JOURNAL OF CREATIVE WRITING
ISSUE 01 // GIFT
FEBRUARY 2021
A gift is something given, not because the recipient asks for it or because they deserve it – that would make it a special favour, a payment or a reward; rather, gifts are given out of love, for the benefit and well-being of the other, with no expectation of special favour in return. Of course, we don’t always give and receive in the proper spirit, and we can easily overlook the countless gifts in our lives when they don’t come beautifully wrapped and labelled, just in time for Christmas or some other special occasion. Even so, the recognition of life itself as a gift, and the giving and receiving of gifts among friends and neighbours as a way of celebrating and affirming life, is a universal human experience.
Read a sample selection HERE.
ISSUE 02 // WATER
AUGUST 2021
Carver of mountains and soother of wounds; without it, you die, while even a modest excess can leave one lifeless. 71% of the earth is covered in it, while your own body is – so we’re told – nearly two-thirds WATER. At once a powerful symbol of both peace and chaos, permanence and change, we thought Water would make an enticing theme for our second issue. Think of its myriad forms and reflective beauty – a property of its inherent invisibility. Consider its life-giving properties alongside its destructive potential. Water shapes our everyday lives as it has shaped our very planet; yet it is so ubiquitous we hardly miss it, until deprived. For anyone who have known drought or flood, for those who have feared for their lives or found themselves at home in its slippery hold, for all who have contemplated its cosmic significance or simply savoured the pleasure of a thirst quenched on a summer’s day, the theme of Water is bound to arrest the imagination and release a flood of wonderful writing.
ISSUE 03 // LIGHT
FEBRUARY 2022
Let there be light!
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Light guides, light blinds, light heals, light burns. Light can reveal the truth and equally deceive the sense; it is our first defence against darkness and ignorance, while the fun and frivolous we also call “light”. Is there any other symbol quite as capable of capturing the full spectrum of human experience?
ISSUE 04 // TIME
AUGUST 2022
In many ways, time governs our experience of reality – we look to the past through the lens of memory, to the present in light of the past, and very often towards the future in expectation of things that do not yet exist. We also tell stories because we experience life in terms of time – a chronological narrative of events. Yet we are also aware of the Eternal – of great truths and values and a level of being that are not subject to the ravages of time. As spiritual as well as physical beings, we are aware of some spark of the eternal in every human soul; it would seem, then, that we are not fully and finally at home in the temporary realm. What are we to make of this? Time will tell!
ISSUE 05 // BIRDS
FEBRUARY 2023
The place of birds in literature and human experience is as rich and varied as the 10,000 plus species that grace our wonderful planet. Their presence helps define our sense of place, the movement of the seasons, and even the time of day. Birds figure prominently in mythology, in folklore, in story and song, while their place in Christian scripture and symbolism is just as varied.
ISSUE 06 // CHILDHOOD
AUGUST 2023
Whatever your childhood experience, there’s no denying the formative importance of our first years of life. Both the joys and the hardships of childhood attest to the sacred importance we attribute to the innocence of the child, while creativity itself is typified by the natural curiosity and openness of children – so often deadened by familiarity as we grow older. The theme of Childhood asks us to venture back in time, to glimpse again the world through the eyes of a child, to bring to light the wonder, confusion, hopes, fears, relationships, and memories that speak to what it’s like to be young in the world. We hope you enjoy our latest collection, varying as it does from the childish to the childlike, the humorous to the tragic, fun, poignant, and above all memorable.
ISSUE 07 // CITY
FEBRUARY 2024
We all have our own understanding of what a city is – be it a particular place or a symbol of something more: a holiday destination, a treasure-trove of art and culture or hotbed of sin and vice, an urban jungle best avoided or home-sweet-home. All these ideas and more are referenced in our latest issue, offering thought-provoking glimpses into the lives of those who call the city home, or who otherwise find themselves caught up in the life and spirit of the great metropolis.
ISSUE 08 // FOOD
AUGUST 2024
The entries gathered here take the reader on a gastronomic fieldtrip, comprising cherished recipes and memories of shared feasts; the celebration of simple pleasures alongside striking portraits of loved ones connected with mealtimes; together with deeper commentary — both poignant and comical — on the nature of appetite, as well as the potential for peace found in the simple act of breaking bread. The end result is a diverse menu from which you can savour select morsels or feast at will.
Bon appétit!
