The curated evening – Slipstream – will highlight multimedia pieces published in The Lit Issue Seven, exploring multimedia storytelling, elemental themes and cross-disciplinary creativity — from immersive audio and poetic data visualisation to speculative design fiction and sensory memoir.

Professor Helen Berry, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, shared her thoughts on the Slipstream film, one of the featured works on display at the ESL event:

“A rare invitation to pause, reflect and contemplate the beauty of rivers and the natural world in our region through film and poetry – congratulations to everyone involved in the making of this short but evocative piece.”

All contributors are current or former University of Exeter academics or alumnae, reflecting the vibrant creative research culture of the institution. ESL supports practice-based research, knowledge exchange and live, immersive, digital, audio and site-responsive narrative experiences. ESL’s goal is to establish a space where partnership-working and experimentation flourish, to enable creative growth in the region.  

Experience digitally via The Lit, The Literary Platform’s online literary journal.

Press enquiries and RSVP: editorial@theliteraryplatform.com 

Tickets available here. 

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The Experiential Story Lab (ESL) at the University of Exeter will offer a space for exploring new approaches to storytelling in order to explore contemporary traditions of ‘liveness’.

The Lab will develop activities that connect expertise and networks within the University of Exeter with organisations working in and beyond the creative industries. The approach is to offer a dynamic and inclusive environment (digital and live) that creates opportunities for ideation and prototyping, as well as delivering linked executive education. An interdisciplinary focus allows the team to experiment with stories in different environments, from physical spaces to digital platforms. By building on Exeter’s strengths in creative practice and innovation, The Literary Platform team will explore how narratives can be designed, experienced, and adapted in new ways.

The post The Literary Platform team to Lead Experiential Story Lab at the University of Exeter appeared first on The Literary Platform.

  Focussing on the theme of Glitch, The Lit invites you to submit your creative responses to be published in The Lit Issue 6 (April 2024). We are looking for fiction (500-1500 words), poetry (up to 40 lines, or equivalent in images) and essays (up to 2000 words). In this issue we want to delve further into the subject and medium of sound; so we also welcome audio submissions, or any alternative medium that presents a response to the theme.  

A few example sub-themes are listed below for inspiration, but feel free to surprise us!  

1. AI and smart devices  
2. image filters  
3. the culture of voyeurism  
4. post-truth  
5. time slip and the paranormal  
6. online disinhibition  
7. internet addiction and ‘touch grass’  

Each participant can send one submission, to editorial@theliteraryplatform.com. The submission deadline is midnight Tuesday 16th January 2024.  

Take a look at previous issues to find out more about The Lit and the types of topics and angles that have been explored in the past.  

We look forward to reading your submissions.  

The Editorial Team 

Anna Kiernan (Editor-at-Large, The Literary Platform and Senior Lecturer in Creativity and Innovation, University of Exeter)

Hazel Beevers (Managing Editor and Director, The Literary Platform)  

April Roach (Guest Editor, Journalist and Author, Amsterdam)  

Amenah Abouward (Project Manager, Editor and Copywriter, Cairo)  

Yudi Wu (Creative Director and Creative Producer at MAKETANK)  

Amy Lilwall (Guest Editor and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Lincoln)  

Oswin Tickler (Lead Contributor and Senior Lecturer in Magazine and Book Design, University of the Arts, London)  

Alastair Horne (Lead Contributor and Lecturer in Publishing Studies, University of Stirling)  

Meet the rest of our editorial board.

The post The Lit Issue Six: Glitch appeared first on The Literary Platform.

the riverside seems far, yet it’s just a walk away

the sound of birds chirping, spotting magpies and robins

my fingers constantly press the shutter icon on my mobile phone

the smell of freshly mown grass fills my body with a sense of delight

there are people whom I rarely talk to, but feel connected with, walking past each other every morning

the eatery near my accommodation welcomes me to stay for hours, working on my laptop, watching tennis matches, alleviating my mood

i have seen the trees become vibrant orange in autumn, the leaves falling, and the buds sprouting in spring

this is a place where it rarely snows, yet i experienced my first snowfall here

i have gone to open mics surrounded by strangers, coming back with a head full of fulfilling conversations

the ducks in the pond where i walk, shine through at the break of dawn, splashing in the water, crossing the stream and the road

pasties and gelatos are a guilty pleasure here

while still searching my reason “why”

it’s a place i might call my home away from home.

The post An Introduction to Creative Journaling appeared first on The Literary Platform.

The inspiring series of events includes an evening with genre-defining novelist, Daisy Hildyard, at the Exploding Bakery, and a creative journalling workshop with Hannah Bevan, designed to help you see and experience your hometown or city in a joyful new way. Award-winning author Gurnaik Johal will be reading from his work at the launch of The Lit and at Read between the Wines too.

Visitors can expect to indulge in rich literature, creative experiences and wine during the festival. Tickets for the Lit Magazine Launch Party are free, while the other festival events start from £5 or ‘pay what you can’. Daisy Hildyard’s event is free to students. Please see the full list of events below.

Click here for tickets.

