ezine | departures | editorial

 

Welcome to the fourth edition of our ezine on the theme ‘Departures’. Once again, we have been delighted to have been in receipt of so many submissions, including our first short play, and we hope you enjoy all of the ones we have selected for inclusion in this edition.

 

The theme ‘Departures’ is open to interpretation in so many ways and it certainly resonates with anyone who has had their heart wrenched from their chest, who has experienced the feeling of emptiness, confusion and abandonment, who has lamented a lost love, mourned a death, or experienced a physical or mental dislocation. But it is also apparent that ‘Departures’ can also evoke a feeling of escape, the potential of new horizons and optimism at the prospect of a new beginning. 

 

It has been particularly interesting to see ‘Departures’ has been interpreted as the departure from accepted norms of behaviour and the changing means through which we all engage with each other, as heralded by the digital age, and the impact that these new forms of communication have on us. There is a rich seam of exploration relating to the psychological impacts on us as the speed of technological and digital change accelerates at an ever-greater pace. We are propelled forward into unchartered territory, leaving the comfort of what we have known for so long behind, or perhaps desperately clinging on to our known ways whilst all around us is changing. It raises some interesting questions and these are explored through the work of visual artist, Laurence Walker-Tonks, in his ‘Grunder’ installations and the playwright Max Wilkinson, in his short play ‘Countryfiles’. 

 

Jona Xhepa, through her spoken word piece ‘Imeacht’, looks at physical dislocation and what it means to hold onto the elements of that which you have been separated from. This is a powerful audio piece which plays with the meanings of words. ‘Tidal Movement’, a poem by Gary Beck, also touches upon a form of physical dislocation by looking at what could be described as the very first departure when organisms ventured from the sea to land.

 

The theme of letting go of toxicity, suffering a loss, death, and departure from the things which are held to be true, are covered in the poems of Megan Hopkin and in the short stories ‘Keepsake’ by Bill Tinley and ‘Soul Sisters’ by Resham Ruia, whilst Shane O’Halloran’s fantastical story, ‘The Dark Place’, touches on the desire and compulsion to escape form the world we know. Deep Breathing, a short story by Daniel Gothard, will leave you gasping for breath and we are delighted to welcome back Nick Norton with the inclusion of his short story ‘Emperor Starling’, an anthropomorphic fable of resentment and ambition, and the struggle between solitude and love.

 

The elemental nature of departures is the theme of the dark-in-tone short story ‘Elements’ by Mark Colbourne and we are also delighted to welcome back our regular photography contributor, Nick Vagus, whose work in this edition also touches upon the elemental themes of departures in relation to air, land and water.

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As per our previous editions we are also delighted to be able to include a musical composition by A/C/R/E/S

 

So, sit back, take a moment to depart from the world around you and immerse yourself in the selection of work featured in this edition…perhaps it will even inspire you to arrive at some new destination of your own.

 

Sean Campbell