 Established postwar, it formed part of the continuing process of democratization of writing begun by many amateur groups in the 1920s and 1930s.From its founding in 1948, the aim of the school has been to provide a social and educational framework for the development of creative writing skills.Its role in the establishment of creative writing in the UK has meant that it has been a platform for eminent speakers, from Hammond Innes in 1952 to Sir Terry Pratchett.