Notification of the removal of two texts from Voices in Speech and Writing: An Anthology with immediate effect
July 2025
Dear Colleague
Notification of the removal of two texts from ‘Voices in Speech and Writing: An Anthology’ with immediate effect
We are getting in touch to notify you about the removal of two texts from ‘Voices in Speech and Writing: An Anthology’ (the ‘Voices’ anthology) on AS and A level English Language and Literature (8ELO and 9ELO).
The ‘Voices’ anthology was created for first teaching in September 2015 and much has changed in the world since then, including the way many historical issues and events are viewed. As such, we have identified two texts that we no longer wish to use in live assessments:
• 5.1 Interview: BBC1 Panorama interview between Martin Bashir and Princess Diana. As you will be aware, there are questions over the legality of the Martin Bashir and Princess Diana interview, which we feel makes it inappropriate for use in our assessments.
• 9.2 Speech: Colonel Tim Collins to 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, in Iraq in 2003. This speech is considered culturally sensitive and for this reason we feel it is also inappropriate to use in live assessments.
These two texts will no longer be used in assessments and will no longer appear in the web version or future hard copy reprints of the ‘Voices’ anthology.
Going forwards we will assess the remaining 18 texts and we will not be replacing the two removed texts.
Teachers do NOT need to order new 'Voices' anthologies. You may use your existing stock and simply omit the two texts from teaching.
The ‘Voices’ anthology continues to be one of the set texts for 8ELO and 9ELO. However, it is also intended to be an indicative starting point in your teaching and learning of the qualification and should be used to facilitate wider reading. Please be assured that the ‘Voices’ anthology continues to provide examples of a range of text types that may arise in examinations. You can also find many examples of unseen texts that have been used in past examinations on our website, which provide further material to explore how ‘Voices’ are created.
Arrangements for AS level 8EL0 and A level 9ELO
The changes affect teaching from September 2025, and these texts will no longer be assessed in Summer 2026 or any subsequent exam series.
In the interest of the environment, we will put a notice inside the remaining stock of the ‘Voices’ anthology, to remind you of the removal of the two texts. We will then remove the texts from future reprints.
Kind regards
The Pearson Edexcel English Team