Volume 09, Chapter 11 | September 2022

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Image by Omar Musa

Dear writers, readers and friends,

Dreams do come true, people. I have wanted – for so long – to present the work of Omar Musa (http://www.omarmusa.com.au) here on Visual Verse. Omar is a Bornean-Australian author, visual artist and poet from Queanbeyan, Australia. He embodies the power of courageous art, producing hip hop, spoken word, poetry and (as you see here) magnificent woodcuts. His latest book Killernova (https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/omar-musa-killernova) , published in the UK by Broken Sleep Books (https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/) , is a masterful coupling of art and words, woven together with strands of Bornean mythology, ancestry, trade routes, history, identity, connection and so much more. ‘Tis a joy to proffer Omar’s piece “A Leopard Made of Midnight Clouds” and invite you to respond with your words. Before you pick up your pens, take a moment to read and enjoy the brilliance of our featured writers this month.

On page 1, we present Zaynab Bobi, Frontier I (https://twitter.com/ZainabBobi) , a Nigerian poet, digital artist and photographer from Bobi. Zaynab has graced us with a most beautiful diptych – don’t miss page 2. Zaynab is a member of Hilltop Creative Art Abuja, and a Medical Laboratory Science student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. Her poems are published and forthcoming in Strange Horizons, FIYAH, Asterlit (https://www.asterlit.org/summer2022/zaynab-bobi) , Anomaly, West Trade Review, Isele Magazine (https://iselemagazine.com/2022/04/30/self-portrait-of-grief-as-fire-zaynab-bobi/) , Salamander Ink (https://salamanderink.com/contour-salamander-ink-mag/poetry/) and elsewhere.

Ashish Kumar Singh (http://@Ashish_stJude) (he/him) is a queer poet from India with a Master’s degree in English Literature. Previously, his works have appeared, or are forthcoming, in Chestnut Review, 14poems, Bombay Literary Review, Mason Jar Press, Banshee, Tab Journal and elsewhere. He also serves as a poetry editor at Indigo Literary Review. Find him on Twitter (http://twitter.com/Ashish_stJude) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ashish_the_reader/) .

Also writing from India is Sahana Mira Sambandam (https://twitter.com/SahanaMira) , a writer and art journal enthusiast from Chennai. Her works have been previously published at The New Indian Express, Live Wire, Remington Review and Verse of Silence. When she is not writing, she mostly spends time strolling through the bookstores, making journal spreads and obsessing over bougainvillea arches. Her Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sahanamira/?hl=en) is a thing to behold.

Courtenay Schembri Gray, a newcomer to Visual Verse, is a writer from the North of England. She takes pleasure in writing about the weird and the eerie. Find her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/courtenaywrites) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/courtenaywrites/) as @courtenaywrites and check out her blog www.courtenayscorner.com (http://www.courtenayscorner.com/) .

James Gale (https://jamesdjg.wordpress.com/) is a writer and journalist based in Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated with Distinction in (MLitt) Creative Writing from University of Glasgow, and has been published in newspapers including The Guardian & The Sunday Times, and creative titles such as Osmosis & SPAM. He is currently working on his first book and you can find him over on Twitter (https://twitter.com/jamesgale_) .

So there you have it, dear writers: a big, beautiful issue of Visual Verse to carry you through September. Let us see where the leopard takes you.

As always, for a chance to be published, you can submit 50-500 words, written in one hour, in response to the image. Submissions must be received by midnight, 15th September, UK time.

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

Kristen
with Preti, Lucie, Isabel and the VV Team

Follow us on Twitter
@visual_verse (https://twitter.com/visual_verse)

Volume 09, Chapter 10 | August 2022

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Image by John Crozier

Dear writers, readers and friends,

We have had an influx of submissions from new writers (is it the Euro heatwave?!) and with this came lots of enquiries about when to expect confirmation if a piece is published. A gentle reminder that we do not notify writers when a piece is published. We read over 150 subs every month and publish 100 of them. We would love to notify each and every one of you but there’s simply no time. We appreciate this is annoying, so here is a reminder of how you can keep track of your submission:

1. Check visualverse.org (https://www.visualverse.org) regularly. If published, your piece will go up on visualveres.org some time before the end of the month.
2. Create a Google Alert (https://www.google.com/alerts) or similar for your name, to be notified when your piece appears.
3. Search the Archive (https://visualverse.org/images/) . All past issues are kept here and all published writers are listed on the left, alphabetically by first name.

Do you have other bright ideas for monitoring your submissions? We’d love to hear them. Send us an email or Tweet us @visual_verse so we can share your tips with other writers.

