardian subsequently said they’d ‘try’ to print it but didn’t.

Cooking Up Controversy. A profile by Maureen Paton for The Stage and TV. May 9.

Don’t give up on me. Dreadful title given to a piece commissioned by The London Evening Standard that I called ‘On Reaching Four Score Years and Ten’. Written 28 April, printed 20 May. (Subsequently picked up and printed in The Eastern Daily Press 22nd May.

Profile. By John O’Mahony for Saturday Review of The Guardian. Printed 25th May.

Locarno Film Festival. Lecture on the impact of cinema on AW as a playwright. Written 17/19 June. Delivered 3rd August.

Letter to Editor, Guardian. Response to Guardian leader (19 June) about Cherie Blair’s comment on suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem on 18 June. Not printed.

The Day The Philosopher Sat Down. Radio 4 documentary about Bertrand Russell and The Committee of 100. Made by ‘All Out Productions’. Interviewed 10 July in Blaendigeddi by Nigel Wrench. Producer David Cook. Transmitted ?

Favourites. Phone interview with Mary Rensten for ‘The Lady’ magazine. Conducted 11 July. Printed ?

Catching Up With Wesker. Profile by Golda Zafer-Smith commissioned by ‘Jewish Renaissance’. Interview took place in Hove on 21st March. Printed in summer issue. Vol 1. No. 4
Old Boats. Poem. Printed in ‘Jewish Renaissance’ in same issue as profile ‘Catching Up With Wesker’. Summer. Vol 1. No. 4.

Old Boats. Poem. Printed in ‘Jewish Renaissance’ in same issue as profile ‘Catching Up With Wesker’. Summer. Vol 1. No. 4.

Open Letter To David Hare. An edited amalgam of ‘Troubled Gentiles’ and ‘In The Good Old Days of Pogroms’. Written 15/18 July. Offered to Times Lit. Supp. Too long for them. Offered to London Review of Books. Too long for them, too. Told Hare it was going on to website, invited him to respond so that both could be printed at same time. He declined saying he never reads responses and feels he’s had his say, others should be allowed to have theirs.

Open letter to Maria Bonilla - director of bowdlerised version of ‘Whatever Happened To Betty Lemon’ in San Jose, Costa Rica. Written 17 July for ‘La Nacion’. Printed 25th July.

Reply to Bonilla’s reply. Written 11 August in Hove. Printed in La Nacion 22 August.

Celebrities on holiday: a rough guide: Travel writer, Alain de Boton, devised ten questions about travel for The New Statesman who posed them to various personalities. AW one of them. Questions responded to immediately via email 14 August. Printed 23rd September

The Angry Young Men. A review of book written by Humphrey Carpenter. Commissioned by The Guardian. Written 16/22 August. Printed 14th September.

What Made Us Modern. Written 3rd September to coincide with an exhibition of modern manuscripts set up by the Harry Ransom Centre, Texas: “Make it new: The Rise Of Modernism”. Printed in a brochure called ‘Make It New’ published for the opening on 21 October 2003, edited by Kurt Heinzelman.. Enlarged from a short piece written for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Centenary in March 1996.

The Book Of Israel. A review of novel by Jeremy Gavron. Written 4/5 September. Offered to Guardian. Printed 21st September.

The Wedding Toast. Speech for Lindsay and Claude’s wedding. Written 29 September to be delivered 5th October.

Open letter to Linus Tonström, director of The Kitchen in Gothenburg. He’d made it into a slapstick comedy. The author protests. Written 28 Nov/3 Dec. Offered to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyhyter. Rejected. Printed in Gotesborg-Posten Saturday 11th January. Tonström’s reply printed next day on 12th. AW’s Reply to the reply written 14/17 January. Printed ???

Tyranny must be brought down. Written for the Internet Magazine ‘open Democracy’ who wrote: THE QUESTION OF OUR TIME.
President Bush has rallied his troops for what he calls "The first war of the 21st century". What is your view of this crisis, where do you stand?
www.openDemocracy.net is seeking responses from writers, artists, musicians, and public figures around the world, for a global readership. 240 words written supporting the war 16th January. Put on the Internet 20th January. Printed in The Sunday Times 16 February.