Thursday 15 June

• 2-4pm Love Where You Live: A Creative Journaling workshop with Hannah Bevan, creator of the ‘Hometown’ journal

• 5-6.30pm The Lit Magazine Launch Party – ‘Small Town Stories ’and exhibition (photojournalism, prints and MA Creativity student work)

• 7-9pm Read Between the Wines – Stranger Collective

Friday 16 June

• 11-1pm Story-worlds: Writing about place – A workshop with novelist and Programme Leader of Creative Writing at Lincoln University, Dr Amy Lilwall

• 6pm An evening with Daisy Hildyard – Novelist Daisy Hildyard will be reading from her work and talking about artistic collaborations, place, second bodies, and other things with Exeter lecturer and novelist, Dr Ellen Wiles

The festival was conceived by Anna Kiernan, Director of MA Creativity at University of Exeter, and produced with students on the MA Creativity, creative collaborators and with kind support from Arts & Culture Exeter, Exeter Art Week and the UBC- Exeter Catalyst Grant.

By Alicia Kelly 

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Book +&/ Art is a festival which encompasses everything that indie creators and artists are making.  MYOB defies boundaries, stating that: ‘We don’t want to label things; we want to share with you the amazing work and the local creators behind them.’ This sentiment covers the whole event, as visitors are encouraged to get involved with the exhibition through workshops and interactions with the exhibitors.

The exhibition will explore local independent Book +&/ Art creators via books, prints, videos, installations around the accessible, multipurpose space. The links between art, books and the stories behind them will form the theme for the exhibition, providing an insight into the art-book publishing industry for those interested in this creative outlook. Featuring illustrations from Bethan Welby, Claire Le Day, Imogen Harvey Lewis and OMGIDRAWEDIT; art and installations from Devon Ukranian Association, Greenham Women Everywhere, Scary Little Girls, Isabella’s Story Bicycle, Inky Fingers, Katy Cawkwel, Siobhan Martin, Val Jones, with more to be announced.

Beyond the exhibition, the book fair will host low-cost and free (£0-15) workshops on the 12th and 13th May. Visitors can expect to make their own books, art and stories, with experiences for all age groups. Some workshops will include storytelling, illustration and bookmaking, with more announced as the week progresses on the website.

MakeTank use their multipurpose exhibition space to produce artistic, cultural creativity and to share educational exploration to the creative community in Exeter. Recognising artists as ‘powerful agents of change who help build vibrant and dynamic communities’ the exhibition is set to be an insightful look into creating books and art with diversity, inclusion and the growth of the local community at the heart.

Click here for the event link.

By Sophie Blauth, Editorial Assistant at The Literary Platform 

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The event was held to celebrate the release of a book that Pitts and Robinson have co-created; Home is Not a Place. In it, the duo travel across Britain, providing an insight into the life of contemporary Black experience; on the voices, lives and communities whose stories have yet to be told.

The post Quay Words Presents Roger Robinson and Johny Pitts: Home is Not a Place appeared first on The Literary Platform.

• Amenah Abouward
• Breeda Bennett-Jones (Student member)
• Sophie Blauth (Student member)
• Dr David Devanny
• Rita Faire
• Alastair Horne 
• Dr Amy Lilwall
• Israel Peters (Student member)
• April Roach
• Shuvashish Roy (Student member)
• Pippa Warin

The board is a blend of highly experienced academics, successful industry practitioners, and emerging talents with high potential. From contemporary digital publishing to immersive experimentation, social entrepreneurship to traditional business, our wider team will enable The Literary Platform to grow, and to engage both our core team and our members with the publishing industry within the broader context of the creative industries.

Read about each editorial board member here.

The post Meet our new Editorial and Innovation Board appeared first on The Literary Platform.

Click the link to download and print the guide, featuring the principles of editorial design, and insight from designers and experts.

The post Fundamentals of Editorial Design: Members-only content appeared first on The Literary Platform.

Funded by Arts Council England, the Royal Society of Arts and University of Exeter, our philosophy is left-field and progressive but built from real commercial knowhow. We like to work with bright people who wear it lightly, from prize-winning authors to unsung young voices and specially commissioned artists. In doing so, we champion the work of creatives across forms and platforms, from digital publishing to graphic design, postcard fiction to immersive illustration.

Each issue of our digital magazine, The Lit, takes an industry theme and flips it. With fresh perspectives on publishing, digital culture and innovation, The Lit offers the literary world brave new writing, explores issues in the publishing marketplace and takes a visual-led, linear approach to the online reading experience.

As we grow in size and scale, we are now looking to bolster our team by establishing an editorial board for The Lit. Are you interested in helping to shape the output of our literary journal? Would you like to help us curate future issues? Do you want to bring genre-bending new creative work to life? Then we’d love to hear from you. We are particularly keen to hear from applicants from underrepresented groups.

If you’re interested, please email editorial@theliteraryplatform.com with a couple of lines about your experience and why you’d be interested in helping to shape The Lit. Please use the subject title “Editorial board” and apply by the deadline of Thursday Jan 26th at 5pm. We look forward to hearing from you.

The post Become part of The Lit’s growing editorial board appeared first on The Literary Platform.