Now, to the fun stuff. From our new HQ downunder, we are feeling nostalgic for the UK and Europe. The antidote is a deep-dive into Australia’s artist and writer talent pool. We kick off the issue with an image, by John Crozier, of London’s infamous Underground alongside words by Australian writer Eloise Grills (https://www.eloisegrills.com/) . Eloise is an award-winning writer and artist living in Daylesford, Victoria. Her collection of illustrated essays, big beautiful female theory, is out now with Affirm Press. She tweets and grams as

On page 2, we’re delighted to highlight the work of Luís Costa (he/they) who has been bringing some beautiful words to VV of late. Luís is, among many things, an anxious queer poet living in London. Longlisted for the 2022 Out-Spoken Prize, his recent and forthcoming work can be found in Stone of Madness, Inksounds, Queerlings, Farside Review, FEED and here on Visual Verse. Luís holds a PhD from Goldsmiths, University of London, and likes Baroque music, numbers and wine. He tweets @captainiberia (http://www.twitter.com/captainiberia) .
And on page 3, we welcome Mitra Visveswaran, a Visual Verse writing prize winner. Mitra is a 24 year old artist, poet and student of psychology from Chennai, India, and we are loving watching her work grow and develop.

So, dear writers, let’s see what you make of this month’s image. I love that we can’t begin to predict your responses to this one. Surprise us. And, more importantly, surprise yourselves.

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

Kristen
with Lucie, Isabel, Preti and the VV Team

Follow us on Twitter
@visual_verse (https://twitter.com/visual_verse)

Volume 09, Chapter 09 | July 2022

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Image by Wangari Maathai International School

Dear writers, readers and friends,

Is nine an auspicious number? Today we present Chapter 09 of Volume 09 of Visual Verse. This month our offering is powered by youth.

Your image prompt has been created by primary school students at the Wangari Maathai International School in Berlin (http://wangari-maathai-schule.de/en/) . Under the guidance of teacher and artist Dee Mulrooney (http://deirdre-mulrooney.com/) , and with a little help from The Curved House (https://thecurvedhouse.com/) , these students have been using art to open up courageous conversations about culture, identity and prejudice.

Through carefully designed visual thinking sessions (check out the VTS method (https://vtshome.org/) if this interests you) and exposure to a diverse and talented range of artists, the students have explored topics that might otherwise feel challenging or confronting. They have found their voice through art and, in doing so, have become active “Artivists”.

In the spirit of ekphrasis, students created this image in response to work by another artist: Berlin-based digital artist and musician, Dara Smith (https://darasmith.wordpress.com/) . The students present this image to you, writers of the world, as a call to action. They have said what they need to say, the way they know how, and now it’s over to you to respond.

The students will be visiting the website throughout the month to read your words. There is no need to simplify your language or ideas for this new audience, but please do keep it appropriate.

We are excited to see what you come up with and to facilitate a conversation between artists and writers across generations. The image is the starting point, the text is up to you.

Kristen
with Lucie, Isabel, Preti and the VV Team

Volume 09, Chapter 08 | June 2022

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Image by Reed Geiger

Dear writers, readers and friends,

Thank you for your patience as we find our feet with our new trans-continental team constellation. The Visual Verse home is now Melbourne, Australia, while our chief editors are in Sydney (Lucie Stevens) and London (Isabel Brookes). We will shortly put a call out for new editorial volunteers, who can be based anywhere in the world, so stay tuned if you are interested in joining our team.

For June we present a small, perfectly formed issue that takes us back to our roots. Our image, which comes to us from 20-year-old US photographer/designer Reed Geiger (https://reedgeiger23.wixsite.com/my-site) , is intriguing and somewhat quirky, just as we like them. And our two lead writers have produced a perfect duet of poems in response.

On page one, we are thrilled to showcase Giovanna MacKenna (http://www.giovannamackenna.com) who celebrates the launch of her first poetry collection this month. Giovanna grew up on Scotland’s west coast and has built her life around words. She is a published and commissioned poet and her first full collection, How the Heart can Falter, is now out with The Museum of Loss and Renewal Publishing (http://themuseumoflossandrenewal.life/publications-and-editions/) . Join her at the launch event, along with Christina Thatcher (see below) and Claire Askew, from 7p.m. UK time on Wednesday, June 8th. Tickets are available from Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/giovanna-mackenna-book-launch-and-poetry-readings-tickets-344035337957) . For more information on Giovanna’s work and past publications visit her website (http://www.giovannamackenna.com) or follow her on twitter/insta @giovmacpoet.

On page two we present the wonderful words of Christina Thatcher (http://christinathatcher.com) , a Creative Writing Lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her poetry and short stories have featured in over 50 publications including Ambit, Magma, Poetry Wales, The London Magazine and more. She has published two poetry collections with Parthian Books: More than you were (2017) and How to Carry Fire (2020). As mentioned above, Christina will be joining Giovanna at the launch event on June 8th and we encourage you all to sign up and attend to hear these hugely talented writers read their work.

Speaking of talented writers, we are delighted to see many new writers coming to Visual Verse in recent months. We thought it might be a good moment to refresh you all on how we work, and how to get the most out of Visual Verse.

Before you submit… remember that the challenge is to write between 50-500 words in response to our image prompt, within one hour. Only new work that demonstrates a connection to the image will be accepted. You can check the guidelines on our website (https://visualverse.org/submission-guidelines/) to ensure your piece doesn’t break any of our rules. Pieces must be submitted by the 15th of each month.