Tyrants Win. Letter to the Guardian. Ironic statement declaring how proud Saddam must feel to have the world in disarray, artists protesting, everyone doing their best to preserve his tyranny. Printed 15 February.
Recorded for BBC World Service 20 February, later placed on their web site. And later picked up by The Wall Street journal together with statement by Pinter offering opposite view.

Frightened Theatre. Explores if theatre has become politically correct by describing the stories and fates of The Journalists, Shylock and Denial. Written between 8 January and 27 February.

Values & Perceptions – on political theatre. Variation on article written in June 1988 for The Sunday Times that was never published. Offered to Guardian with suggestion it be part of a series from other contributors. Printed 15 March.

Great Expectations – on what we expect from a National Theatre, commissioned by The Independent to coincide with departure of Trevor Nunn and beginning of reign by Nick Hytner. Written 12/14 March. Printed 3 April.

Letter to Guardian: About redefining ‘sovereignty’, arguing that there are United Nations Charter justifications for military inervention in Iraq. Written 18 March. Not printed. Resubmitted 24 June in response to similar article ‘Betrayed’ (23 June) by David Hare. Not printed.

A Spoilt Boy: review of ‘a memoir’ by Frederic Raphael commissioned by The Guardian. Written 24/25 March. Printed 5 April.

The good and the good. Article for The Guardian in response to two articles by Julian Barnes in the Guardian, and Will Self in The London Evening Standard both imagining that supporters of the Iraq war were about to be ‘smug’. Written 12 April. Neither Guardian nor Standard printed it.

Jerry Springer – The Opera. The musical that launches Nick Hytner’s first season as director of The National Theatre. Some thoughts on it. Written 1st/2nd May. Offered to The Guardian who rejected it. Offered it to The Daily Telegraph who accepted and printed on 13 May.

Clouds of Glory. Review requested by Guardian of a book of memoirs about Hoxton by Brian Magee. Written 15th May. Printed 16th August.

Authors Takes Sides on Iraq. Contribution to a collection of opinions about the rights and wrongs of military intervention in Iraq. Requested and edited by Jean Moorcroft Wilson and Cecil Woolf. To be printed together with a piece written for a similar ‘sides’ collection on ‘The Gulf’ which couldn’t be published because of a fire. Based on unpublished ‘Letter to the Guardian’ written on 18th March. Book containing two pieces re The Gulf and Iraq published early 2004.

Lost Courage. 800 word piece requested by Arts News (The Magazine of the National Campaign for the Arts). Culled from earlier piece ‘Frightened Theatre’. Printed mid November, Autumn issue No. 65 under their title ‘Can we have our voice back?’.

Jocelyn Herbert. A short memorial address at the Royal Court 12 October. Written 2/3 October. Using a passage from DARE.

A Hand Never Still – thoughts on the paintings of Philip Sutton for the catalogue of his exhibition ‘A Celebration of Colour’ May 31st - June 5th 2004 at Gallery 27 in 27, Cork Street, London. Written 1 December.

Letter to Editor Guardian. About the debate is being anti-Israeli the same as being anti-Semitic, with reference to John Le Carré on Start The Week, and Brian Klug’s article in Guardian 3 December 2003 ‘No, anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism’. Written 3 December. Printed 6 December.

Why I Turned Down The CBE. Written 20th December in Hill House in response to The Sunday Times printing a big feature on ‘the honours list’ and naming all those over the years who’ve turned it down. Offered to both Guardian and ST. Not accepted.

Diary – for Statesman. Commissioned. Wrote two pieces. One on acting for TV I thought too thin; the other was about the Max Stafford Clark utterance. Grittier. Written 21/22 February for 9 March edition. Not printed then. They decided to print the piece on acting. Then asked for two addition paragraphs on Madrid and/or Yassin. Wrote them. They then requested an expansion of the Madrid/Yassin passage by 150 words. This meant trimming the passage on acting. Did it. Printed 26th March. Evasive response from a Mr Roger Iredale in following week 5 April.

The Other Side of Despair. Review of book by Daniel Gavron. 16 interviews with Israelis and Palestinians. Written 24/26 March. Not commissioned. Offered to Guardian. Printed 29 May in Review Section.

