Bringing the study of writing to the heart of sociolinguistic inquiry, this textbook illustrates and challenges the 'great divide' between speech and writing and raises questions about what's involved in viewing any stretch of language as 'written/writing'. The book is organised around four main areas: 1) socially oriented text analyses of written texts; 2) modality inflected analyses of texts and practices; 3) writing as identity and performance; and 4) the analysis of literacy practices in relation to networks, access, participation and resources. Further topics covered include: what we mean by 'writing'; specific functions of writing and written texts within academic knowledge in sociolinguistics; and key practical questions about carrying out research into writing from sociolinguistic perspectives. Core sociolinguistic approaches to writing are explored throughout the book, including, for example, different aspects of the politics of orthography and writing systems.