After you submit… check visualverse.org regularly to see if your piece is published. We will publish up to a maximum of 100 pieces throughout the month. We cannot notify individual writers as we get so many submissions, so you may find it helpful to set up a Google Alert to get an automatic notification.

If you are published… you will see your piece appear at visualverse.org. This will be visible on the homepage until the next issue is published, after which it will go into the Archive (https://visualverse.org/images/) . In the Archive, you can find your work any time by either clicking on the image for the issue, or by clicking your name in the Author list on the left-hand side (alphabetical by first name).

You can also find your work using the following address in your browser:
https://visualverse.org/writers/your-name/
Example: https://visualverse.org/writers/giovanna-mackenna/
(use a hyphen to separate names)

Work published at Visual Verse remains copyright of the writer (you), therefore you are free to publish your pieces elsewhere, re-develop them into longer or different works, or submit them to anthologies.

OK folks, that’s it! We hope you are inspired by our image and writing this month as it’s now your turn. The image is the starting point, the text is up to you.

The VV team

Follow us on Twitter
@visual_verse (https://twitter.com/visual_verse)
@giovmacpoet (https://twitter.com/giovmacpoet)
@writetoempower (https://twitter.com/writetoempower)

Volume 09, Chapter 07 | May 2022

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Image by Miikka Luotio

Dear writers, readers and friends,

Today we take flight with a new issue of Visual Verse and we take flight to a new home for Visual Verse. After almost a decade in Berlin, The Curved House is moving to Melbourne, Australia. We will continue to run Visual Verse as a global publication, with half the editorial team in Australia and half in Europe, and we will continue to publish diverse and innovative writers from all around the world.

As a farewell to Berlin, I wanted to find a way to honour the city that gave our unique publication life. In 2013, a chance introduction to Berlin-based designer Pete Lewis (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mr-pete-lewis-51468049) led to the first designs for the Visual Verse website. Shortly after, Preti Taneja (https://www.preti-taneja.co.uk/) visited Berlin and manifested a whole editorial vision for the publication. She became the founding Commissioning Editor and we launched on 1st November, 2013. A few years in, Berlin gave us another gift in the form of Lucie Stevens. Lucie is now back in Sydney but continues as co-editor. Visual Verse is the kind of dream project that Berlin is renowned for and the city has continued to nurture it, and us, for almost 9 years.

In the spirit of seed-sowing and collaboration, I have chosen an image depicting a special little Berlin scene, by Miikka Luotio. Alongside the image are three writers whose work has had an impact on me, or Visual Verse, helping to shape and evolve us.

We open with Paul Scraton (https://twitter.com/underagreysky) , a writer and editor based in Berlin. Shortly after moving to Friedrichshain, a district in the east of Berlin, I picked up a copy of Paul’s book The Idea of a River, published by Readux. This unassuming little gem is a lesson in linking ourselves and our environment. After reading it I set out to walk the river Spree, through Treptower park, with a consciousness I hadn’t tapped into for a long time. I saw Berlin differently and I’m very grateful to this little book for opening my eyes wider. Paul is the author of a number of other books including the novel Built on Sand (Influx Press, 2019) and the recent novella of the forest, In the Pines (Influx Press, 2021). You can find him atwww.underagreysky.com (http://www.underagreysky.com/) .

Divya Ghelani (https://twitter.com/DivyaGhelani) came my way via Visual Verse patron Cathy Galvin who runs the UK’s leading literary salon, the Word Factory (https://thewordfactory.tv/) . Last year she co-curated the August issue (https://visualverse.org/images/veronica-lissandrini/) of Visual Verse, bringing fresh new voices to the fold, some of whom are Berlin-based. This was a moment when I was personally struggling to keep things moving amid the pressures of the pandemic and other commitments, and Divya came forth with her characteristic ease and grace to re-ignite things. Divya is a writer herself and holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and an MPhil in Literary Studies from the University of Hong Kong. She has published widely, and is now working on a novel. Divya hosts a yearly New Fiction By Women & Non-Binary BIPOC Author Reading Series for The Reader Berlin and co-hosts a short story club for the Word Factory.

It is unusual that we would commission a lead writer twice, but I could not do a Berlin issue without the inimitable Victoria Gosling (https://www.instagram.com/victoriagosling) . Victoria is the founder of The Reader Berlin (https://www.thereaderberlin.com/) and The Berlin Writing Prize (https://www.thereaderberlin.com/2022-berlin-writing-prize/) . She has been the backbone of our Berlin literary life and a great champion of writers, readers and book businesses in Berlin. Some of my favourite memories of Berlin have been facilitated by Victoria – one year she took over an entire old Fort and hosted a magical weekend literary festival. Beyond this generosity, she is a hugely talented writer. Her brilliant debut novel Before the Ruins was published in 2021 by Serpent’s Tail (UK) and Henry Holt (US) revealing a gift for storytelling and masterful character development. I’m indebted to Victoria for her friendship, gentle influence and unending support.

What these three writers have in common is a willingness to create opportunities for others while also remaining dedicated to their own craft. That’s a lot of work, and perhaps what’s most beautiful about Berlin is that it gives people the time and space to give and grow.

