(Bluesky/Instagram: @madeleinefwhite)
Coming into June, we seem to be on the cusp of a very hot summer, with plenty to play for – and I’m not just talking about the World Cup! Over the summer months we’ll be surrounded by stories, opinions, headlines and conversations competing for our attention, not to mention the longest day of the year. At times like this, it can be tempting not to think too hard about the words and language that surround us. Yet I increasingly believe we’re moving into a world where language needs to be understood more carefully than ever before.
Recently, I read an article about the power of naming. This idea stayed with me because, as a poet, I’m fascinated by naming. Poetry, perhaps more than any other form, reminds us that words are never neutral. They carry histories, hopes and fears, shaping how we see ourselves and one another. In many ways, poetry is the most radical form of naming because it sits at the heart of language itself; demanding we sit with words for long enough to consider their meaning and so, what they ask of us. Language isn’t just a tool for communication, but a key way for us to make sense of ourselves and the world around us.
Perhaps this is one way of thinking about our current theme, Borrowed. Much of what we inherit comes to us through language: stories, traditions, beliefs, identities and ideas. We borrow words from those who came before us, but we also have a responsibility to examine them, challenge them and, where necessary, redefine them. As we move through June, I hope you’ll spend some time thinking about the words that matter to you and what they really mean in practice.
As we look ahead, I’m delighted to announce the release of the summer print issue of Write On! on 22 June. Available in libraries up and down the country as well as other outlets, it’s sponsored by the London Writers’ Salon (LWS) and features bestselling travel writer and historian Tharik Hussain. You’ll find many of these same themes woven Issue 29: history, identity, belonging and the stories we inherit in order to better understand who we are today.
I’m proud of the work we see in Write On! (digital, audio and in print) and of the communities that make it possible. With that in mind, I’m I’m also delighted to share that our partners the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation have released an exciting shortlist for this year’s Adventure Writing Prize, while another, Libraro, have announced the winner of their inaugural Prize: Donna Fisher, with Sheep’s Clothing.
Together, we’re forming not only the stories we tell, but the society we become. Do check out our latest issue (28). It includes a conversation with bestseller historian Alison Weir.
As ever, it’s your work and ideas being featured: co-creation in action. So please do see our submissions guidelines here. and submit around our our new theme from July: Nostalgia.
Write On! Audio, the podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ connects emerging and established writers to each other, the publishing industry and a wider audience in an audio celebration of diversity, originality and excellence. 
