Use your superpowers and spread the word about plain language | Photo by Austris Augusts on Unsplash

Lynda Harris, Write and WriteMark CEO and Awards founder,  spoke at the Plain English Awards ceremony on 14 October 2021. Here is her introduction to the premier award of Plain English Champion — Best Organisation. The Champion category is sponsored by Write Limited.

So here we are in the middle of the Champion category with all this suspense before we announce the premier Award! For that reason I have been told to be very brief!

It’s no secret that the Champion category is my favourite. Not only because it honours such wonderful people and projects, but because the concept of being a Champion is absolutely inherent in the whole concept of the Awards.

Even though as a country we are so much better at plain language now, we still need to push for it. And the people who do the pushing, inspiring, and advocating are the champions. When you’re persuading a manager or a senior leader that clarity and connection is worth the time and effort, you’re being a champion. When you’re writing a business case for a plain language makeover, you’re being a champion.  If you’re at this ceremony, you’re a champion.

So to all you champions, thank you!

Use your superpowers to make the world a better place

Years ago in 2007 we made a little animated video about a superhero who had P on his cape. That was P for PLAIN. Our PLAIN superhero swooped around workplaces converting people into superheros. Lots of plain language champions, in other words. It was a  bit corny to be fair, but I often think that as plain language advocates and champions we are wearing a metaphorical superhero outfit.

I actually asked Google the defining qualities of a superhero and it helpfully told me that they were super strength, flight, telepathy, telekinesis, super speed, super intelligence, and super gadgets.

Well, you can take from that what you will. But the best bit that rings true is that they typically use their powers to help the world become a better place.

You are already using your superpowers to do just that. But maybe you never thought of it that way. Whether you’re a bold visionary, a passionate campaigner, or a quiet doer, you have qualities that the world needs more of. You have stories to tell about people who need clarity and connection. And you have the skills to inspire others to be champions like you.

So please take stock of your superpowers, don that cape, gather others around you, and continue to champion the cause for human-centred writing. Write’s slogan is ‘using the power of words for good’. Together we are all doing just that.

Congratulations to the winners of the Best Organisation Award!

Read about the winners of the Champion Best Organisation Award