The Berlin magic is forever in our DNA.

So now it’s over to you, dear writers, to see where this image leads. Of course, there is no need for you to write about Berlin. The image is simply the starting point, the rest is up to you.

Enjoy and thank you for all of your support and continued participation in this magnificent project.

Kristen
and the VV team

Follow us on Twitter

@visual_verse (https://twitter.com/visual_verse)
@underagreysky (https://twitter.com/underagreysky)
@d (https://twitter.com/kenkeyandfish) ivyaghelani (https://twitter.com/DivyaGhelani)
@VictoriaGosling (https://twitter.com/VictoriaGosling)

Volume 09, Chapter 06 | April 2022

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Image by Vony Razom

Dear writers, readers and friends,

This month sees the publication of Aftermath (https://www.andotherstories.org/aftermath/) , by Visual Verse co-founder Preti Taneja. Written in the literal aftermath of the killing of Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt, by Usman Khan, this exceptional work is an exploration of grief, guilt, trauma, politics and deeply-rooted injustice. Nikesh Shukla calls it a “masterclass in literary brilliance” while Max Porter calls it “a major landmark in British narrative non-fiction… a vitally important as well as deeply moving book”.

Those who have followed Visual Verse from the beginning will know that we have deliberately evolved our platform to provide literary space to underrepresented writers, and to encourage brave and challenging work. We are extremely privileged to have benefited from Preti’s rigorous intellect, literary expertise and her commitment to human rights and social justice. And now with her latest book she shows us the true power of words.

This month I chose to honour this commitment to brave, inclusive work by featuring an image by artist Vony Razom who is currently producing art from a bomb shelter in Ukraine. This image is complimented by three writers who have had to flee their homes, or whose families have had to flee. We are so grateful to each of them for bringing their completely unique voices to Visual Verse and sharing a piece of themselves in their work. Content warning: Please be aware that this issue contains reference to sexual abuse and violence that some readers may find upsetting.

On page one, we kick off with a beautiful homage to birth and rebirth by Daniela Suleymanova. With Russian, Armenian and Malagasy origins, Daniela explores the dimensions of multiculturalism, and the complexities and the beauty of métissage through visual arts, photography and writing.

On page two, we present Emmanuella Dekonor (https://twitter.com/kenkeyandfish) , a native of Ghana who spent her early years in the UK where she sought refuge in 1982, following the ‘June 4th Revolution’ staged by junior military officers. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck University. You can read more by Emmanuella in our archive (https://visualverse.org/writers/emmanuella-dekonor/) .

And on page three, we welcome Najwa Ahmed (https://najwaahmed.com/) (1989), a Palestinian writer and visual artist based in Berlin. In their short films “when we were already made”, “silence” and “Zehra on the roof” they worked with queer identity politics and the consumption culture of bodies. In their writing and performance such as “the watermelon resistance”, “how dance moves my gender euphoria” they tackle topics of displacement and migration stereotypes, sometimes only to reflect and sometimes to deconstruct. Connect with them on Instagram @purplekarmel (https://www.instagram.com/purplekarmel/) .
For every piece submitted before midnight today, 1st April, we will donate £1 to Poets for Ukraine (https://gofund.me/80ab4dec) and £1 to the Vony Razom (https://vonyrazom.com/) , the Ukrainian artist whose work we feature. Please consider chipping in (https://gofund.me/80ab4dec) to help Poets for Ukraine reach their funding target.
Donate to Poets for Ukraine (https://gofund.me/80ab4dec)

Before I sign off I’d like to say another huge thank you to our most recent cohort of volunteer editors and curators who have valiantly kept Visual Verse running these past few months: Tam Eastley, Anna Mace, Nahda Tahsin and Jordan Fleming and of course our two utterly brilliant editors: Lucie Stevens and Isabel Brookes. Thank you all for your time and commitment.

Now it’s over to you, dear writers. As always, we invite you to be brave with your writing and/or to use Visual Verse as a moment of blissful escapism. The image is the starting point, the text is up to you.
Kristen (She/Her)
and the VV Team

Follow us on Twitter

@visual_verse (https://twitter.com/visual_verse)
@kenkeyandfish (https://twitter.com/kenkeyandfish)
@PretiTaneja (https://twitter.com/PretiTaneja)

Volume 09, Chapter 05 | March 2022

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Image by Susan Fenimore Cooper
Dear writers, readers and friends,

I had planned a special issue for March to celebrate International Women’s Day (8th March). Then, Russia invaded Ukraine*. All plans went out the window but, guess what?! The women rose up. Four brilliant women came to my rescue and helped me to assemble a glorious, unique issue featuring our very first musical response to a Visual Verse prompt. I am so proud and grateful to our talented quartet of leads this month.

Our March visual prompt is from Susan Fenimore Cooper (1813-1894) who was a writer, artist, naturalist and humanitarian. Cooper was the first woman to be recognised for nature writing. I love this image as it is clearly the work of an expert while being labelled with the declaration “By a Lady”. I like to think this was a small act of feminism on Cooper’s part – ensuring no man took credit for her work – but that may be an optimistic reading of herstory.

