It’s been a real delight to be part of the Nightingale & Sparrow team for the last couple of years. As of the end of 2023 I will be stepped down from the managing editor role. It has been a privilege to read the poetry submissions, as well as manage the team, correspond with submitees, and oversee production. Wishing the best of luck to Juliette and the team, when they come back after their hiatus.
I'm very excited that I will be the guest editor for Black Bough Poetry's next edition, there was a one day submission window, on Tuesday 4th July. Entry was by tweeting one brand new imagistic poem, 20 lines max. to @toptweettuesday and @marcellenewbold on Twitter. Poems are unpublished but could be a previous @TopTweetTuesday poem.
The edition will include an invited guest poet, and also poems from Black Bough's open mic attendees, launch date early Spring 2024.
The talented Emma Connolly, a Cardiff based artist, will be providing the cover art, and the title of the edition, which I can't wait to share.
Its here, our Spring 2023 edition, 'Sakura'. This issue is extra special as we are publishing sisters, who were both anonymously accepted for the issue, one for fiction and one for visual art.
Nightingale & Sparrow, Issue XVI – starlight is now available on line, and in print via Amazon. Cover by Rachel Coyne. A note from EIC Juliette Sebock:
‘In our call for submissions, we prompted submitters with the following: “What do you see when you look up at the night sky? From astrology and lullabies to planetariums and Taylor Swift lyrics, we want to see your poems, stories, essays, and art that come face-to-face with the cosmos. Give us space; give us skies; give us starlight.’
Moira J Saucer, ‘Wiregrass’ from Ethel Zine
In this hand-finished, debut chapbook, from Ethel Zine, Moira J Saucer explores 19 poems, permitting an insight into a world of loss and discovery. Set over 15 years she reveals her experience through ‘a tent of opaque anguish’, while acknowledging buds of optimism. Her inclination to tend, despite the challenges, and pain, she faces, is apparent through these poignant and moving poems - ‘knitting wholeness together’. ‘Wiregrass’ the title poem, vividly shows the edge of human nature, living in the American Wastelands.‘
Nightingale & Sparrow, Issue XIV – poetry is now available on line, and in print via Amazon. Cover by Karen Pierce Gonzalez. A note from EIC Juliette Sebock:
‘This quarterly theme is one that holds a special place in my heart. Poetry is where I got my own start in the literary world (feel free to check out Mistakes Were Made at your favourite bookseller for a trip in that Delorean). Poetry is the form I turn to when life is at its darkest and at its brightest.’
I was delighted when Eli Horan, EIC of Animal Press invited me to be the inaugural guest editor for Feral: a Journal of Poetry and Art. I have known the Animal Heart Press family since I was published in their 'From the Ashes: An International Anthology of Womxn’s Poetry back in 2019'. Since then, I have seen them grow with the birth of Femme Salve Books, and of course Feral: A Journal of Poetry and Art, with interest and affection.
The call out for Issue 13, themed around ‘hunger’, attracted a diverse, and at times intense response, from poets and artists. The selected pieces interpret the consuming desire of need unfulfilled – hunger that spans addiction, love, mental health, poverty, grief, and unwitting inheritance. These universal themes, and the want for connection, are shown apparent in the human, and natural world.
The team received hundreds of submissions; issue 13, which is now available online, https://feralpoetry.net/issue-thirteen-the-hunger-issue/ contains work from 48 contributors – from the United Kingdom, Australia, Philippines, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, the United States, and elsewhere.
My thanks go to Amanda McLoed and Narmadhaa Sivaraja for their close readings. Amanda, once again, pairing the art and written contributions with fantastic insight.
In editing this beautiful issue, it has once again been a privilege to be a small part of this fierce, gracious press.
The 'Hunger ' themed issue of Feral: a Journal of Poetry and Art is now available online, print issue coming mid July. https://feralpoetry.net/issue-thirteen-the-hunger-issue/
Nightingale & Sparrow, Issue XIII – hygge is now available on line, and in print via Amazon. A note from EIC Juliette Sebock:
‘we aimed to embrace the gentle warmth and comfort of the Scandinavian concept, making our way through winter—and welcoming spring—with a worthy celebration through words and images.’
I was delighted get a preview of Karen’s glorious upcoming collection, in order to write a blurb, publication date confirmation coming soon.
‘Pierce Gonzalez’s ‘Coyote in the basket of my ribs’ is an exquisite exploration of restlessness. She expertly transcribes the sadness of the untameable, displaying a deep connection with wildness. Her coyote dream poems are intertwined with a delicate, involving understanding of loss, of dependency on the just out of reach, and the melding of domesticity and other.’
Issue XII now available online and in print via Amazon. Issue note from our EIC:
‘l’appel du vide is an issue that’s come to life more brilliantly than I could have imagined. As always, we approached submitters with a prompt: “What is it about the darkness that calls to us? In what other ways do all things sinister beckon us, as humans?”
From “The Chronic Void” by Kate Gough and “Worry” by Amanda Crum to Eva Lynch-Comer’s “Woolf Greets the Sea” and Ceri Morgan’s “Vest-tops and tattoos,” the pieces in this issue take the sensations of “high place phenomenon” and craft them into works of art.
Honoured to have the chance to read an advanced copy of Elisabeth Horan‘s ‘The Mask’. It is a beautiful, immersive experience, available from 1 November, from Broken Spine Arts.
