Issue 44 | December 2020 |

Born in Syria, long-time exiled in Paris, Maram al-Masri has built up a devoted international following for her poems, which she writes in both Arabic and French.

Mary O’Malley’s eight collection, GAUDENT ANGELI was published by Carcanet in 2019. She has served on the council of Poetry Ireland, held the Chair of Irish Studies at Villanova University and has held Residencies in Paris, Tarragona, New York and NUI Galway.

Doyle’s most recent books include The Dead Republic (2010);Two Pints (2012); The Guts (2013), which takes us back to Jimmy Rabbitte, now in his forties; Two More Pints (2014); Dead Man Talking (2015); Smile (2017); and Love (2020).

Writer, journalist and broadcaster, Kieran Devaney takes us to Grogan’s Bar in Dublin, ‘the last haunt of Irish Bohemia’ and recalls its owner, the remarkable Tommy Smith.

‘The baby’s soft fist brushed her cheek and the light touch felt like reproach. Pause. Be kinder.’

New Zealand-based poet Ivy Alvarez draws us in with her edgy, sensual prose poetry weaved from an engagement with Filipino idiomatic expressions.

From iconic surfers to washer women at work – acclaimed Australian poet Judith Beveridge shows her impressive range in these two exquisite works!

D.P Snyder is a member of the Under the Volcano writer’s group in Tepoztlán, México and lives in North Carolina, USA

Fiction by John Saul, shortlisted for the 2015 Seán Ó Faoláin international prize and runner-up in Forge magazine’s 2018 competition.

Australian poet Mark Tredinnick’s poetry is a nothing less than a hymn of gratitude to the natural world and a rare rhythmical treat!

Kirsty Lewin has put aside the first draft of a novel to focus on short stories. She is developing an interest in the absurd, the bizarre, and magical realism.

The romance here is misleading. There’s no happy ever after but an incendiary flare that destroys.

Alexis Levitin’s translation of Salgado Maranhão’s poems stunningly captures the musicality and rawness of the Portuguese language and the poet’s vivid tongue.

‘Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath’ Heather Clark Jonathan Cape ISBN 978-1-787-33253-0 I did wonder if I had the stamina for another…

Hilary Otto’s poetry vividly captures the beauty and the terror of nature

‘I Remember Learning How to Dive’ is an exploration of memory, of caring and family duties and responsibilities, particularly for those cast in the role of carer.

James Strowman’s poetry pulses with the energy of industrialisation

A moment in time captured elegantly by Bogusia Wardein

Poet, writer and musician, Ada Wofford wonders whether we are all just snobs when it comes to literary appreciation and whether now is the time to become more receptive to new possibilities.

Patricia Hemminger grew up in rural East Yorkshire, UK and her poems are often inspired by nature.

Writer and reviewer, Elizabeth Jaeger describes the peaks and troughs of home-schooling her son during the pandemic.

Penelope Scambly Schott is recipient of The Oregon Book Award for Poetry.

Kathleen McCracken is the recipient of the University of Toronto Review’s Editor’s Choice Award for Poetry, the Anne Szumigalski Editor’s Prize, the Glebe House Harmony Community Trust Poetry Award and the 2017 Poetry Ireland/Tyrone Guthrie Residency Bursary.

Clare Morris, Editor of The Write Life, introduces essays by Kieran Devaney, Elizabeth Jaeger, Sarah Leavesley, Ysella Sims and Ada Wofford, highlighting the underlying themes that link them all.

A searing honesty coupled with deep compassion is the hallmark of these superb works by Australian poet Robyn Rowland. And finally, a poem dedicated to the unsung heroes working in aged care!

Poet, writer and novelist Sarah Leavesley explains how space leads to inspiration and that fear is a challenge to be embraced.

Australian poet Geoff Page turns his ruminative gaze on to two very different subjects: the nature of entropy and the habits of tawny frogmouths.

Writer and poet, Ysella Sims explores why songs speak to us so strongly and shares some of the experiences that have helped her connect with her new community

During the 1960s, Randall co-founded and edited EL CORNO EMPLUMADO, a bilingual poetry journal that in 8 years published 700 writers from more than 30 countries.