Letter to the Editor. In issue of Statesman that printed my ‘diary’ was an article by the assistant editor, Cristina Odone, about martyrdom between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. I wrote to her that she got the Jews wrong. She rang to ask could my letter be made a ‘letter to the editor’. I agreed. Printed 5th April.

About the ‘Sixties’. Request from The Sunday Times to answer four questions for a feature in the colour magazine to coincide with an exhibition at The Tate. Written 28/29 April. Printed (in part) 30 May.

A Hand Never Still. Version of previous piece reduced for Royal Academy magazine. Printed: Summer 2004. No. 83

Four hitchhiking anecdotes. Request from Tom and Simon Sykes: ‘We are currently working on a book of hitch-hiking anecdotes written by
contributors from all walks of life. This collection aims to document the
varied experiences of hitch-hikers and those giving lifts in order that an
exemplary record can be established for general publication.’ Wrote them four anecdotes. 10 May 2004. Printed May 2005.

On Purpose: Edited by Margaret Gee who wrote in November 2003: I am contacting people around the world such as yourself and asking what you feel has truly made your life worthwhile, and what are important and meaningful goals for you. My reply was printed in her book published by New Holland Publishers in Australia 2004.

Bad Memory. Invitation from producer, Harry Parker, of ‘Home Truths’, John Peel’s Saturday morning program on Radio 4, to write what they call ‘a column’. No more than 850 words. Wrote it 11/12 June. Transmitted 14 August.

Shylock. Review of book by Gareth Armstrong about taking his one man play ‘Shylock’ around the world. Requested by The Guardian. Written 18/20 July. Printed 2 October

Finger Wagging. A response to essay in the Guardian by Caryl Phillips on 17th July ‘The Kingdom of the blind’, castigating sixties writers for not dealing with social changes that came with black immigration. Written 20/23 July. Turned down by Guardian Review Assistant. Ed. Printed nowhere but sent to Caryl Phillips. Placed on website.

Arts Doomsters. Request from New Statesman to contribute 150 words for a ‘Special feature on this year's Edinburgh Festival, including a piece declaring that it's over, that it's now all about quantity rather than quality…’ Written 9 August. Printed (cut) 13 August.

Letter to Ed. Guardian. About the glorious opening ceremony of the Olympics and how it made me think of Bin Laden the destroyer. Written 13 August. Rejected.

Confrontation. Second ‘essay’ for ‘Home Truths. 1/9 September. Transmitted

Nostalgia. Third ‘essay’ for Home Truths. Transmitted as the second one on 9th October.

On new Jewish directors. Letter to Editor of Jewish Renaissance. Response to article by David Russell on ‘the director as star – about three new young Jewish directors.’ Written 21 October. Printed ??

Letter to Philip French, film critic of The Observer about his slighting reference to Shylock as ‘a morally sanitised version’ while reviewing Michael Radcliff’s film of The Merchant of Venice with Pacino. Not responded to!

New Year Thoughts – Fourth ‘essay’ for ‘Home Truths’ to be transmitted on New Year’s Day. Written 11/14th December.

The Fundamental Right to Blaspheme. Updated to take in the Behzti affair (the play by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti withdrawn, after violent protests by the Sikh community, from The Birmingham Rep). 20 December. Printed in The Independent 22 December under heading ‘Can offence be avoided in this life?’

Letter To Guardian, 26 December, supporting Rushdie who accused the government of failing to offer protection for Bhatti, the Sikh playwright. Not printed.

Letter to Guardian, 21 March, response to cruel, satirical pastiche of Tom Maschler’s book, ‘PUBLISHER’, written anonymously but discovered it was by one, John Crace, who wrote privately to AW. Friendly exchange ensued. Letter to ed. printed 22nd March.

Dazzel and Glow. 30 March. Article commissioned by The Independent – thoughts on the revival of ‘Chicken Soup With Barley’. Printed 7 April as ‘My Red Flag Day’.

Can playwrights be taught to write plays? Requested by John Crace of The Guardian Educational Supplement. Written 19 April 2005. Printed 10th May as ‘Can you teach someone to write drama?’

The summer months. Requested by John Crace as above, to be part of a collection of writers, educationalists, and children on how they are going to spend the summer months or how they would like to. For The Education Guardian. Written 13th July . Printed: 19th July.