Preface

Let’s begin with some basic details. The Writers Group, and its quarterly magazine A Brief Description of the Whole World (now brief) were founded in December 1995 by Alan Loney. Now, some seventeen years later, we’ve reached issue #46, albeit with five changes of name, and five different managing editors: Alan Loney (1995-98), John Geraets (1999-2002), Jack Ross (2002-05), Scott Hamilton (2005-07), Brett Cross (2007-9), and now Michael Arnold (2009- ).

In that time, the magazine has published 272 authors & artists in 42 issues -- 10/11, 30/31 & 44/45 were double issues, and number 12 was a reprint of Leigh Davis's Willy's Gazette (1983/1999). The Writers Group has also published five books: Alan Loney’s Reading / Saying / Making: Selected Essays (2001), Sugu Pillay’s The Chandrasekhar Limit and other stories (2002), Jack Ross's A brief Index (2003 / Supplement 1, 2005), Kendrick Smithyman’s Campana to Montale: Versions from Italian (2004) and K. M. Ross’s novel Falling through the Architect (2005).

As it has throughout this period, the magazine continues to specialise in technically adventurous literary and graphic work, by acknowledged (and newly discovered) innovators. Pageworks, critical articles, poems and fictional texts are all equally welcome.

Enquiries are welcome, and can be directed to the present managing editor, Michael Arnold, by email, or by post to the following address:

The Writers Group
c/o Titus Books
1812c Kaipara Coast Highway
Warkworth RD4
Auckland
New Zealand