I love discovering exciting ways that new writing is being celebrated; whether it’s slam poetry nights like Come Rhyme With Me or online-only literary magazines such as Synaesthesia Magazine, so I was really pleased to be given Popshot Magazine as a Christmas gift and lost no time devouring their latest issue on the theme of ‘wild’.
Popshot is a literary magazine with a difference. First off, they publish submissions from contemporary artists to illustrate the short stories, poetry, and flash fiction (very short stories) in each issue. The illustrations drew me into the story – picture books and comics are for adults too! – and added a visual layer of narrative depth that allowed my imagination to roam.
Secondly, each issue is built around a specific one-word theme. Next month’s theme will be ‘journeys’ and I am already anticipating the various ways it will be interpreted. (I might be inspired enough by the theme to send in a submission of my own!)
From darkly creepy stories about psychopaths roaming on the edge of ‘wildness’, to a poems and stories about the false belief we have on the how ‘tameable’ our landscape is, Popshot showcases raw, dangerous and challenging fiction from some of the best up and coming writers. I especially enjoyed Overgrown Garden by Anthony Holness, Magnum Opus by Corin Dilip Faife and Talbot by Adena Graham.
In an increasingly digital age, where I mostly read from my phone or laptop, it felt really special to get my hands on such a crafted collection of contemporary literature and artwork. This is a volume that I will treasure on my bookshelf and enjoy pulling out for re-reads!