Climate Change Writing v4

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Following on from the success of our recent print and online publications, we’re looking to build a new editorial team for the next issue (Issue #5) of The Lit, our online literary journal.

This is part of a multidisciplinary collaborative project between University of Exeter and the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus, focused around the concept of ‘small town stories’. As such, current students at the University of Exeter and UBC Okanagan are invited to apply.

The following roles are available:

Assistant Editor

This role will involve shaping the editorial theme for the issue (small town stories), drafting callouts for features, co-editing features and potentially writing content for the issue, published Spring 2023. This is an opportunity for English, creative writing, creativity and publishing students to build their editorial portfolio, and we are happy to shape the role dependent upon the skills and desired outcomes for each applicant.

Assistant Art Director

We are also looking for an Assistant Art Director to develop the design / illustration approach for the issue, and sourcing / briefing an illustrator accordingly. We are happy for the Art Director to also illustrate / create visuals for the issue, if preferred.

Please take a look at previous issues of The Lit to see our overarching approach.

Each successful applicant will be paid a £150 bursary for the role.

The role will involve subsequent calls for content – written, performed and visual – open to new and emergent creative voices in both regions.

The two roles will work in dialogue with one another, and The Lit’s existing editorial team, to bring Issue 5 of The Lit to publication in Spring 2022.

This will involve at least one editorial meeting to develop the editorial theme, feature ideas and edit, and a launch / networking event between the two institutions.

The Literary Platform is committed to pursuing equity and inclusion in the publishing industry, starting with our own publications. Candidates with diverse personal and professional backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

The post Would you like to help publish the next issue of The Lit? appeared first on The Literary Platform.

Last year I secured representation from a literary agent for a completely different novel. While unpublished, that first manuscript was later shortlisted and runner up for the Commonword Diversity YA Fiction Prize 2018. Here are five things I wish I knew before sending that first query.

The post Getting represented: What I’ve learned appeared first on The Literary Platform.

Copy Editing Lowdown

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Look beyond the ‘editorial’ in the role. Many guest lecturers explained that their aim had been the all-powerful ‘Editor’ title when they entered the industry, but ultimately they fell into different roles that showed the breadth of roles in publishing, from acquisitions to sales.  Learning about the functions of different roles allowed me to identify what area appealed to me the most. 

Outline of departments:

• Acquisitions and Contracts
• Editorial
• Design
• Production
• Marketing and Publicity
• Sales and Distribution
• Rights and Translation

Understanding the wording of roles allowed me to know what job titles to look for…

Example: Assistant Editor (senior job) vs. Editorial Assistant (entry-level job)

This may sound like common sense, but the different terminology can get confusing. When looking for entry-level roles, you expect to choose jobs with ‘assistant’ in the title, but as the example shows, it’s easy to get mixed up.

N.B: There are more entry level jobs in marketing, sales and digital. Even if your aim is editorial, it’s worth applying for those to get your foot in the door. You can always move around later in your career.

The post 5 things I learned on Exeter’s new MA Publishing appeared first on The Literary Platform.

The Thelma Hulbert Gallery is an award-winning public art gallery in Devon, currently hosting an exhibition of new work by Ingrid Pollard, 2022 Turner Prize nominee. 

This writing session will respond to the exhibition and some of its themes, particularly focusing on people and places, histories, and our relationship to the natural world. 

As a multidisciplinary publisher that aims to push publishing possibilities and increase industry accessibility, a number of free places to the workshop are available exclusively to The Lit Platform community. Please see below details to register your interest. 

Using other writers’ work for inspiration, as well as the exhibition itself,  there will be a mix of  discussions around the themes and warm-up activities, working towards creating a written piece (poetry or prose), either for performance or print, or perhaps both. 

This workshop is free, and suitable for writers of all levels, from beginners to experienced writers. 

Details

Tuesday October 4th, 10am – 3pm. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Elmfield House, Dowell Street, Honiton, EX14 1LX. Refreshments will be provided, please bring your lunch. 

Register your place on the workshop by emailing editorial@theliteraryplatform.com with your name and the subject title ‘Thelma Hulbert Workshop’. By doing so, you will automatically be added to The Lit Platform mailing list. If you do not wish to be added, then please state this in your email. 

This workshop is a free taster event to The Lit Salon, our new membership scheme for publishers, writers, and readers from all backgrounds. To receive free access to more events like this, as well as free monthly writing and publishing resources, tips and mentoring then become a member for just £7 p/month, or an annual discount of £80 p/year. 

More info here. We’re so early that subscriptions aren’t live yet! So if you’d like to join then email editorial@theliteraryplatform and we can process the payments via BACS. 

The post Telling our stories: A free creative writing workshop with Louisa Adjoa Parker in award-winning public art gallery appeared first on The Literary Platform.

Rebecca St. Pierre

Will nightingales 

sing 

when they 

return to Ukraine? 

Will they 

peck at charred seeds, 

perch on fractured trees, 

build homes of cold steel twigs? 

Will their 

dark silhouettes 

paralyze souls 

still searching blue skies? 

Will nightingale 

song 

serenade sirens 

in fledgling Ukraine? 

The post Front line: New writing responding to the war in Ukraine appeared first on The Literary Platform.