Cirrus@Austlit

'Well, here it is! Another fine issue of SWAMP, filled with ambiguous delight. For Issue 33 we asked our contributors to reflect on the theme of Maybe, and boy did they deliver. This was good, this was very good. Initially we were maybe a little concerned that the open-ended nature of the theme would lead to work with uncertain heart and soul, or that folks would be put off from submitting by the loose parameters we’d set for them. But, surprise surprise, our fears were unfounded, and we might in fact have received a greater than usual deluge of quality work from around the globe. As always it was a struggle to pick and choose between pieces, but eventually we narrowed it down to the fine selection you see before you.' (Editorial introduction)

'What constitutes a journey? Is a journey necessarily physical, something that takes us from point A to point B on a map? Or is what makes something a ‘journey’ really more of an internal process, a thing that changes shape and wriggles around as it finds its form inside us? Furthermore, can a journey follow just one of these thought-streams, or are both physical and non-physical elements needed for true journeying? Simple enough questions on the surface of things but, as the contributors to this bumper issue of SWAMP (our 32nd!) have proved, not so simple when you start to pull them apart.' (Introduction)

'Clothing is one of the major elements that defines us as human beings. It is intrinsically important to religious ceremonies, attracting partners, impressing potential employers, and our assumptions about someone’s social standing. We wear different clothes at different times to signify different things. Consider the disparity between a funeral suit and a wedding suit. We use our clothing to broadcast and telegraph messages to each other without ever having to utter a word. We use our clothing as protection from the world, to block out the sun and to keep the rain at bay. Whether made of the finest silks or the barest threads, our clothing is part of our humanity. For this issue of SWAMP we asked our contributors to reflect on the importance of clothing in our lives, and the responses have been overwhelming.' (Editorial introduction)

'Salt Water covers roughly seventy percent of our planet. We are bound to our countries by oceans. We weep salt water. We sweat salt water, so that even in the middle of a desert we encounter salt water every day. In all its forms, salt water is not something we can master; whether it is tears, sweat or the sea it rises unbidden. Yet Isak Dinesen claims “The cure for anything is salt water, sweat, tears, or the sea.” This issue we asked our contributors to dive in and consider the inescapability of salt water. Inspired by our theme we received one of our highest number of submissions, and this issue we will be publishing from authors both national and international.' (Madeline Bignill, Editorial introduction)

'An elongated silhouette on a hot summer’s day. A hint of sadness, a trace of pain, in an expression. Tailing someone through congested city streets at night. This issue we asked our contributors to consider the concept of the shadow in all of its suggestive imagery and emotional connotations. Our theme clearly inspired many as we received a massive amount of submissions both nationally and internationally.' (Madeline Bignill, Editorial introduction)

'Hidden truths and omissions. White lies and big lies. This issue, we asked our contributors to spill the beans, so to speak, as we ventured into the salacious realm of “Secrets and Lies.” Once again, our editorial team found the process of selecting works for inclusion in the issue both an enjoyable and challenging experience; our call for submissions was met with great enthusiasm and, by closing date, our inbox was teeming with outstanding creative offerings from postgraduate students from around the world.' (Shannon Todd : Publication introduction)

'Mirrors. The past. Moments of quiet introspection. The theme, “reflection,” can be interpreted so many different ways. Once again, our call for submissions prompted an impressive response from postgraduate students both in Australia and internationally; the quality of those submissions was impressive to say the least and the process of making our final selection was incredibly challenging.' (Editorial introduction)

'An absence. A void. A space in between. This issue we invited authors to step into the breach and fill the silence with their words. As always, the submissions we received were of an outstanding quality and it was a privilege to read through so many wonderful pieces by postgraduate students from around the world.' (Editorial introduction)

'Ordinary journeys or extraordinary journeys, journeys of self-discovery or journeys in which you lose yourself completely, this issue we invited authors to contemplate the journey in all its forms, to submit works which transport us through words. In many respects, the theme felt like a natural successor to that of our previous issue, “home.” From an issue which celebrates one’s centre, and concomitant notions of belonging and consistency, we move to one which emphasises travel and change.' (Shannon Todd, Introduction)

'It means something different to everyone and yet, in a sense, we all have one. Of course, it might not be a conventional sort of home – the place where one resides – instead, it might be a person or, perhaps, a feeling. But regardless of the form it takes, home plays a major role in all of our lives. It is our centre. It is where we belong.' (Shannon Todd Introduction)

'What’s possible? What’s impossible? Where do we draw the line between the two? Welcome to Issue 23, where we venture into the realm of the im/possible. Within the virtual pages of this issue, you will discover works which contemplate the world around us and those which recreate the world anew; works which highlight moments of im/possibility in the everyday, and those which render the everyday itself in terms that might be deemed im/possible.'  (Editorial introduction)

When I decided on ‘space’ as the theme for Issue 20 of SWAMP Magazine, I have to admit that I was thinking specifically of outer space: stars and galaxies, planets and moons. I wondered what other ideas of space that single word would generate, and hoped that it would inspire similar thoughts of beauty and a sense of awe that the space of galaxies and planets and stars does for me. As the submissions of poetry and prose became rolling in for this issue of SWAMP, I was pleased that my choice of theme had clearly had a powerful effect on our contributors – the various interpretations of ‘space’ went from the physical to the metaphysical, from the literal to the metaphorical, in awe-inspiring and breathtaking ways.

Space, for all of us, obviously means something very different, and engenders very different ideas and images. The authors of the creative pieces published here, as always, take us on an emotional and physical journey, and thus SWAMP Magazine becomes its own special space. A safe space, created specifically to bring together like-minded, creative people to share their thoughts and feelings, and to hopefully make a reader, sitting perhaps thousands of kilometres away, feel something. Loved, maybe. Accepted. Heard. This is one of the greatest powers of literature; that people all over the world, occupying very different spaces to each other, can come together and share something that makes them feel connected to another being, despite the distances of time and space.

As always, a huge thanks to my wonderful editorial team: Shannon Todd and Naomi Borwein, who looked after our fantastic poetry submissions, and Camille Roulière and Liz Chandler, who likewise looked after the prose. And, of course, to Peter, who always manages to make this publication a reality. We wouldn’t be able to do it without you!

In this, SWAMP Magazine’s 20th issue, I hope you can find a space where you feel welcomed, inspired, reflective – maybe even a little sad. I hope, wherever you may be reading this, you are in a safe space, or have a safe space to which you can retreat when the world gets too big, and too much. For me, that’s always been reading, and so I hope you will join us for SWAMP Issue 21 to offer us some more fantastic creative works to read and to share.

The theme for Issue 21 of SWAMP Magazine is “Nature vs. Nurture”. What is it that makes us who we are? Are we just our genetics, or do we shape our own destinies through the choices we make, the spaces we inhabit? Let me know what you think! Submissions will close August 31, 2017!

Nicole Shipley

Editor-In-Chief