Readers Wanted, Submissions Invited

Time to drop in some news about some literary journals with a local interest, which might also be good places for the writers among you to send your work.

Remember Damazine, the online literary magazine for the Muslim world which was calling for submissions last year? Well the first issue is now up for you to enjoy, and Shakeel Abedi has had one of his poems (entitled Together) selected. Congrats!

You can submit your work for future issues, and the guidelines are here.

Also accepting submissions is Cha: An Asian Literary Journal based in Hong Kong. This new online literary journal is dedicated to publishing quality poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, photography, graphic fiction and reviews from and about Asia, and submissions are welcomed. Guidelines here.

And then of course there is the Asian Literary Review, published quarterly in paperback form. This one is Nury Vittachi's baby, and publishes work of a very high standard. Information about submissions is here.

Quarterly Literary Review Singapore (QLRS) have their latest edition up with much good stuff in it, including an interview with Malaysian playwright, Huzir Sulaiman. The site, which hit major technical problems last year, as Toh Hsien Min explains, has now been upgraded. Submission guidelines are here.

And finally, there's Softblow, a Singapore-based poetry journal updated at the beginning of every month. More about it, and submission guidelines in the editorial.

Literary journals like these are the lifeblood of a writing community, and we should feel a great debt of gratitude to all those who put time, effort and money to get such projects off the ground.

Nic's Nicobar Pigeon

You may have noticed the young man I've been bullying at recent readings, making him fetch and carry heavy loads, put out chairs, sell copies of Elarti and at Seksan's open the wine bottles and wash the glasses. One of these days I'm sure he's going to exact his revenge and that I'll find my big bossy self between the pages of a book. Even though Nic is 17 (and I do tend to be horrible patronising to talented 17 year olds as kG knows), he's already got an impressive writer's CV, and has a scholarship to read creative writing and literature at Columbia University.

When I gave him a lift home the other day, he let slip that he has just had a poem published in what is perhaps the most-prestigious British poetry journal, Rialto in the Young Poets section. I asked Nic to send me a scan from his copy, and here it is below (click to enlarge).*

Will be getting him to read at Seksan's a little down the line. (He's already strutted his stuff at Indie Scene cafe and for Project OMG). But he still has to wash the glasses.**

Meanwhile, Nic's at a bit of loose end between school and university and longing for some local friends to talk deep literary stuff with. (His school friends are all in Singapore and roped in to do their National Service.) Someone please take him out for a cup of poetic coffee. He might be superbright but he's a really nice guy too.

(Literary Lonely Hearts Column ...)

*Some ornitholgical info might help your reading.
**You can also enjoy his poem Carry On on the QLRS site.


(Pic stolen from Project OMG)