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Posts For Unprecedented Times

by Madeleine White

(Twitter/Instagram: @madeleinefwhite)

So we’re already in March! I’ve just looked up ‘March’ and ‘Seasons’ and this list of things popped up: Spring lamb · Purple sprouting broccoli · Sorrel · Grapefruit · Radicchio · Bramley apple · Cauliflower · Spring greens. Sadly, there are no turnips but I’m sure there’s a poem in there somewhere!

Anyway, talking about poetry, our Contradictions theme continues to connect with you and, as we move from one season to the next, we are seeing some wonderful illustrations and writing reflecting this coming in through our submissions. Other than all the seasonal foodstuffs listed above, March is Women’s History Month and also encompasses International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day. You’ll see all these events referenced in our pages as well, but please do reach out if they inspire you to write. There’s still time.

Write On! isuue 16 cover
Issue 16, Cover

I’m also pleased to share our latest cover. Issue 16 of Write On! features author, satirist, pundit and play and screenwriter (Chicken Run!)  John O’Farrell as our headliner. I hope you love our cover as much as I do – it feels fresh and welcoming in equal measure. You’ll also note it’s sponsored by the Hay Festival. We’ll be sharing more about this exciting new partnership in the weeks to come.

Also, just in case you missed them,  a couple of pages you might like to check out from February that seem to have captured your imagination: A football feature co-written by West Ham supporter Michael Campbell and author Ian Ayris, Claire Buckle’s musings on Contradictory Writing Advice and Lucy Kaufman’s Writer Of The Month page are just a few you might like to check out. The spoken Showcase was also very popular on our Write On! Audio podcast. Do check out Pen to Print Events pages for some fabulous writing and creative workshops. Pen to Print’s Competitions also kicked off in February.

Don’t forget, Write On! Issue 15, themed ‘Home,’ featuring Jaspreet Kaur, is out now. You can find all previous issues online, on our magazines page.

With all that in mind, I hope you feel empowered, engaged and courageous – taking advantage of the rising sap and the opportunities March has to offer. Happy Writing!

Madeleine

Write On! Audio, The Podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’

Write On! Audio, the podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ is out every Tuesday. Our March scheduling includes: Writing Tips from short story queen, Claire Buckle and a short play Listener Contribution from Lucy Kaufman. The March ‘Showcase’ is presented by Palak Tewary, who is also being featuring on our Women’s History Month celebratory interview compilation at the end of the month.

Our March scheduling includes: Writing Tips from short story queen, Claire Buckle and a short play Listener Contribution from Lucy Kaufman. The March ‘Showcase’ is presented by Palak Tewary, who is also being featuring on our Women’s History Month celebratory interview compilation at the end of the month.

Created in partnership with the award-winning Alternative Stories podcast, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podchaser and many more. Just type pen to print into your browser and look for our logo. Alternatively, find us via our Anchor FM hosting site, which links you to our content on a variety of podcast platforms. Do subscribe!
Write On! Audio can be accessed here.

Published And Coming Up

Amber Hall’s Monday Moments, out on March 6, looks at the contradictions around ‘Identity’, how it can be at once deeply personal and multifaceted, unfixed and changing.

Eithne Cullen’s Thoughtful Tuesdays, out on March 14, offers some fabulous poetry and prose, thinking about the world of contradictions and how they influence our thoughts, our writing andand our reading with a particular nod to Women’s History Month.

Farzana Hakim’s Thursday Connectors, out on March 23, looks at the contradictions inherent in ‘empowerment’; the journey of courage needed to become our true selves.

The first Showcase of the month is out Wednesday the first. March’s showcases are edited by Palak Tewary, long time Write On! team member and an inspiring figure in terms of woman’s empowerment. Palak will be responding to special days inherent in March, along with our contradictions theme.

The Weekly Friday Features include: A reflection on film-making and the poetry and colours of nature, by award-winning artist Alicia Hayden, a homage to Women’s Empowerment, an opinion piece around Artificial Intelligence by Vic Howard, ‘Spring Haiku’ by Jilly Henderson Long and we finish the month with a piece on ‘Inspiring Poetry’ by Anna Robinson.

Our weekly Sunday Interviews showcase a range of talent. The March line-up includes: Preetha Leela Chockalingam, S-Bars, Clare Cooper, Zara Hatchman and Palak Tewary.

Saturday Spotlight, at the end of the month, features new launches from traditional publishers and small presses, as well as indie authors. Do send us information on your new release. If you have one coming up, we’d love to hear from you!

I do hope all this gets you to put pen to paper. Don’t forget, we also welcome other creative work, including illustrations and photographs.

More About Us

Write On! is a quarterly magazine published by Pen to Print and its sister, the online Write On! Extra, and has been created to encourage established and emerging writers to come together around the following ideals: Publishing lies at an intersection of entertainment, information and education and is the method by which we record our shifting culture. You can find out more about how to get involved as a writer, creative, partner or advertiser through Write On! Together.

 

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.

