Image by Marie-Michèle Bouchard

Dear writers, readers and friends,

This issue is dedicated to Shuhada’ Sadaqat, Sinéad O’Connor. Some people make art, others are artists. You will know an artist because their life and work can barely be separated. Sinead O’Connor was an artist and her output was not just her music, powerful as it was. Her output was also her motherhood, her spirituality, her Irishness, her activism, her womanhood, her relentless empathy, her resistance and – of course – her willingness to speak on mental illness. She has left us with a catalogue of incredible music and she has also left us changed. She once said: “If I hope for anything as an artist, it’s that I inspire certain people to be who they really are.” That is my hope, too. That we art-makers and artists come to see that the very act of moving through this world can be our most powerful work.
The selection of this month’s image, by Marie-Michèle Bouchard (https://www.instagram.com/minusculemarie/) , was inspired by a quote by Louise Bourgeois, another artist who lived deeply in her work: “Look at it this way – a totem pole is just a decorated tree. My work is a confessional.”

We give you the totem, and a safe space to confess. Dig deep.

In response to this month’s image we kick off with work by Stephanie Ellis who is one of our most prolific contributors. Stephanie is a UK-based writer (Wrexham) of dark fiction whose work includes the novels, The Five Turns of the Wheel and Reborn, and novellas Bottled and Paused. Her poetry collections include the co-authored Elgin-nominated Foundlings with Cindy O’Quinn, the horror novella in verse, Lilith Rising, co-authored with Shane Douglas Keene and her solo homage to heavy metal, Metallurgy. Her latest folk horror novel, The Woodcutter, is out today (August 1st), more information can be found here: Upcoming Releases – Brigids Gate Press (https://brigidsgatepress.com/upcoming-releases) .

On page 2, a piece that made us chuckle by Lui Sit (https://www.lui-land.co.uk) . Liu writes short adult fiction, memoir, non-fiction and children’s middle grade. Her short stories are published online and in print journals and anthologies. Her debut middle grade children’s book is due to be released in 2024. Follow Liu on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Lui_Loowee_Sit) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lui.land/) .

And finally, a debut piece on Visual Verse by Ruby Nolan, a Melbourne-based creative. Ruby is passionate about building a sustainable, inclusive and joyous world. She is a published author and journalist, a DJ, and has written, directed and produced plays. She studied Journalism at RMIT University and is a communications officer.

There lies your inspiration for August, dear writers. You know what to do. Submissions close at midnight, UK time, on 15th August.

The image is the starting point, the text is up to you.

Kristen
with Preti, Isabel, Lucie, Ashish, Zaynab and Wes White