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ISSUE 37

Tyke Writer Archive

BACK in May 2001 Mark Cantrell launched the Tyke Writer newsletter on behalf of the Interchange (Bradford Writers' Network). The four-page A4 publication appeared monthly until work commitments forced its demise (or at least suspension) in August 2004.

In those intervening years, Tyke Writer chronicled the activities of the group as well as the wider milieu of West Yorkshire's grass roots creative writing scene. Along with poetry and prose from some of Bradford's literary explorers, it ran news, features and interviews and it wasn't apt to pull its punches on issues beyond the realm of the scribe's pen.

Though it was focused on Bradford, as a group newsletter, its remit went beyond that core, to spiral outwards throughout West Yorkshire and beyond. Published in print form, it was left in strategic distribution points and handed out to creative writers. This was backed up by a PDF version, submitted by email far and wide throughout the literary Diaspora, until it gained something of a cult status amongst those 'in the know'.

This archive is constructed from those PDF journals and can be downloaded free to gain a taste of literary life in Bradford during the early years of the 21st Century. One day, Tyke will return...

Meanwhile, a last note about the newsletter's name. Obviously it was a pun on 'type writer', but the word tyke in this context indicates the colloquial dialect term Yorkshire folk use for themselves.  The name of the newsletter also went on to inspire the names of Mark's literary blogs.

Last, but certainly not least, a word of thanks go to Phil Wainman of Film Digital for providing the space to store these PDF back issues. As one Tyke to another -- Much obliged!

To read a little something on the history of the Interchange (Bradford Writers' Network), then click to visit the history article on:

Tyke Script Redrafted.

ISSUE 38

ISSUE 36