Why Writing Still Matters

Writing surrounds us, it informs us, it guides us, and it controls us. The power and complexity of this exceptional human invention is a story of change. However, in today's digital world, technology has drastically altered how and where we write, what we write about, and what writing looks like. This fascinating book presents a compelling argument for the vital importance of writing, and considers where its future may lie. Richly illustrated with examples of writing practices old and new, it explores the significant changes in writing that have occurred in our lifetime, and highlights how technology has challenged some of our most deeply held views about human communication. Through a careful examination of how writing works, it explores how it can be considered as a technology, inviting us to think again about this visual language that we so often take for granted. Writing matters – now, more than ever before.

• Provides an analysis of writing practices that takes into account the impact of new technologies, such as TikTok, WhatsApp and Twitter.
• Includes a robust descriptive framework for written communication built on a broad-based cultural history of writing
• Offers a radically new look at writing that uses a sociomaterial perspective to illuminate contemporary communicative practices