Well, dear readers, it has been quite a month here at Gumbo Towers.
We have read through all of the pieces you sent and been incredibly impressed with the writing. We have been slightly disappointed at the dearth of script and non-fiction, but overwhelmed with the fiction and poetry. It has been fascinating to read through all your various interpretations of 'Beginnings'.
And, from that selection, we have found the very best writing we could. Some of it is from names you may well have heard before - A.F. Harrold, Cathy Bryant, G.B. Clarkson - and some of it from writers who we are excited to be giving their big break into publication - Fat Roland, Ian Bartlett, Casey Bourne. Whoever the work is by, however, it was all chosen anonymously so you can be sure that we only picked the very best pieces, and those which fit with our theme.
On that topic, we did receive many wonderful pieces which we would have liked to accept, but with little or nothing to do with 'Beginnings', so do make sure if you're sending pieces in that they meet the theme.
Once the pieces were chosen, the enjoyable task of putting the issue together came next - designing the layout, putting the pieces in order, designing the cover - all to bring you a magazine which we hope you will find nice to look at as well as utterly enjoyable.
So, that's us for the first issue. You can read it by going to http://www.gumbopress.co.uk/wordgumbo.html and downloading the pdf file. Please let us know what you think of it on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/gumbopress).
We're going to have a rest now, but come July 1st we want to be even busier than we have been in May, so start sending your work in for the next issue, 'Opposites'.
Until the next time, dear readers. Enjoy!
