Leen Abdulfatah is a high school student and poet who explores themes of identity, grief, and emotion. Their work has appeared in Rewrite the Stars and a few other magazines before. Aside from writing, Leen enjoys reading fiction and history, playing chess, and listening to true crime podcasts.
Kushagra Agarwal(he/him) is almost-18 y/o, excited about getting their driver’s license, the author feels like they were born yesterday and claim to have no know-how on adulting. They end up writing in their free time (a.k.a when they should ideally be studying) and it’s all in the name of procrastination.
Ehsan Ahmed is an English graduate from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is interested in poetry, photography, and design, and is currently involved in teaching. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Quarter(ly), Barzakh Magazine, Stonecoast Review, Peatsmoke Journal, and elsewhere. In his free time, he enjoys narrating audiobooks for Librivox.
Ectorius Angel (b. 1999) is a Lithuanian-born, Italian-raised classical author and romantic poet. Based in Europe and Hong Kong, he is deeply rooted in French, Italian, and Central European literature. A scholar of the arts and a fine art painter, Angel’s work reflects his post-USSR immigrant background and rich cultural heritage.
Moon Ann is a 25-year-old poet and self-proclaimed unreliable narrator based in South London. They are a queer, neurodivergent and disabled writer and take pride in creating stories inspired by and for those within their own communities. They are currently studying MA Creative Writing and Publishing at City, University of London.
Emma Austin is a Poet from the Pacific Northwest, US, she is a recent graduate of Washington State University with a Bachelors in English, Creative Writing. Emma is inspired by poets such as Ross Gay, Margaret Atwood and Natalie Diaz. Her poem spoke to her experience with mental illness and its echoing through families.
Glory C. is a writer sharing her experiences while growing up in a repressive and abusive environment shaped by her father’s strict religious and misogynistic beliefs. For decades, she remained silent until she found her voice through poetry. Now, she reaches out to those who have gone through similar ordeals to let them know they are not alone.
Jocelyn Caruso is a 16 year old high school student from NH. She enjoys creative writing, poetry, song writing and fashion and hopes to inspire others to write. Along with inspiring others, her goal is to make readers feel seen.
Treena Christine (she/her) has an Associates Degree in Creative Writing, and a Diploma in Screenwriting. She has written and produced a LGBTQ+ film that is currently in post production. Treena has also self published a collection of poems and hopes to have another collection out in 2025.
Adeeb Chowdhury is a 22-year-old aspiring writer from Chittagong, Bangladesh. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, where his written works of fiction and nonfiction have received the the 2023 Feinberg Undergraduate Research Prize, 2024 Skopp Award on the Holocaust, 2024 North Star’s Best Nonfiction Writing Award, 2024 James Augustus Wilson Award on an African-American Topic, among others. His personal essays and nonfiction papers have been selected for preservation on the SUNY Open Access Repository (SOAR), a collection of notable work by students and faculty. He has also written extensively for publications such as Brown History Magazine, Pluto Literary Magazine, and Shuddhashar Publishing House, which received the 2016 Jeri Laber International Freedom to Publish Award from the Association of American Publishers.
Eva Clark (she/he) is a professional overachiever by day and an amateur media overanalyst by night. She’s been an on-again-off-again writer since she was knee-high to a grasshopper—her more recent literary exploits include senior editorial of GAYGENDA Magazine, co-founding and book-slinging for Procrastinating Writers United, collecting half-formed drafts filled with gratuitous em dash usage, ranting semi-coherently on the internet about genre television shows, and allegedly publishing the occasional fanfiction (but you didn’t hear that from her). Eva was born by the river, in a little tent, oh and just like the river she’s been running ever since.
Kenna DeValor. A 25 year old queer/nonbinary artist from Bethlehem, PA. I make art because I adore giving life to characters that I draw as well as write about. I’ve written poems, articles, and had many art pieces published. I’m also in the tattoo industry and I have a shop in my hometown. I currently go to school for English Lit and Creative Writing. I adore creativity and being creative and wearing all the “hats” of the art world.
Charlie Dixon is a poet and fiction writer from the north of England. After recently graduating with an MA in Creative Writing she is looking to find her place in the industry. Her writing is usually autobiographical (sad, gay or both), with a focus on the power of language and how this can create a safe space for understanding and reflection
Dixy is a psychology student from Serbia. She’s trying to get international scholarship so she can travel. She’s in love with all of her friends.
