Ahmad Al-Khatat is an Iraqi Canadian published poet and writer. His poem {Graduation Party}was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2024 by Mad Swirl. In addition to his Pushcart Price 2020 nomination, he received a nomination for Best of the Net 2019. His poetry has been translated into other languages and his work has been published in print and online magazines abroad. He resides in Montreal, Canada, now with his spouse. The Rain Trusted My Plan Lying down, lonely, and overthinkingHow to find anyone to adopt me.Montreal is my temporary home,Baghdad tainted me with shame. This life has fed me … Continue reading Ahmad Al-khatat

Mehreen Ahmed is an Australian novelist. Her historical fiction, The Pacifist, is a Drunken Druid’s Editor’s Choice. Gatherings, is nominated for the James Tait Black Prize for fiction. Her short and flash fiction have won in The Waterloo Short Story Festival, Cabinet-of-Heed stream-of-consciousness Challenge, shortlisted by Cogito Literary Journal Contest, shortlisted by Litteratuer RW for Litt Prize, finalist in the Fourth Adelaide Literary Award Contest. A Best of Cafelit 8,three-time nominated for The Best of the Net Awards, nominated for the Pushcart Prize Award. Also, critically acclaimed by Midwest Book Review, DD Magazine, The Wild Atlantic Book Club to name … Continue reading Mehreen Ahmed

Jae Jenkins Scott is both a page and a performance poet – fusing complicated impassioned performance with yesteryear’s words. Lyrical and peppered with folk melody, his heartbeaten poetry finds rhythm and power on stage. Aberdeen born but self-confessed latterday yellowbelly, Jae writes and collaborates with the Linklings Spoken Word collective co-hosting SpeakEasy at The Green Room and the Guild Sessions Poetry in Lincoln. Jae’s first fully illustrated collection, ‘Leviathan’ was released by Impspired Press in October 2023, enjoyed a week in the Amazon UK Top 5 Poetry Books and was reviewed by celebrated Playwright and Director, Wayne Drew, as a … Continue reading Jae Jenkins Scott

James Benger is the author of several books of poetry and prose. He is on the Board of Directors of The Writers Place and the Riverfront Readings Committee, and is the founder of the 365 Poems In 365 Days online workshop, and is Editor In Chief of the anthology series. He lives in Kansas City with his wife and children. twist she does her bestto bend her braincontort her perceptioninto something approachinga shape that could make thisclose to acceptablethe days pile upinto nothing but thisand this is less every daybut she repeatedly finds a lightwhen she wakes to see the … Continue reading James Benger

John is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology.  He is the author of seven books of poetry: “March” (2019), “The Seasons of Us” (2019), New Days (2020), Fragments (2021), A Long Walk (2023), A Curious Art (2023) and Sojourns (2024). His work has appeared widely in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children. The Thaw The thaw comes slowLike some old godWaking from a dreamAs … Continue reading John Drudge

Margaret Royall is a poet and short story author with six books to her name: a micro chapbook Singing The Earth Awake, Hedgehogpress,’ two poetry pamphlets, Earth Magicke and Immersed in Blue, from Impspired, two poetry collections, Fording The Stream (independently published) and Where Flora Sings (Hedgehog Press) plus a memoir in prose and verse, The Road To Cleethorpes Pier from Crump’s Barn Studio . She has been shortlisted for several poetry prizes, won the Hedgehog Press’ Full Fat collection competition 2020 and her collection was nominated for the Laurel Prize. She has been widely publishes, including in Impspired, Dreich, … Continue reading Margaret Royall

Ping Yi writes poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction. After a three-decade detour in public service, he resumed his lifelong interest in speculative, humour and travel writing. His work has appeared in Orbis (Readers’ Award Joint 1st), Litro (Editor’s Pick), Impspired, London Grip, Meniscus, StepAway, Harbor Review, Vita Poetica, Litbreak, ONE ART, Witcraft and Poetry Breakfast, among others, and is forthcoming in The Stony Thursday Book and MacQueen’s Quinterly. Ping Yi lives in Singapore with his spouse and their son. Steve With apologies to H. Melville 1 Consider, if you will, a cliff. Consider a cliff sheer and white, that variety of limestone which, if this yarn were set … Continue reading Ping Yi Yee

Philip received his M.A. in Psychology from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. He has published five books of poetry, Mirror Images and Shards of Glass, Dark Images at Sea, I Never Finished Loving You, Falls from Grace, Favor and High Places, and Forever Was Never On My Mind. Three novels, Caught Between (Which is also a 24-episode Radio Drama Podcast https://wprnpublicradio.com/caught-between-teaser/), Art and Mystery: The Missing Poe Manuscript and Far From Here. Philip also has a column in the quarterly magazine Per Niente. He enjoys all things artistic. Tragedy Is A Parasitic Creature Whose Prey Is Passion Contentmentis a half-moral cheerlessnessthat numbswhat is uncomfortable. There is an unattainableidyllic inclinationthat we … Continue reading Philip Butera

Ben Macnair is an award-winning poet and playwright from Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. Follow him on Twitter @benmacnair. Ghost Light Ralph stood in the nearly empty theatre, the smell of stale popcorn filling the air. His heart raced. Today was the last showing of the film that had once been his pride and joy. His fingers brushed against the film reel, memories flashing through his mind. The late nights spent editing, the laughter shared over bad takes, and now, it was all about to end. He had poured his soul into this project, and now it felt like he … Continue reading Benjamin Macnair

Wandering troubadour Lorraine Caputo is a documentary poet, translator and travel writer. Her works appear in over 500 journals on six continents; and 24 collections of poetry – including In the Jaguar Valley (dancing girl press, 2023) and Santa Marta Ayres (Origami Poems Project, 2024). She also authors travel narratives, articles and guidebooks. She is a Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada honoree (2011), and Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee. Caputo has done literary readings from Alaska to the Patagonia. She journeys through Latin America with her faithful knapsack Rocinante, listening to the voices of the pueblos and Earth. Follow her travels at: https://latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com NOCTURNE … Continue reading Lorraine Caputo