Founded in 1980 by Fred Wah, David McFadden, and Julian Ross, Writing Magazine was for many years the key publishing organ of the Kootenay School of Writing. It not only survived the school's transplantation from Nelson to Vancouver, but became doubly important as a focus of the KSW's publishing activities, and crucial for KSW's community / network-building outside of BC. Its mandate of publishing established poets alongside younger ones - now typical of Canadian literary magazines - brought strong early work by writers associated with the KSW into print alongside that of well-known writers associated with the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E group. In this way, Writing helped create an international audience for Vancouver writing, and helped assure Vancouver a reputation as an important centre for innovative poetics in the 80s and 90s.

The editors of Writing were:

David W. McFadden, issues 1 - 5

John Newlove, issue 6

Colin Browne, issues 7 - 22

Jeff Derksen and Nancy Shaw, issues 23/24 - 28

Each brought a distinct approach (and format) to the magazine, but its key phase was from about issue no.9 (May 1984), when the KSW became established in Vancouver, to its final issue, no.28 (October 1992). At this time Derksen left Vancouver for Calgary, and Writing soon folded. The Derksen/Shaw issues, in particular, are still considered among the outstanding critical literary periodicals of the time.

After the demise of Writing, Susan Clark's magazine Raddle Moon was briefly anointed the official magazine of the KSW. The KSW's current publication, W, was launched in early 2000. 

We are in the process of scanning a select number of issues to make them available as pdfs. Please check back for updates. Many print copies of these issues are also still available, and can be purchased from the KSW at cover price + postage. We could also use extra volunteer muscle to help with the scanning, if anybody's out there. Reach us at: info at kswnet.org