Chloe Doumit lives in her neck of the woods in her neck of the woods far from civilization. So, she spends a lot of her time reading and writing, when she’s not doing that she can be found playing tennis, hiking, skiing, and listening to underrated music. Visit her on Instagram @readlovewrite47
Gabriela (Gabi) Duharte is a 15-year-old artist, poet, and writer who hopes to inspire others with her work and provide tranquil shelter from the chaos of the everyday. She aspires to provide viewers of her works with moments of peace that cannot be found anywhere else.
Elysse is a 14-year-old lesbian cat enthusiast living in Singapore. Along with writing poems and short stories, she loves to write songs, combining her raw and relatable lyrics with her skills developed from 9 years of classically trained piano. She has recently also picked up guitar and dapples in art, photography, and editing. Elysse aspires to be an actress and wants to use her artistic talents to raise awareness for many pressing issues, especially mental health and queer youth. She can usually be found listening to Chappell Roan, or any other artists that fall under her aptly named genre “sapphic eldest daughter queer pop”.
Salis Fern – Greetings! I’m Salis Fern, a writer from Sheffield, although currently based in Liverpool studying Creative Writing and Psychology at University. I enjoy writing the absurdity of human behaviour and the darker side of the mind in all forms and genre breaking conventions. I’m aiming to encapsulate all that discovery into a book one day, so don’t stray too far!
Star Galasyn – Tree Bones is a sample of a work created by Star Galasyn, the writer. It is a collection of 3 poems written from childhood memories.
Jaq Green lives with their polycule and menagerie in the New England woods. They spend some of their time teaching preschool and the rest of it finding strange adventures. Their work examines memory, beauty, and identity and has been featured in Pinky Thinker Press, Hindsight Journal, Exponent II, and others. Follow Jaq on Instagram @eatpastaraw.
Sewit Eden Haile (she/her) is a performer and writer based in “Vancouver.” Currently, she studies acting for theater arts. She finished her first one-act play, pretty girls, which premiered at Studio 58’s FourPlay festival, a series of student-written shows. Recently, her work was published with Fugitives & Futurists online magazine!
Rosie Hart is a poet/playwright from the Highlands of Scotland. She graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2022 and her poetry has been featured in exhibitions/publications across Europe. In everything she does Rosie wants to get people talking by creating a space for reflection, curiosity and reconnection.
Jenna Marie Henley is a teen writer who adores reading and writing historical fiction, mysteries, and anything with characters that come to life on the page. She is on the road to publishing her first novel, with short story publications already under her belt. You can find her on Instagram at @jennamarie.writes, where she shares about her own writing and strives to help other writers become their best.
Bianca Hănescu is a high school teenager who recently turned 16 y/o, she still has a lot of things to learn, but, in spite of all the daily challenges, she navigates life with hope and lots of respect and admiration for people all around her. She loves spending her time creating poetry and immersing herself in a sea of deep, unknown emotions enveloping the human spirit. She can confidently admit that she isn’t as talented as she wishes she were at sports, but she really enjoys practicing horse riding and has started playing tennis a few months ago. Other than that, she adores listening to rock music of all sorts, her favorite band of all time being Nirvana. All in all, she wants to encourage and inspire others trough her work and lead them to new personal discoveries that will inevitably modify the way they perceive life itself. This year she is more than proud of her achievements, one of them being her extraordinary number of submissions, specifically poems, to numerous literary magazines from all around the world.
Marah Holman attended the Kingston University of London. Her poetry can be found in Dusk Magazine, Seasonal Fruits Literary Magazine, Bardics Anonymous and Auvert Magazine.
Ivona – Lesbian poetess, photographer and artist, Ivona uses her art to break the silence on unspoken subjects, as well as connect with others through the emotions.
Megumi Jindo is a spoken word poet and a current freshman at Swarthmore College. She has been published in various places and has received numerous awards. You can find her pumping to music, taking pictures of nature, or pensively thinking with the stars.
Ophelia P Johnson is a bookshop-browsing, diet-coke-drinking, fantasy writer from the UK. Although she works in technology, she spends her lunch breaks secretly writing stories that she hopes (sort of) that no one will ever see. You can find her on Instagram at @bookish_ophelia.
Mervenchy J. – Growing up in Miami,Florida as a young black girl having big dreams that surpassed my environment felt impossible to reach when no one else believed in me. I’ve always had to take on everyone else’s pain, responsibilities, comfort, humility,etc. As time went on the pressure started echoing in my spirit, leaving an imprint in my mind that I needed to escape.
