Anna

by Sean Paul Connolly

“Teenager Matt is going through a lot of changes. Following a death in the family, he moves with his mother into a new house and to a new school. Before long, it becomes clear that something isn’t quite right. Who is ‘Anna’? And why has Matt become so obsessed with drawing?”

Sean Paul Connolly is a 3rd year English student and writer of poetry, prose and drama who identifies as gender non-conforming. His work is often preoccupied with gender identity, mental health and body image. His poem ‘Roses’ was published in Bloom Magazine this Summer. Outside of writing, he enjoys photography and is currently attempting to improve his Special FX makeup skills.

The Aftermath

by Grace Blenkinsop

“Over the past year, the Black Lives Matter movement has faded into the background. Unsurprisingly to myself and many other people of colour, white people have simply decided our issues are no longer relevant in their ego-fuelled performativity. This piece highlights this stark transition, offering a creative reflection on how the past year has mentally affected myself and the Black community. In tandem with the lockdown-induced isolation, this prose gives an insight into the reality of the aftermath of summer 2020, how lockdown has affected our mental wellbeing, destroyed the perception of oneself and most strikingly, clouded the definition of meaningful activism.

If you are a non-Black reader, please use this piece to reflect on how you actively challenge the institutions that oppress and marginalise, and recognise why it is imperative that the fight against anti-Black racism is sustained, always. Your silence is, of course, violence.”

Grace Blenkinsop is a graduate student studying Race, Media and Social Justice at Goldsmiths, with a specific interest in social justice and studies of the African Diaspora. Grace’s main goal within her work is to educate and uplift; striving to make apparent injustice and give voices to those most marginalised. Connect with Grace via her Instagram where she uses the platform as an outlet to start these conversations and provide various educational resources.

Rooting for all Black people.

Coping From Finish to Start

by Emily Reader

“This is a short story about grief, told in reverse chronology.”

Emily Reader is an award-winning writer specializing in audio and television. 

Her stage play, Rumours, was performed both in Exeter and at the Inter-University Drama Festival in Glasgow in 2018. In May 2020, she adapted the script into a radio play. Her short film, Swan Song, and accompanying essay won her the Zara Malone Memorial Prize for the highest creative writing mark in her year. 

Emily has also written for BBC Radio: her jokes were selected amongst hundreds to be performed on Newsjack. Her scripts have been shortlisted by ‘Owdyado Theatre, Ghostcow Productions, and her work has been read at scratch nights lead by Scriptwriters & Co, Dapper Sandwich, Newsroom Theatre Company, and Lonely Penguin Productions.

She is currently studying MA Script Writing at Goldsmiths University.
Website: https://emilyreaderwriter.wordpress.com