Excerpt: ‘The rhythmical sense of abandon achieved within these ekphrastic responses, entwined with Frida’s native Spanish, feed a lingering connection between the artist’s and poet’s tenacious spirits.’ – Marcelle Newbold, Managing Editor Rare Swan Press, Editor Nightingale & Sparrow
From Broken Spine Arts: ‘The Mask is the second collection of ekphrastic poetry written by poet Elisabeth Horan in response to the artwork of Frida Khalo. It follows the earlier publication Self-Portrait, published by Cephalo. This dual language collection interweaves the life story of Khalo, her art, and the personal response of Horan to it. The Mask is passionate, intense, and demanding and nothing is safe.’
Issue XI now available online via the website or in print from Amazon. EIC Juliette Sebock’s issue note:
‘Nightingale & Sparrow Literary Magazine is proud to present their eleventh issue, growth. This volume features the poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and photography of dozens of amazing creators from around the world, as well as—for the first time—other forms of visual art. For this themed issue, Nightingale & Sparrow told submitters, “We aren’t only looking for notes on flora. From children growing up to emotional growth, we want to see your interpretations of this term in its many forms.” ‘
Issue X ‘Harmony’ from Nightingale & Sparrow is now available online from the website, or in print from Amazon. EIC issue note:
‘For this submissions period, we asked writers and photographers to “surprise us with your own unique harmonies. Share the songs that intersperse your life. Show us the places where discord unites. Let us hear the chords in each image and every line.” As always, our wonderful contributors have brought that vision to life.’
It’s been a busy month, and I’m delighted to say that Juliette (N&S EIC) has asked if I would be willing to take on the role of Managing Editor for the Press, which I was delighted to accept.
I’ve been poetry editor for N&S since Jan 2020 and have seen the Press grow to now 15 volunteers covering editorial, social media and production. Our quarterly magazine – which publishes poetry, cnf, fiction, photography as well as visual art is available as a free online version, via nightingaleandsparrow.com or in print from Amazon.
The team is entirely remote so we utilise airtable, clickup, trello, wiki, and google drive to keep us organised! We have staff members in USA, India, the UK and Europe.
Issue IX ‘Blizzard’ from Nightingale & Sparrow is now available online from the website, or in print from Amazon. EIC issue note:
‘As I write this introduction to blizzard, I’m sipping a mug of hot, black coffee and gazing out the window at another interpretation of our theme. “The February 2021 nor’easter” already has its own Wikipedia page! The nearby woodland (hearkening back to our November 2020 issue!), having long since lost its leaves, is coated in a thick layer of white and ice. Watching the breeze blow snowdust through the air, I can’t help but think of the photos and written work that make up this Nightingale & Sparrow blizzard.
With blizzard, we aimed to showcase the unique facets of every snowflake and the dichotomies present in every storm. As we make our way through the early proofs of the issue, I believe we’ve done just that.’
Nightingale and Sparrow’s Issue VIII – Woodland is now ready to order for doorstep delivery or to read online. Extract from Juliette’s introduction:
‘You’ll travel through the woods of the world with each page, and even enter other literary worlds – beyond a certain wardrobe door – through the pieces included in our eighth issue.’
The ever industrious Matt Smith, originator of the micro poem publisher Black Bough Poetry organises the very successful ‘Top Tweet Tuesday’ and I’m delighted to have be asked to host on 28th July.
The twitter poetry community are invited to tweet a poem: WIP, drafts, published, not yet published with the hashtag #toptweettuesday and @blackboughpoems for commenting and sharing and generally sending lots of poems out into the world!
I’m excited to see the poems, from across the globe, and facilitate the day.
Update: what a day ! 61 poets shared their work across twitter, in a glorious Tuesday that lasted 43 hours ! It was an honour to read and comment on such a global variety of work, themes and mediums.
Nightingale and Sparrow’s Issue VI – Melody is now ready to order for doorstep delivery or to read online. It was such a joy reading for this issue, although a somewhat illusive brief, we were spoilt for choice with 90 poetry submissions.
I’m delighted that I have recently started working with Nightingale & Sparrow, an online magazine and print publisher, as a Poetry Editor and now appear on their masthead. The multi-talented Juliette Sebock has been incredibly welcoming, and I have already had the opportunity to review some very fine pieces with the global team.
I have also managed to significantly upgrade my remote working skills, due to this new position, including Airtable, Slack and Trello!
A bit from the ‘about us’ section:
‘Founded in 2019 by Juliette Sebock, Nightingale & Sparrow is a literary magazine and small press featuring poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and photography.
Nightingale and Sparrow aims to soar through written and visual arts. We want to publish work that takes the earthly and makes it ethereal. Send us your deepest thoughts, most poignant memories, and flights of fancy.’
Nightingale and Sparrow’s Issue VII – Schoolhouse is now ready to order for doorstep delivery or to read online. Gorgeous cover to this cathartic issue. Extract from Juliette’s introduction:
‘This is our shortest issue yet, and yet it’s one of our saddest. Schoolhouse surprised us with the heaviness of its subjects. The circumstances and emotions that come through in these pieces are all too real. From COVID-19 and its effects on education to the horrors of school shootings and other violence, our contributors took the idea of schoolhouse to a far deeper level than we could have imagined when we set the theme over a year ago.’