This upbringing and background greatly influenced my work as an artist, as I often explore themes of resilience, self-discovery, and breaking free from societal expectations in my pieces. My experiences have shaped my perspective and drive to create art that challenges norms and empowers others to embrace their true selves. My identity as a black woman also plays a significant role in my work, as I aim to amplify the voices and stories of marginalized communities through my art. Overall, my personal background has provided me with a unique perspective and passion that fuels my artistic endeavors.
Inaya Aly Khan is a fifteen year old student currently finishing her O Levels in High School. She is absolutely clueless about what she wants to do but loves writing and history. She enjoys watching silly romcoms as well as more serious, historical films. Her current top 3 artists are Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel and The Beatles
Sasi Kondru is a rising senior who loves to write short stories and poems! She’s been published in over 15 magazines and recently had one of her works selected for StudentKind Literary Journal’s Outstanding Contribution Award! When she’s not writing, you can find her reading and taking very long walks.
Aarika Ranjith Kumar. Photography is a medium of expression that allows us to capture beautiful moments of meaning. This image depicts a vibrant sunrise over a calm river. The sky is ablaze with fiery oranges, pinks, and purples, reflecting on the water’s surface. The sun is often seen as a symbol of hope, new beginnings and empowerment. The vastness of the scene evokes possibility and potential. When we look at this picture, we can be inspired and empowered by the beauty and power of nature. This can give us the courage to face our own challenges and create the life we want.
Halley Kunen is a poet mostly inspired by nature and relationships. A Pisces at heart, she is passionate about examining her rich inner world and the seen and unseen spheres of relationships. She performed at the Stain’d Arts open mic of Denver for two years, which opened up her emotional and writing capacity. Her poems have been published by the Winged Moon, Petrichor Gazette, and Catheartic Press.
Eshita Lahiry. Art is one of the many outlets through which I express my emotions, pulling them apart and giving them shape onto paper. To me, it’s a refuge from the overwhelming demands of being a student. In a way, immersing myself into my art gives me a space to be myself, both the good and the bad. By immersing myself, I connect with my opinions and passions, and then I project them into whatever new work I am creating. In my most recent artworks, I thought of drawing animals, both of different species, to accentuate the beauty each animal possesses. While creating these pieces, I was hoping to empower my friend who was having issues loving herself. I hope that these pieces empower others to love each other equally because just like animals, we each have something different that makes us beautiful.
Madalena (Full name: Mantha-Eleni) Lambrou was born on the 5th of March in 2008 in Greece. She lives in the city of Agrinio, located in the West of Greece. She has been writing since she was 12 years old. Her work includes mostly poetry, songs and prose written in both Greek and English. The themes she addresses through her writing vary: from sadness to hope, from life to death, from pain to love. All feelings tattooed on her soul have been marked on paper as well. This year she has submitted poems to numerous literary magazines.
Olivia De Lesantis is a writer, poet and essayist from Naarm/Melbourne. When she was growing up, no books were off-limits. A vivid imagination was encouraged, and she savoured cosy crime novels by Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton. Strong female sleuths were (and still are) her utmost favourite. Ever since her younger years, she’s been weaving stories that allow her to express the mysteries and magic of life. She has previously been the lucky recipient of the Fleurier Consult Award for Best Young Writer at the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Awards, and was a Sisters in Crime Panelist at the 2019 Phillip Island Story-Gatherers Literary Festival.
Florence Liu. As quoted from the Dead Poet’s society, “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.” I create art to explore the human condition and exacerbate all that makes us human- Good and bad.
Jessica Mancini: third year University of Toronto English undergraduate, prospective PhD student, creative, and connoisseur of mundane beauty. Jess’s enjoyment of high fantasy, classics, and fairytales – paired with inspiration from Romantic era’s fascination with emotion, melodrama, and medieval romance — has culminated in a flowery, mythopoeic fantasy of her own creation. She spends her days writing, drawing, crocheting, and overthinking.
Kate Abrielle McCormick is a Bachelor’s student studying English with Creative Writing at Queen Mary University of London. She plans to continue in September 2024, to obtain a Master’s in Creative Writing. Kate has 4 poetry books published which can be found on Amazon and in select stores within PA.
Kaidence Moss is a young writer and artist. She loves classic literature and rock music.