Back in the present day, I’m overjoyed to debut a brand new song penned by acclaimed Irish musician Nina Hynes (https://www.ninahynesmusic.com/) especially for this issue. Nina Hynes is an artist down to her bones and her creative output is mindblowing (follow her on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/6K6HRAFT5XBbrfATR1vnQh?si=91VPDLe3RtixRiWCTcWOkQ) and Bandcamp (https://ninahynes.bandcamp.com/) ). I gave Nina the challenge of writing a song within the usual constraints (50-500 words within one hour) and she returned the lyrics to me within four minutes of receiving the prompt. The next day a fully formed tune arrived in my inbox:
https://ninahynes.bandcamp.com/track/hummingbird

This is our very first musical response to a VV prompt – pure magic. You can listen and download the track from Nina’s Bandcamp. She is donating 100% of proceeds to the campaign to support African and Caribbean students leaving Ukraine, who have been facing discrimination and racism as they try to cross to safety.

Next up we feature Ioanna Mavrou (https://www.ioannamavrou.com/) , a writer from Nicosia, Cyprus. Her short stories have appeared in Electric Literature, The Rumpus, HAD, Wasafiri, The Letters Page, and elsewhere. She runs a tiny publishing house called Book Ex Machina and is the editor of Matchbook Stories: a literary magazine in matchbook form. You can read her previous Visual Verse pieces here (https://visualverse.org/writers/ioanna-mavrou/) and follow her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/@ioannaonline) .

In what seems like a bitter UK winter, Lizzie Ballagher has certainly longed for spring and perhaps that is reflected in her piece on page 3. The final stanza lifts us up like the first spring buds. Having lived in W New York for a decade, Lizzie unashamedly plundered old memories for images of those much harsher winters near the Genesee River. You can follow her work over on her blog (https://lizzieballagherpoetry.wordpress.com/) .

And on page 4 we are long overdue in featuring the work of Ceinwen Haydon (https://twitter.com/CeinwenHaydon) . Ceinwen holds an MA in Creative Writing from Newcastle University. She lives near Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (also home to our co-founder Preti Taneja) and writes short stories and poetry. She is widely published in online magazines and in print anthologies and has written many brilliant pieces for Visual Verse (https://visualverse.org/writers/ceinwen-e-c-haydon/) too. She is developing her practice as a participatory arts facilitator and believes everyone’s voice counts.

We at Visual Verse would like to wish all the women of the world a Happy International Women’s day. On March 8th we will raise a toast to the creativity and inner power of all women, including and especially women of colour, non-binary and trans women. Thank you all for your contributions to Visual Verse over the years.

*The situation in Ukraine remains volatile and we will continue tracking ways to support those most affected – especially minority groups and marginalised communities who face many extra challenges. You can support by signing up for Stuart McPherson’s online Poetry for Ukraine fundraiser (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-for-ukraine-an-international-poetry-reading-fundraiser-tickets-279387795417) which is raising funds for the Red Cross Ukraine and the UN refugee council. There is also the GoFundMe that Nina is supporting, to help African and Caribbean students in Ukraine (https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-afrocaribbean-students-leaving-ukraine?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet) (20% of Ukraine’s international students are from African countries) and OutRight Action International (https://outrightinternational.org/ukraine?form=Ukraine&fbclid=IwAR151D6CdyNweItycZ7QHGj2ix62VLo8K0liysu5fYtQ1z3M2u6Spm65cN0) is raising funds to support Ukraine’s
LGBTQ+ community.

So, my friends, as always I hope you enjoy these offerings and feel inspired to write your own. Things are heavy but creativity brings the light.

The image is the starting point, the text us up to you.
Kristen (She/Her)
and the VV Team

Follow us on Twitter

@visual_verse (https://twitter.com/visual_verse)
@NinaHynes (https://twitter.com/ninahynes?lang=en)
@ioannaonline (https://twitter.com/ioannaonline)
@CeinwenHaydon (https://twitter.com/CeinwenHaydon)

Volume 09, Chapter 04 | February 2022

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Image by Yasin Aribuga
Dear writers, readers and friends,

We’re only a month in but already I have the feeling that 2022 will be a year of change for many of us. In fact, the question is not whether change will happen, but how it will happen. Will it be a transition, displacement, digression, transgression, move, evolution or a seismic shift? Will it happen by design or by surprise? This is what is on my mind and why I was drawn to this month’s image by artist Yasin Aribuga. It is aptly steeped in the ultimate symbol of metamorphosis.

We open our February issue with a summer adventure by Hannah Allies (https://twitter.com/hannahahahah?s=20) , a writer based in Brighton whose work has left an impression on us. Hannah has had poetry and flash fiction published by Reflex Fiction, Writers’ HQ and Visual Verse (https://visualverse.org/writers/hannah-allies/) . She is particularly interested in our relationship with the natural world and most of her work includes themes of environmentalism. She is currently writing her first novel.

