Write on! -  Magazine out 27 September 2019

Write On! is a new, quarterly magazine published by Pen to Print, a project ‘borne’ in Barking and Dagenham. Now coming up to its second issue, it is funded by the Barking and Dagenham Council and the Arts Council and links local writing communities into the publishing industry by showcasing the work of emerging writers.

‘Storytelling: Breaking Boundaries’ is the theme for Issue 2. By linking the of the pentoprint.org website, with a glossy quarterly magazine, Write On! combines relevance for and value to the local community. The lead interview in this new issue is with Penguin bestselling author Howard Linskey.

Through pentoprint.org, national and international communities are reached. Some of the volunteer editorial team will also be featured on the new cover. They are drawn from local writing communities in Barking and Dagenham and further afield. A 30,000 print readership comes from the 10,000 copies of the magazine to be distributed directly through libraries and other community spaces in Barking and Dagenham as well as Newham, Southend and Redbridge.

 

Pen to Print’s ethos is simple, by growing local writing communities, communities are built. The diversity of our changing world is captured by emerging storytellers who Write On! is connecting into a formal platform that allows them to be heard who in turn can interpret what is going on in the community around them. So, join Beam Energy and other local organisations and businesses to work with Write On! and tap into home-grown, creative writers who are able to interpret what the business services and products means to the local community, through brand engagement!

We believe that Write On! provides a unique meeting point, propelling writers from working-class and minority backgrounds with something to say into publication. An authentic storytelling platform inspires readers, writers and commercial entities to come together in new and innovative ways; building positive social change by helping our borough record who we are now, while creating a blueprint for who we want to be in the future.

Cllr Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, and Chair of the Pen to Print Advisory Panel says: “We believe that Write On! provides a unique meeting point, propelling writers from working-class and minority backgrounds with something to say into publication. An authentic storytelling platform inspires readers, writers and commercial entities to come together in new and innovative ways; building positive social change by helping our borough record who we are now, while creating a blueprint for who we want to be in the future.”

And a final word from local published author, Farzana Hakim:

“Writing lets you break boundaries because you can go anywhere you wish. The voice in my stories is sometimes authentic, sometimes foreign. Sometimes it is old. Sometimes it is new. Sometimes my writing is Muslim, other times it is Sikh and many times, it is no one’s religion because as long as I am telling the story, I am in control. I am whoever I want to be.”

Further information and full features list, can be viewed in the Pen to Print Media Pack or contact Editor, Madeline White for more information - madeleinefwhite@hotmail.com.