February 14, 2015

Happy Valentines Day!

wpid-2015-02-14-12.38.24.jpg.jpegToday is the day for all things romantic. For me, that means a break from the usual writing day to indulge in lots of chocolates…see the photo above for proof! But when love is in the air, I’m all about sharing. So here’s a trip down memory lane with a couple of romantic poems from Joseph Robert and I. First to share is my poet hubby, Joseph Robert’s poem, Mate, published in Black Mirror Magazine in Febrary 2014. This one is a deviously delicious treat with a centre sweeter than a passion fruit truffle; yum! Next up is my poem, This is the soppiest I can get, which appeared in The Sound of Poetry Review in March 2013. It’s tangy with a hint of lemon zing and mellowed in creamy white chocolate. Mmm…

Happy Valentine’s day!

Leilanie Stewart and Joseph Robert đź’–

Posted by on February 14, 2015 in Poetry and tagged , , .

3 Comments

February 11, 2015

Poet Mickey Morgan reading my poem, Idle

Recently, poet Mickey Morgan, was kind enough to read one of my previously published poems, Idle, which you can listen to here.

wpid-2015-02-11-16.55.04.jpg.jpeg

Idle, was first published in Sarasvati magazine Issue 17 in summer 2011. It’s one of a selection that will be appearing alongside my themed poems in my forthcoming collection, A Model Archaeologist, by Eyewear Publishing.

It’s always interesting to hear your own work read by another person. Continue reading →

Posted by on February 11, 2015 in Chapbooks/pamphlets, Poetry, Publishing, Reading, Writing and tagged , , , .

4 Comments

February 7, 2015

Patterns of Perception by Ken W Simpson

This month I have had the pleasure of reviewing poet Ken W Simpson’s new collection, Patterns of Perception. Published by Augur Press (January 2015), this collection contains 31 poems in an attractively produced perfect bound volume. Normally the saying, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ should be adhered to, though in this case, the cover art fits the mood of the book entirely; water is a recurring theme throughout, generating a sense of tranquillity as you read the poems.

wpid-2015-02-07-14.54.19.jpg.jpeg

That is not to say the poems tread lightly in terms of seeking meaning; Ken’s work delves through memories and anecdotes showing the change from a youth of ‘obliquely watching’ life to spiritual refreshment and ultimately empowerment in later years, achieved through a new level of awareness and artistic success.

Ken’s experience as a professional artist creates vivid imagery throughout the collection. We witness the emotions of a person seeking value during an often painful journey and how ultimately the past, in isolation, becomes inherently meaningless unless the individual applies their own personal truth to the process. This is clear in poems such as ‘Compatibility’ on page 3:

Continue reading →

Posted by on February 7, 2015 in Art, Books, Literary Reviews - Leilanie's thoughts, Poetry and tagged , , , .

5 Comments

February 2, 2015

Editorial board of Ashvamegh magazine

This month I am pleased to be joining the editorial board at Ashvamegh literary journal. Although I have previously edited poetry and fiction anthologies by my young writers in the various creative writing workshops I have held over the past three years, assisting with editing and selecting the poetry and fiction of other adult writers is a new experience for me, and I’m looking forward to being a part of the literary team.

Golden opportunity...miniature horse and rider painted by Leilanie Stewart. A writer needs a hobby (horse)!

Golden opportunity…miniature horse and rider painted by Leilanie Stewart. A writer needs a hobby (horse)!

Continue reading →

Posted by on February 2, 2015 in Fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Resources, Short Stories, Writing and tagged , , , , , .

Leave a comment

January 26, 2015

New online magazine seeking submissions – Ashvamegh

One of my goals this year is to promote new magazines for budding writers to submit to. Ashvamegh Magazine is an online literary journal that accepts submissions internationally.
Continue reading →

Posted by on January 26, 2015 in Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Writing and tagged , , .

