KAYELLE, emerging pop artist and singer-songwriter from New Jersey, has released her new single, “Old and New”.

"Old and New" is an intimate folk-pop track about embracing change while holding on to the parts of yourself that existed before loss, loneliness, or betrayal. The heartfelt ballad explores the complex emotions of moving abroad, finding joy in building a new life while grappling with the guilt of leaving home behind. 

Entering my teenage years, when I turned thirteen, it felt different. Suddenly everything they said meant a lot to me; my choice in music, the colours I liked, the way I sat, the way my spectacles looked, my clothing, everything they said about my choices kind of started mattering. Then when I turned 14, I was even more into knowing what people thought about me, whether it was good, bad, or neutral, I took their opinions so that I could work on myself more, especially during my breakup era.

We were delighted to sit down with poet and author Libby Jenner to discuss the publication of her latest collection, ‘Cocooned in my Abyss’, and the completion of her poetry series ‘Seasons of Self’.

“I invite you to read about the numerous paths of my cocooned state, emergence of wings, and leaps into the haze of hope.” - Libby Jenner

I can cry
But when you live to survive
I can only ever imagine it

Blood becomes a language
You learn to speak
To survive

Calypso Morgan explores the simulation of free will in the thought-provoking game The Stanley Parable. The gameplay very much mirrors the daily lives of many of us, going through the motions in our workplaces and feeling like we aren’t in charge of what happens to us. The Stanley Parable presents the juxtaposition of what choices we will make when we have the option of making no choices.

"Too much."

"Too affectionate."

"Drama queen."

"Overbearing."

I've heard variations of these words for as long as I can remember. Not always with cruelty-sometimes just as a casual observation-but they always seemed to suggest the same thing: that my way of feeling, caring, and expressing was somehow inconvenient, something to manage or mute.

We were thrilled to speak to talented poet Katie Cecilia in the run up to the launch of her highly-awaited second poetry collection, ebb and flow, about her evolution as a writer, what we can expect from her second collection, and the challenges and triumphs that come along with publishing two books in a year.

Over a decade in the making, Saira has published her highly-anticipated second poetry collection Rising From Despair: A Journey to Hope. We were honoured to speak to Saira ahead of the launch of her new book to explore her process, inspiration, and challenges she faced along the way over 10 years of creation.

I. BIRTH OF A WOMAN

Oh so you were looking for a baby mama

Blue mountains from my aunt’s bungalow, her womb swollen from having had “only a daughter”

The dog still weeps on the dusty path—dust red like my grandma’s glasses

The Caribbean swallowed Kingston but cannot digest it because we are all still screaming there

Just W O M E N just W O M E N

i was a(u)n pulled trigger on your gun

you were too indifferent to shoot and too obsessed to simply let me run

so we hang on, half-there, half-gone

As a feminist and a cis* woman I am horrified at the Supreme Court’s decision as to what identifies as a woman - and this is why you should be too. 

On Wednesday, five judges at the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under the Equality Act 2010.

Therefore, this ruling is basically stating that trans women are not ‘real’ women.

This is absolutely horrifying and upsetting, and will affect how trans women are treated in all areas of society, specifically being excluded from female-only spaces.

We live in a country which is filled with diversity. Our country has various languages, religions, cultures, festivals, and traditions. However, there is a genuine fear among Indians that the influence of the western culture is gradually leading to the decline of Indian culture and tradition.

We have often read and heard about childhood trauma and we are aware that it is a poignant subject. When a child experiences trauma it significantly affects their behaviour and emotional state; traumas often induce the feeling of solitude even in the presence of friends and family.

The lead up to turning 30 definitely felt like a momentous occasion, but then things were… the same. I didn’t wake up and feel as though I had magically changed overnight into this ultra-sophisticated put-together adult woman. I still felt as though I had no idea what I was really doing. But I think the most mature thing about turning 30 was accepting that that’s okay, learning that we are all on different paths, and understanding that everyone’s milestone birthday is going to look completely different.

I spend hours waving goodbye.

It hurts, doesn't it?

The goodbye that breaks my fingers and my heart.

I wave 'bye' to every last person I've ever dated...

The stars gaze back, but there's no way for me to greet them.

The cat who edits what isn't loved is motivated

by its own greed for the spotlight.

It's been asleep, dreaming of the red pen

it'd paw at when it heard a new poem in the hall.

I can’t believe another year is over!

They say that time flies when you’re having fun, but time also flies when you reach the ripe old age of 30 (I’m kidding guys, 30 isn’t old). 🙃🙃🙃

So much has happened in 2024. For me personally, I’ve had many changes in my life; I turned 30, a long-term relationship ended and then a new one began, I was a bridesmaid for an incredible best friend, I got a new job, I visited new countries, saw new music, and met amazing new people while growing existing friendships.

I shall be a child.

I shall rush through things.

I shall be foolish about things.

—Until I do not know myself.

Saira Anwar is an educator, poet, author, content creator, and spoken word artist. She published her first poetry collection The Death of a Beautiful Dream in January 2014, which was featured on Amazon’s Top 20 Bestsellers list.

We were honoured to speak with Saira in anticipation of the launch of her second poetry collection, Rising From Despair: A Journey to Hope, the long-awaited sequel to her first collection and 10 years in the making.

Our writer Meg has penned a thoughtful, in-depth review of Talking at Night by Claire Daverley. She reflects on the raw depictions of grief, love and how the author creates authenticity in multi-layered, imperfect characters.