On page 2, John Grey explores the transformative power of nature. John is an Australian poet and US resident, who has recently been published in Sheepshead Review, Stand, Poetry Salzburg Review and Hollins Critic. His latest books Leaves On Pages, Memory Outside The Head and Guest Of Myself are available through Amazon. John’s work will appear in upcoming issues of Ellipsis, Blueline and International Poetry Review.

Page 3 holds a multifaceted self-portrait of a butterfly by K Hartless, a poet and fiction writer who enjoys penning fantasy, science-fiction, and horror as well as the occasional memoir. She’s been recently published in Edge of Humanity Magazine, The Last Girls Club, Paragraph Planet, Pure Haiku, and Spillwords. Her blog, Yardsale of Thoughts (https://khartless.com/) , blends fiction, poetry, music, and art to create new experiences for readers.

Sending you off to your writing desks is a whimsical poem by Stephen Kingsnorth (https://visualverse.org/writers/stephen-kingsnorth/) , a regular contributor to Visual Verse. Stephen, who retired to Wales with Parkinson’s Disease from ministry in the Methodist Church, has had pieces published by online poetry sites, printed journals and anthologies. He tells us that he eagerly anticipates the monthly Visual Verse challenges and likes asking questions of himself, and anyone else looking over his shoulder. He has been, like so many, nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net this past year. You can read his blog at poetrykingsnorth.wordpress.com (https://poetrykingsnorth.wordpress.com/) .

So, now it’s over to you. Submissions close midnight (UK time) on February 15th. You can find our full submission guidelines here (https://visualverse.org/submission-guidelines/) and remember: the image is the starting point, the rest is up to you.
Enjoy!

Kristen
and the VV Team

Follow us on Twitter

@visual_verse (https://twitter.com/visual_verse)
@hartless_k (https://twitter.com/hartless_k)
@hannahahahah (https://mobile.twitter.com/hannahahahah/)

Volume 09, Chapter 03 | January 2022

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Image by Dee Mulrooney
Dear writers, readers and friends,

We made it! Another year over, a new one begins, and to celebrate we present our first issue of Visual Verse for 2022. This one comes with a large dose of gratitude. After another challenging year we are ever more grateful to you, our community of readers and writers, for continuing to deliver exciting, challenging work. This past November were were especially floored by your responses to our inaugural writing competition. Thank you for helping us build our unique publication, woven together with your voices and ideas.

We have been thinking and talking about the vocabulary around beauty and joy. Our editorial team recently had an illuminating discussion about how much easier it is to access vocabulary around pain and suffering than vocabulary around beauty and hope. A common misconception is that a poem needs to mine the darkness to be truly moving. But joy can move us just as powerfully. We need to work a little harder to find the words but the words are there. So, how about this: for your January submission, challenge yourself to explore the vocabulary around beauty, joy, hope and/or optimism. Help us create an issue full of words that will lift us up and carry us into 2022 with a skip in our step.

To inspire you, some of our team have shared the writing that bring them joy:

Lucie Stevens, our Sydney-based Deputy Editor, recommends Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself’, specifically section 46: https://poets.org/poem/song-myself-46. She says “It’s an oldie, but a goodie, and one I return to often.”

Isabel Brooks, our UK-based Deputy Editor, has four joyful poems to share:
“Hope” is the Thing with Feathers (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42889/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers-314) by Emily Dickinson
My Heart (https://poetrysociety.org/poetry-in-motion/my-heart) by Frank O’Hara
Still I Rise (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise) by Maya Angelou
Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58762/catalog-of-unabashed-gratitude) by Ross Gay

And Jordan Fleming, our NYC-based editorial assistant, recommends some longer reads: Resignation by Nikki Giovanni, Walking Our Boundaries by Audre Lorde, The Perfect Ease of Grain by Toni Morrison and Le sporting-club de Monte Carlo (For Lena Horne) by James Baldwin.

So now, without further ado: this issue invites you to respond to a magnificent, layered image by Berlin-based Irish artist Dee Mulrooney (http://deirdre-mulrooney.com/) . Dee’s work is peppered with little whispers of ancestors, folklore and femininity. Take your time with it as there is much to see.

Launching us into the new year is a reflection on friendship by Allie Coker (https://www.facebook.com/alliecokerauthor) . Allie holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Queens University of Charlotte. She has taught creative writing courses and also worked as an editor. Her second book, a novella titled The Last Resort (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-resort-allie-coker/1138584134) , was published in January 2021. She was selected for a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts residency, as well as a Wildacres residency. She is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network and shares a home with her two rescued hairballs, Bob and Queen, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

On page 2, Yen Ooi (https://www.yenooi.com/) invites you to relax. Yen is a writer-editor-researcher who explores East and Southeast Asian culture, identity and values. Her projects aim to cultivate cultural engagement in our modern, technology-driven lives. She is a PhD candidate at Royal Holloway, University of London looking at the development of Chinese science fiction by diaspora writers and writers from Chinese-speaking nations. Yen is narrative director and writer on Road to Guangdong (https://shop.excalibur-games.com/products/road-to-guangdong) , a narrative-style driving game. She is author of Sun: Queens of Earth (novel) and A Suspicious Collection of Short Stories and Poetry (collection). She is also co-editor of Ab Terra, Brain Mill Press’s science fiction imprint. When she’s not got her head in a book, she lectures, mentors and plays the viola. Her latest book, Rén: The Ancient Chinese Art of Finding Peace and Fulfilment
(https://uk.bookshop.org/books/ren-the-ancient-chinese-art-of-finding-fulfilment-through-the-world-around-you/9781787398221?aid=7145) will be available in February 2022.

