I’m writing this letter to thank you for the inspiration that I have received by reading the NOT SHUT UP magazine
M.L. HMP Bronzefield
Keep up the good work. Just reading the magazine has helped me understand that many people feel the same way as me, which makes me feel less lonely.
J.C. YOI Feltham
I’m writing to say good your magazine is and (to thank you) for the hard work you have put it into it.
A.L. HMP Pentonville
I came across your magazine in the library. I was immediately drawn to the article by Chris Moran … it brought back memories of my first day here about a year ago.
K.H. Wandsworth
It really helped me cope and reflect (on) my life and experiences with other inmates in prison. Thanks … it really did help me and help others whom needed support. God bless you all and good luck
A.M. Scrubs – and who wrote this after release on a Community Order
With the exception of the popular and invaluable Inside Time newspaper, no publication has come through the prison library with more of an impact than Not Shut Up magazine. Each issue is eagerly awaited by prisoners, whether they’ve contributed to it or simply heard the buzz about it. Even now, many months after the last copy of the last issue left the shelf, I still get weekly enquiries from guys wanting to know when the next issue will come out and how they can get their own voices heard in it. Prisoners will cut out their contributions, or their favourite items and pin them up in their cells, back issues are still requested and the pride of seeing your work and name in print is a boost to the self esteem so lacking in many prisoners.
Librarian Rachel Cheeseman, HMP Brixton
Thanks for the magazines, well-received as always. People missed it when not published [Mid 06 to mid 07 – Ed]. Prisoners who return (unfortunately many) ask about it on their first visit to the library, though we do put copies in the First Night Centre. Serves as an excellent forum for fledgling writers
Librarian Maggie Reeves HMP Pentonville
I worked with a 17-year-old boy at HMP YOI Feltham who had never written anything before. We talked about his childhood in Jamaica and his relocation to London and I thought he had a lot of good material for a story. He and I worked together for a few weeks writing his first short story; when it was complete, I showed him a copy of Not Shut Up and suggested he submit his work. When it was printed, he was amazed that something he had written appeared in a professional publication. He doubted his story would get in, and now he had been served with a sort of testimonial I suspect he’d never experienced before. He wanted to write more and I continued to work with him for months until his release.
Sarah Leipciger, writer in residence HMP YOI Feltham
Every single prisoner I worked with in Brixton felt the magazine and the workshop opportunities were immensely empowering. They all knew and read the magazine, and whilst some men aren’t able to access the library as often as they’d like; they felt Not Shut Up provided relevant, interesting and entertaining reading that was readily available.
Heidi James New writer/tutor
I’ve found that prisoners have been very enthusiastic about the magazine and it has been a good spur to get them writing things. They are definitely keen to be published and comment on the penal system, life in prison and other topics. They are pleased about the magazine having a broad sweep in terms of various prisons featured. The downsides? The prospect of being editorially selected – even though this process happens with all publications! The difficulties of persuading them that the magazine is not a forum for their own particular cases to be discussed! Directing prisoners to the idea that written work is often a shaped and stylised commodity has sometimes proved difficult, although some are very quick on the uptake on this. Individual contributions will often rely on previous knowledge and there’s a limit to what an individual writer can do in the course of a small number of sessions per issue, some of which the prisoners might not be able to attend. Short pieces can often be garnered very quickly. But more considered pieces can often stall due to the pressures of working in a prison environment. Once a writer has ceased contact with a particular practitioner, any continuity with their work is doubtful. However, all participants have reacted positively to Writing Workshops in general and maybe it’s good to bear in mind the process as well as the final product in this respect.
Chris Savage King Experienced Writer/tutor