OUT NOW, Write On! Issue 15, includes our lead interview with Jaspreet Kaur and lots of other wonderful creative work.

Find all our issues on our magazines page. You can find physical copies of issue 15 in libraries and other centres that are open across London, Manchester, Kent, Devon, the West Midlands and Essex. Distribution points now include the Universities of Kent, Sunderland and Goldsmiths as well as Dudley and Manchester libraries and Newcastle’s ‘Seven Stories’ writing organisation.

Write On! and Write On! Extra and to take advantage of some great digital advertising opportunities, please see our Media Pack. You’ll be part of the Write On! family; one that includes Penguin Books and The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. So far, nearly 119,000 of you have engaged with us online, as readers and contributors, from the UK, but also from 198 other countries (Google Analytics lists 230 countries).

Your Writing

Write On! accepts written pieces (prose, poetry, essays, opinion), video or spoken extracts/ snapshots, illustrations and artwork. Do remember, if you have a features idea, you may be interested in recording it for Write On! Audio. Get in touch to discuss, if this appeals! Depending on content and theme, your work will be featured in one of the following ways:

Monday Moments – Stories and experiences drawn from myriad perspectives. Fresh and engaging; a real ‘magazine’ feel. (First Monday of the month.)

Thoughtful Tuesdays – Mindfulness, inspiration, poetry, quotes and ideas shared to create leadership and hope, to see us through the week. (Second Tuesday of the month.)

Write On! Showcase – This creative writing showcase includes poetry, short stories, flash fiction and book extracts. Although most will reflect the seasonal theme, some work, such as memoirs or book extracts, offer a non-themed perspectives also. (Weekly.)

Thursday Connectors – Everyone and everywhere has different experiences and different ways of dealing with these strange times. This internationally-flavoured page is all about people and their experiences, connecting us with ideas and ideals, reaching out from east London to encompass the UK and the world at large. (Third Thursday of the month.)

Write On! Features – Essays, opinions and features. In Write On! Extra, we focus on topics relevant to publishing and writing arenas, but also include wider content to encompass thinking and ideas relevant to our times. (Weekly.)

Saturday Spotlight – Spotlight offers a round-up of indie, traditional and small press releases, bringing readers an overview of what can be found on digital and physical shelves. (Monthly.)

Write On! Interviews – This Sunday profile opportunity features writers, publishers, editors, agents and other creatives, along with individuals from diverse communities in a number of different occupations. (Weekly.)

Write On! Audio – Out every Tuesday, our podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ connects emerging and established writers to each other and the industry. There is an opportunity to submit to our Listener Contribution Slot, as well as record your creative work and any tips and feature ideas you might have. See our pilot episode for tips on ‘how to’. (Weekly.)

Please do continue to submit your work. Our aim remains the same: bringing people together to share their experience, strength and hope, as well as having a bit of a laugh!

How To Submit:

Until the end of  April  the season them ise: Contradictions: Everything Has Two Sides – Beginnings and endings, love and hate, crime and punishment, truth and lies, procrastination – I can’t write because I’m too busy… this theme is about exploring the world from all angles.

Then, the May And June Season theme is: Hearing Voices: Inner Voices, Outer Voices, Connected Voices.

 

  • Creative prose submissions should be between 800 and 1000 words and, if possible, fit the seasonal theme.
  • Poetry can be as short as necessary, but no longer than 1000 words.
  • Features can be longer, up to 2000 words, but preferably between 1000-1500. It’s best to send your feature/essay ideas through initially, so we can finalise the topic together.
  • Write On! Audio Listener Contribution Slot. See our pilot episode for tips on ‘how to’. Listener Contributions should not be longer than six minutes and should include a brief introduction to you.

Any contributions should include an image of the writer and any copyright-free images you would like us to use (adhering to our submission guidelines) to illustrate your work. For any images/ video content that include you, or someone identifiable, we will need a permissions form. This will be sent to you. Write On! Extra is also happy to accept video or audio content. Please include contact details and any relevant social media IDs, such as Twitter or Facebook.

Submit via our Submit To Write On! page.  Further guidance can be found on the themed pages. All submissions are subject to  Pen to Print terms and conditions and can also be held in reserve until such time as publication opportunities arise, which may well be several months after the initial submission. Please note all submissions are subject to editing, at the Editor’s discretion.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES are based on the overarching theme. For example, it is worth sending in work aimed at the new theme a month before it starts.

We invite local people get in touch, as well as those who have something to say from further afield. We also welcome partnership discussions with organisations wishing to contribute, so the voices of their beneficiaries and teams can be heard. Details will be published on pentoprint.org.

Our culture is shifting. Therefore, the worlds we create don’t just serve us, but serve to inspire others as well. Make a difference to your community from your own four walls and get creating and writing!

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in individual articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Write On! or Pen to Print. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, Write On! Extra cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the consequences of error, or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information published on any of these pages. All facts and dates are correct at the time of publication.

We’re delighted to be sharing some wonderful work around 'Home' This season’s theme is shared through the online Write On! Extra pages and the Write On! Audio podcast.