Page 3 offers a thought-provoking piece by Simon Costello (https://twitter.com/simoncostello13 ) . Simon’s poems have appeared in bath magg, The Stinging Fly, The Rialto, Magma and The Irish Times. In 2021, he won The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition and was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series. He lives in Co. Offaly, Ireland.

And now, dear writers, it’s over to you. We look forward to seeing what our January image and bonus writing challenge inspire.

Just a reminder to both long-term contributors and new members of the fold: write 50-500 words in one hour, responding to the image. Please only submit one piece per month. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we will only review your first submissions each month. All subsequent submissions are removed from our system, so make sure the piece you submit is the one you want us to consider.
And don’t forget to submit by the closing date and time. Submissions close midnight (UK time) on January 15th. You can find our full submission guidelines here (https://visualverse.org/submission-guidelines/) . Good luck and happy writing!

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

With love and new year wishes from the VV team.

Kristen, Lucie, Preti, Isabel, Tam, Nahda, Jordan, Aimee and Anna.
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Volume 09, Chapter 02 | December 2021

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Image by Monica Silva
Dear writers, readers and friends,

Welcome to our final newsletter of 2021!

December marks the festive season for many people, and a time to reflect on the year that has passed. It’s been another year of wide-spread uncertainty, anxiety and social isolation – themes that have run through many of the submissions we’ve received. And as the pandemic flexes its muscles again, the opening of Amanda Gorman’s poem The Hill We Climb seems apt, ‘where can we find light in this never-ending shade?’

We hope you will find some light here, dear writers.

When we offer our prompt on the first of each month, we hope to receive exciting new pieces that grab our attention and lodge themselves in our hearts. And we hope that, by publishing those pieces, we help share your voice with the world. But what we also aim to offer is a reason for you to carve out an hour for yourself, connect with your creativity and experience flow. Because that’s where joy, healing and self-actualisation can surface.

So, here’s our December gift to you, not a flying reindeer but a floating horse’s head. This image, entitled Horse with a Name, is the creation of Italian-based Brazilian photographer Monica Silva (https://www.msilva.photography/) , whose work explores the impact that existential and cultural daily life has on our psyches.

Opening our December issue is a piece by Anna Jacobson (http://www.annajacobson.com.au) that speaks of this impact too. Anna is a writer and artist from Brisbane, Australia. Amnesia Findings (https://www.uqp.com.au/books/amnesia-findings) (UQP, 2019), her first full-length poetry collection, won the 2018 Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize. In 2020, Anna won the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing (Open Creative Nonfiction), was awarded a Queensland Writers Fellowship, and was shortlisted in the Spark Prize.

Page 2 offers a powerfully visceral poem by Hannah Bent (http://www.hannahbent.com) . Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hannah completed her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and Film from Central Saint Martins School of Art in London. She undertook further study in both directing and screenwriting at the Australian Film Television and Radio School and has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Technology, Sydney. She won the 2013 Ray Koppe Young Writers Award for her debut novel as a work in progress. Her debut novel When Things Are Alive They Hum (https://www.ultimopress.com.au/hum) was published this year and has been described by Trent Dalton as a ‘gift’ that has ‘changed the way I’ve been going about my days.’ The Australian reviewed her novel as ‘a wise, wondrous celebration of life.’

Our third piece, penned by Alastair Hesp (http://www.alastairhesp.co.uk) , explores what isn’t on view. Alastair is currently completing a Poetry MA at The Manchester Writing School. His work has been featured in anthologies and journals such as The Verve Poetry Press, Acid Bath Publishing, The French Literary Review and Broken Sleep Books. As a poet with bipolar disorder, he uses poetry to go beyond the language of condition. In addition to formal publications, his work includes interdisciplinary projects in live/improvised performances. He is currently in production on a poetic art installation and a dance performance in Copenhagen around a sequence poem, in collaboration with Kant Fabrik (https://www.instagram.com/kantfabrik/) .

Before you venture off on your own creative paths, take a dawn walk with Shehnaz Suterwalla (https://www.rca.ac.uk/more/staff/dr-shehnaz-suterwalla/) on page 4. Shehnaz is a writer, critic and curator who teaches at the Royal College of Art, London. Her forthcoming book, Two Friends (And Other Stories) is a double memoir that speculates into the future, co-authored with Michelle Jana Chan (https://linktr.ee/michellejanachan) , who was a lead in our November issue.

