The bowl that would not keep still

Text: an original contemporary reportage-style practice extract.

The heat met me at the workshop door. Outside, the afternoon was cool enough for a coat; inside, the air pressed against my face and turned every metal surface bright. At the end of a long pipe, a lump of glass glowed orange. It looked less like the beginning of a bowl than a drop of sunlight that had been persuaded to stay indoors.

The glassmaker rolled the pipe between her palms. The glowing mass followed each movement, folding around itself as slowly as honey on a spoon. She lifted it, turned it and returned it to the heat. Nothing in her hands was hurried, yet nothing was allowed to rest. "If I pause now, one side will sink," she said, watching the glass rather than me. A slight pressure from a wooden tool widened it. Another turn corrected the shape.

Then she stopped. For the first time, the glass left the pipe and sat alone on the workbench. Its colour darkened from orange to blue while the workshop seemed to grow quieter around it. The bowl was carried to a cooling cabinet, where it would remain long after the lights were switched off. Through the small window, I could see the blue spiral inside it. The glass had become still, but the spiral appeared to continue the turning that had made it.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage the reader.

In your answer, consider:

• language features and techniques
• structural techniques
• the effect on the reader.

Support your views with detailed reference to the extract.