Autumn 2023

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Editors

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Fiction Contributors

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Artwork Contributors

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Nonfiction Contributors

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Drama Contributors

Spellbinder’s autumnal issues are always momentous for us because they mark the anniversary of our publication being established. Now, three years into this extremely rewarding non-profit journey, we are as amazed as ever by the talented writers and artists who entrust us with their work, and by the integrity of this creative community of which we are all a part. 

Some of you, who have followed Spellbinder for a long time, might be aware that the start of October always sees two things happen with regards to our organisation. The first of which is our annual anniversary party, where contributors, editors, and guest speakers come together online to receive awards, listen to readings, and play word-themed games. This is always a highlight for us, and we have invited you all to join us again on the 1st of October for our third anniversary party. At this event, we typically share some statistics and facts from the previous year which are then also published on the Reflections page of our website, which is carefully curated every October. This helps us track the publication’s success and  its expanding reach. Another key aspect of the Reflections page is a consideration of the future and a description of our goals for the year ahead.

Last year, we aimed to increase our Instagram followers to 1500. The support we receive from those who are enthusiastic about our endeavour is always humbling, and we are very grateful to have recently reached not just the 1500, but the 2000 followers milestone. To celebrate this, we did another giveaway which resulted in the lucky winners receiving a free subscription and two paperback copies of the summer issue. We encourage you to continue supporting the publication in any capacity you can – whether that’s by interacting with our posts on social media, blessing us with your brilliant work, or buying our paperback copies or subscribing to our digital versions. As a non-profit organisation, we rely upon your support to be able to continue providing a welcoming platform for budding and established talented creatives around the world.

In addition to being unable to achieve what we do without the support of our contributors and readers, this project would not be possible without the dedicated team we have at Spellbinder. All our editors volunteer their time alongside other full-time commitments to carefully select works for publication and are tireless in their dedication to elevating great art. Linda and I, as the original co-founders, have been truly honoured to work alongside some incredible people who have joined our team. As we do every autumn, we have expanded our dream team again; this restructuring has involved the creation of a new marketing role, which we hope will be instrumental in expanding the readership of our magazine. This is just an unsubtle note to thank the team; your passion and skill never fail to impress me!

As noted in The Great Gatsby, ‘life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.’ Autumn is our opportunity, not for death and decay as we crawl into winter, but for the birth of positive change. So, in addition to reflecting on which goals we achieved from last year, we are setting about making new ones. Beginning with the Winter 2024 issue, we intend to make our Art and Photography section a themed one in the hope that this will create more cohesion between the pieces we publish and also help them to sit alongside one another in dialogue and synchronous storytelling. Our themes may be related to composition, such as specifying that the art should be a landscape, cityscape, portrait or still life, or they may be concerned with an abstract concept, such as journey or enlightenment. We hope that this will inspire as opposed to restrain our artists and we very much look forward to continue publishing the fascinating visual section of Spellbinder.  

As I reach the end of this letter, I want to think about the importance of creative work in societies all across the globe. Our modern world is plagued by conflict and injustice, as well as concerns over the climate crisis and the safety of technology. Art is our way of finding light within this darkness, of recovering humanity upon these alien landscapes, and of preserving beauty in opposition to those intent upon destruction. Let’s use our pens and paintbrushes to navigate the rough terrain of the twenty-first century. Let’s listen to the poets and the playwrights, and hear each one of their voices. In doing this, we have a chance of hope. 

Amber Kennedy, Editor in Chief

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We have created a playlist inspired by the Autumn 2023 Issue. Feel free to play it while reading the issue:

Poetry shortlist – Autumn 2023

David Nobes	Fall
Karen Baumgart	Sitting
Jigeesha Mukherjee	I Travel With my Seasons
Tobi Alfier	Such a Waste

Fiction shortlist – Autumn 2023

Nitya Budamagunta	Daughter Trees
Sarah Holland	The Day She left

Drama shortlist – Autumn 2023

Hannah Saal

A Simple Thing

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