Abigail Muriithi. I capture art in various forms; with my pencil, paintbrush, my phone and my makeup brushes and I do that because it makes me happy and it feels like I’m taking into another world entirely apart and it’s safe and peaceful and somewhere I truly belong.
Odedra Nidhi is a university student pursuing her dream as a literary enthusiast. She believes in the power of words and weaves her experiences and emotions into her writing. She believes in spreading her message through literature beyond borders.
Leia Norman. I create art as a homage to the profound beauty and wonder of the natural world. Growing up amidst Yorkshire’s picturesque landscapes, I found solace and inspiration in the hills, rivers, and meadows that surrounded me. Each stroke of my brush is an attempt to capture the essence of this beauty, to convey the emotions and sensations evoked by these landscapes.
Art, for me, is a means of exploration and expression. It allows me to delve into the depths of my imagination and translate the awe-inspiring scenes I encounter into tangible forms. Whether through wild swimming, kayaking, or hiking, I immerse myself in nature, seeking out its hidden treasures and translating them onto paper through plein air works. I love colour—the raw, untamed beauty of the outdoors that truly fuels my passion. Through mixed media and intricate patterns, I strive to convey the intricate details and vibrant colours of the natural world.
Ultimately, my art is a celebration of nature’s magic—a way to share with others the profound sense of wonder and awe that I experience every day.
Andrew Palma. I make art so I can be heard, so people can see what I see. I believe people should see what we do, the last thing I want is for these people’s experiences to fade out. My whole goal is to make a positive impact and to maybe inspire some people on the way.
Sarah Pangan is an aspiring writer with a soft spot for all that is poetry. She is currently an undergraduate majoring in both Psychology and Philosophy while minoring in Law and Ethnic Studies. She’s been writing since she was in middle school and hasn’t stopped since.
Blanka Pillár is an eighteen-year-old writer from Budapest, Hungary. She has a never-ending love for creating and an ever-lasting passion for learning. She has won several national competitions and has been an editor-in-chief of her high school’s prestigious newspaper, Eötvös Diák. Today, she is not throwing away her shot.
Ben Ramakrishnan is a high school freshman with a passion for writing just about anything, especially poetry and prose. He is also passionate about music and theater and loves to perform in local productions. Almost all of his poems start out as songs, including “The Ring”. When he isn’t writing, you can find him rereading Wuthering Heights for the millionth time, listening to music, or drinking copious amounts of tea and coffee.
Aarika Ranjithkumar is an aspiring writer and artist who loves to observe the world around her. In her free time, she enjoys rewinding with a good book and allowing her thoughts and ideas to flow. Visit her on instagram at @aarika_2809.
Madeline Rosales has recently won a Gold Key for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and has publications of poetry and prose with the Academy of the Heart and Mind, The Odyssey Youth Magazine, The WEIGHT Journal, and many others. She works as a Senior Editor for
Holly Rose (she/her) is a poet and aspiring author from Northamptonshire, England. Her work has been published in Wild Greens! magazine, and has been longlisted for the Mslexia flash fiction prize. When not writing, Holly can be found reading in her hammock with an iced latte.
Daniel Rubalcava, a fourth-year history student, and has been studying and writing poetry for close to five years. His poetry reflects his deep passion for history and literature as he attempts to capture the human experience with the written word. In his literary endeavors, Daniel enjoys learning something new and having a good laugh.
Riley James Russo is a young author and screenwriter originally from Ohio. Their mission is to capture the human experience through horror-adjacent novels, poetry, and the odd screenplay. Their debut self-published novel,
S.K. Sanjana, a spirited and goal-oriented teenager, finding her way through the realms of grade 10. Juggling academics and athleticism, she harbors a tiny crush for literature, her heart dancing to its rhythms.
Yet amidst her determination, Sanjana remains uncertain about college, career, and passion, embracing the rollercoaster of teenhood with a puzzled grin.
Riley Sandiford finds release in emptying her thoughts into carefully crafted poetry. She is constantly submitting new work to various journals and will soon be featured in Eber and Wein Publishing’s Figments anthology series. Living on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, with her loving husband, she often enjoys nature walks, cooking, and gardening.
Alexandra Shived was born in Kherson (Ukraine), but due to war she had to travel abroad. She has been writing since she was 8 years old, mostly prose but also poems. She writes in English and Ukrainian.