8 Comments

January 16, 2015

Joseph Robert’s poems in Dead Snakes

Three of my poet & writer hubby’s poems are published in Dead Snakes this month, alongside Tim Laffey, Donal Mahoney and Jonathan Butcher.

Joseph Robert and Leilanie Stewart...writing and caffeine

Joseph Robert and Leilanie Stewart…writing and caffeine

Magazines, especially ezines, are a great way for a poet to connect with their audience. Many people in these cash-strapped times are looking for competitions to enter – see my previous post – though often tend to overlook magazines as a great place to be published. Continue reading →

Posted by on January 16, 2015 in Poetry and tagged , , , , .

Leave a comment

January 11, 2015

Leilanie Stewart’s round-up of FREE writing competitions – update 6

Competitions...how will you make your entry stand out?

Competitions…how will you make your entry stand out?

[Updated 15 August 2018: At the time this post was written in 2015, the Melita Hume Prize was free to enter. In 2018 there is now a submission charge. Please note that at the time Leilanie Stewart was longlisted for the Melita Hume Prize in 2014, and Joseph Robert longlisted for the Melita Hume Prize in 2015, there were no submission fees to enter.]

As I have said before in previous posts, competitions are a great starting point for a novice writer or another chance to build your CV/resume if you are already established. I’m always in favour of entering free competitions. The only cost will be your time in terms of selecting your best work, editing and submitting it. Are competitions worth it? Last year when I entered the Melita Hume prize, although I didn’t win, I was longlisted which meant another opportunity arose; the chance to be published in a pamphlet series run by the same publisher. If you enter competitions, you will get exposure for your work even if you haven’t won cash prizes…and IMHO that is a bigger winner. After all, the ultimate goal for any writer is to be read, is it not? With all this in mind, here is my latest list of FREE contests for teenagers and adults. Best of luck to you!

Continue reading →

Posted by on January 11, 2015 in Competitions, Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Writing and tagged , .

3 Comments

January 6, 2015

Two poems in Morphrog Magazine

Happy New Year! 2015 is off to a great literary start with a couple of my poems appearing in Morphrog Issue 10. Morphrog is a sister magazine of The Frogmore Papers, a long established literary journal.

Get your writing out of your head...put it on paper!

Get your writing out of your head…put it on paper!

A new year is a good excuse to set some writing resolutions. The usuals are always a starting point, of course:

Continue reading →

Posted by on January 6, 2015 in Art, Biography, Books, Chapbooks/pamphlets, Competitions, Fiction, Novella, Poetry, Publishing, Reading, Resources, Short Stories, Writing and tagged , .

Leave a comment

December 27, 2014

An archaeology poem in Jellyfish Whispers

My last published poem for 2014 is another archaeology-themed one called ‘Reeds’, appearing in Jellyfish Whispers magazine. As I have mentioned before in previous posts, my debut poetry pamphlet, A Model Archaeologist (available from my publisher Eyewear Publishing and from my online store Meandi Books) is forthcoming in June 2015 from Eyewear Publishing’s 20/20 series.

wpid-no-7.jpeg.jpeg

Continue reading →

Posted by on December 27, 2014 in Chapbooks/pamphlets, Eyewear Publishing, Poetry, Publishing, Reading and tagged , , , , , , .

Leave a comment

December 17, 2014

Winter writing blues

Sunset at 4pm in Eton...but the swans don't suffer from SAD

Sunset at 4pm in Eton…but the swans don’t suffer from SAD!

The hardest part about living in the Northern hemisphere is seeing the sun set at 3.30pm, which is the case for all of us in the UK as we approach the solstice. Add to this endless grey days of no sun and what happens to the creative flow? It stalls! Does SAD affect writing output? It can do if the winter blues win over productivity.

So, what’s my solution to keeping the writing going through the dark depths of winter? Here are a few ideas:
Continue reading →

Posted by on December 17, 2014 in Biography, Resources, Short Stories, Writing and tagged , , .

1 Comment