Remember, dear writers, if you need to gift yourself with more pockets of writing-induced joy, you can submit a micro-piece in response to our daily visual prompt (https://www.instagram.com/visualverseanthology/) on Instagram. But for now, we hope this noble steed will inspire you to craft 50-500 words, written within an hour. Submissions close midnight (UK time) on December 15th.

Wishing you all a safe and happy December.

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

Lucie
with the VV team: Kristen, Preti, Isabel, Tam, Nahda, Jordan, Aimee and Anna.
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Volume 09, Chapter 01 | November 2021

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Image by Frederick Cayley Robinson

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Dear writers, readers and friends,

November has arrived and that means something extra special to us – it’s our birthday!

Happy eighth birthday to every member of the Visual Verse community! Whether you’ve been part of our tribe for some time now, or have just recently entered the fold, we want to thank each one of you for making VV what it is: dynamic, diverse, celebratory and inspirational. Together, this is what we’ve achieved:
* We’ve published 96 issues since 2013 – this month’s issue will be our 97^th.
* Almost 9000 pieces have been published to date – that’s somewhere between 450,000 and 4,500,000 words – the equivalent of around 50 novels!
* These pieces have been written by more than 350 lead writers and 3500 contributors. We’re proud to have created a space that fosters the development of fledging writers, while promoting the work of seasoned scribes and supporting everyone in-between.

All these figures bring one word to mind – collaboration. VV wouldn’t be possible without the artists whose work sparks our imaginations each month; the leads whose pieces open the channels of inspiration; the team of publishers, editors and curators working behind the scenes; and you, our beloved writing community. Even after all these years, your work still excites us, makes us reflect, shares with us a new point of view. We’re grateful for every piece of work we receive and the window it offers us into your hearts and minds. In return, we hope that each month, we foster your creativity and provide you with connection and community.

In the spirit of collaboration, all our November leads work closely with a creative partner, to develop innovative new work and support craft development in others. Our fabulous quintet of leads was inspired by an autumnally hued image by English painter, illustrator and decorator Frederick Cayley Robinson (https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/frederick-cayley-robinson-1857) . We love the sense of narrative it evokes, as though it’s a still-shot from an unfolding moment.

Opening this issue is a piece exploring what we choose to hear – and ignore – by Emily Cataneo (http://www.emilycataneo.com/) . Emily is a writer and journalist from New England. Her fiction has appeared in publications such as Indiana Review, Smokelong Quarterly, Lightspeed, and her nonfiction in venues The Guardian, the Boston Globe, Slate, NPR, Atlas Obscura, and more. She is co-founder of the Redbud Writing Project (https://www.redbudwriting.org/) with fellow North Carolina State University MFA graduate, Arshia Simkin. Redbud is a creative writing organisation that teaches workshops across many genres, both online and in community spaces in North Carolina’s Triangle.

Our second and third pieces contrast with each other beautifully, in style and tone. These pieces have been penned by Onjuli Datta and Mikaella Clements – co-authors of The View Was Exhausting (https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/mikaella-clements/the-view-was-exhausting/9781472271730/) , a modern love story about power, fame and privilege. This creative duo is married and live together in Berlin. You can find them both on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mikandonj/) , or Mikaella on Twitter (https://twitter.com/mikclements) .

Page 4’s piece is the perfect accompaniment to your bucketful of Halloween sweets. Its author is Redbud Writing Project (https://www.redbudwriting.org/) co-founder, Arshia Simkin (https://www.arshiasimkin.com/) . Arshia was born in Pakistan and spent the first six years of her life there. She grew up in Arlington, Virginia and currently lives in Raleigh with her husband. A former lawyer, Arshia’s writing has appeared in Crazyhorse. She was one of three winners of the 2020 CRAFT Flash Fiction contest, and received honourable mention in NC State’s James Hurt Prize for fiction.

Our final lead piece for November is a beautiful reflection on shifting relationships with shadow, written by Michelle Jana Chan (http://www.michellejanachan.com/) . Michelle is travel editor of Vanity Fair; her TEDx (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ZnosgO8XA) is “Hitchhiking, galaxies, and why travel is not bad for the planet”. Her debut novel Song (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Michelle-Jana-Chan/dp/1783525479/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) (Unbound) was described by Bernardine Evaristo as ‘a wonderfully lush and atmospheric odyssey of survival against all odds’; Elif Shafak called it: ‘Precise, heartfelt, breathtaking’. Her upcoming book, Two Friends (And Other Stories) is a double memoir which speculates into the future, co-authored with Shehnaz Suterwalla. She is launching a literary/travel podcast The Wandering Book Collector in December.

And so, dear writers, now it’s over to you. We can’t wait to receive your electronic birthday parcels, filled with fresh, innovative, experimental writing between 50-500 words, in response to this image and written within an hour. Challenge yourself. Push your boundaries. Go beyond the literal. Surprise us and, most of all, surprise yourself. Submissions close midnight (UK time) on November 15th.

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

Lucie
with the VV team: Kristen, Preti, Isabel, Tam, Nahda, Jordan, Aimee and Anna.
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