Mia Soto, better known as M.S. Blues, is an 18 year old writer from San Jose, California. She is Mexican, Polynesian, Indigenous, Queer, and most importantly, a warrior. Her work revolves around the darker pieces of humanity society tends to neglect. She has been published over 80 times by several literary magazines and currently serves as an editor to The Amazine, Adolescence Magazine, The Elysian Chronicles, Hyacinthus Zine, Chromatic Stars Review, and Low Hanging Fruit. In addition, she is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Beaulieu Gazette and the Editor-in-Chief & Founder of The Infinite Blues Review. You can connect with her on Instagram @m.s.blues_
Magdalena Steiner was born in 2002 and grew up surrounded by lakes and mountains in the Austrian Alps. In 2020, she moved to Vienna, the city of poets, to study translation in English and Spanish. Vienna captivated her, and she was inspired to write her own stories, leading to the publication of her first book in German “Dein Wunsch ist ihr Befehl” in February 2024.
Abby Thatcher is a midwestern poet with a love for vermin and the underside of the fridge.
Lisa Shen is a writer and spoken word artist, and the 2023-2025 Youth Poet Laureate of the City of Mississauga. She placed second at the 2023 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. She was awarded the 2022 Buddies Queer Emerging Artists Award and shortlisted for the inaugural League of Canadian Poets Spoken Word Award. Lisa has performed in cities across North America, from California to Toronto. Her work has appeared on CBC Radio, TEDx, and Pride Toronto. Her debut chapbook A Girl’s Favourite Colour is forthcoming with Anstruther Press.
Mia Sinfield is a 17 year old writing from England, she has been writing poetry and prose for as long as she can remember and hopes to pursue a career as an author. She has taken part in many poetry and prose competitions in the past and in on the way to publishing her first novel.
Ivana Tovilla-Bátiz. Using my vulnerability as my superpower, I created a drawing diptych about grief and post-traumatic stress through the eyes of self-portraiture. This dual composition explores the wounds and the healing process I went through after losing my best friend to mental illness at 17 years old.
Dejection: according to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary and Thesaurus, is a “feeling of being unhappy, disappointed, or without hope.” Ironically, it is in producing art that gives me hope, and gives me my purpose.
I create my art from anger, pain, sorrows, and memories. Using what I feel empowers me to create art because it makes the intangible, tangible. The immaterial becomes material, of which techniques, imagery, digital process development, and various mixed-media all intertwine to inform my process and produce my works. It becomes my absolute solace and a place of healing.
Kaciann Wellet is a 14 year old writer and poet. She has been writing for five years now. She writes a wide variety from short stories to poems. Kaciann Wellet is an experienced creative writer with a background in writing. When she’s not writing, Kaciann enjoys dancing and exploring creative things such as graphic design.
Zephyniis Wharton is exceptionally talented in music, and writing, she brings a unique perspective to her work, blending. Zephyniis’s journalistic endeavors are equally impressive; she contributes regularly to her school newspaper, where her insightful articles on social issues and cultural events have garnered significant attention. Balancing her dual interests, Zephyniis is determined to use her artistic and writing skills to effect positive change in her community and beyond.
Wolfgang Widrig (They/ Them) is a gender-fluid artist from Los Angeles . They explore mental health, disability, and emotional relationships people have with themselves and one another. Wolfgang often incorporates references of the natural world as a means of both growth and death.
Thandiwe Wilson is a multidisciplinary artist from New Jersey. Thandiwe has just graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor’s in English and plans to spend the next year traveling, attending six international artist residencies. She explores her passion for storytelling through film, creative writing, and abstract visual art while integrating the intersectionality of womanhood and blackness, tragedy, and trauma.
Jessi Womack is an undergraduate student at Cameron University pursuing a degree in English with a minor in Professional Writing. A lover of all things creative, you can find them writing or practicing crochet with their cats.
Claudia Wysocky, a Polish writer and poet based in New York, is known for her diverse literary creations, including fiction and poetry. Her poems, such as “Stargazing Love” and “Heaven and Hell,” reflect her ability to capture the beauty of life through rich descriptions. Besides poetry, she authored “All Up in Smoke,” published by “Anxiety Press.” With over five years of writing experience, Claudia’s work has been featured in local newspapers, magazines, and even literary journals like WordCityLit and Lothlorien Poetry Journal. Her writing is powered by her belief in art’s potential to inspire positive change. Claudia also shares her personal journey and love for writing on her own blog, and she expresses her literary talent as an immigrant raised in post-communism Poland.
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