(Published - 6 July 2020)

It’s not every day that you find essays about absurdism and logical positivism in literature, alongside a discussion of the role young people can and do play in politics, while sharing the page with poetry, paintings and prose (and more). But that’s just what happens when a new issue of WritingThreeSixty is released into the world.

“This issue has a little bit of everything,” says WritingThreeSixty Editor-in-Chief Martina van Heerden. “I am incredibly proud of the new WritingThreeSixty team for putting this issue together - and even prouder to be able to showcase some amazing talent.” 

WritingThreeSixty is a platform for postgraduate students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to showcase their artistic, writing and research skills. They can submit critical research, book reviews and interviews with writers and scholars. 

“We publish both research and creative texts - and we use the term 'texts' deliberately, because we’re not 'limited' to 'traditional' articles,” van Heerden notes. “We welcome research articles and essays, short stories, poetry, art, interviews, book reviews and more. We want to give students an opportunity to express themselves in lots of different ways.”

Van Heerden, who completed her PhD in English Studies at UWC in 2018 and is currently lecturing for the English for Educational Development programme, forms part of the current WritingThreeSixty Editorial Board. Her fellow creatives include:

• Stephanie Williams (Content Manager and Social Media Wiz): a published creative and academic writer and UWC ALUM who’s currently doing a Master’s in the English Department; 
• Aneeqa Abrahams (Creative Content Manager): a developing feminist researcher who’s completing her Master’s Degree in research with UWC’s Women’s and Gender Studies department; and
• Zaytoen Domingo (Assistant / Content): a full-time content writer who’s also pursuing her Masters in English degree full-time at UWC.

“Each one of us brings something different to the journal,” says van Heerden. “Our diverse research interests and experience help us understand the diverse talents of UWC - and make every issue a true creative collaboration.”

WritingThreeSixty welcomes submissions across faculties, and aims to provide insight into research and creative activities across UWC.

The journal is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, having launched its first issue in 2015. Vol 6 Issue 1 of WritingThreeSixty - the first issue of for 2020 - has just been released, and is free to access at https://uwcjournal.wordpress.com/. 

Calling All Creatives: The COVID-19 Challenge

COVID-19 has made the task of putting together the journal more challenging than ever - but it’s also more important than ever.

“We weren't sure if we'd have enough material for an issue given the current conditions,” van Heerden says, “but we are so fortunate to have amazing contributors.” 

There’s no rest for the wicked, though - and the WritingThreeSixty team are already looking forward to their next issue - a special issue dedicated to COVID-19, “Examining Life During Lockdown”.

“The coronavirus pandemic has affected our everyday lives so much - but all of us have different lived experiences of it, and we felt that we had to explore that,” says van Heerden. “It's an interesting opportunity to explore ideas of home, belonging, loneliness, 'normal', etc. In terms of contributions, art, poetry, photo essays, and/or short stories would be especially valued - any medium, really, through which those themes can be explored.”

So why submit? What’s in it for the contributors?

“For those who submit work, they get the opportunity to go through a journal submission process and to see their work published,” van Heerden says. “And they also have the opportunity to share their work with the UWC community, and beyond - giving others the opportunity to be entertained, educated and enlightened. There is so much the journal has to offer!” 

So if you’d like to showcase your writing and research skills, submit your poetry, short stories, book reviews, academic essays, photos and more for Volume 6 Issue 2 of WritingThreeSixty by 1 September 2020. 

Interested in learning more? Can’t wait for the next issue? Stay up-to-date with the latest and coolest creative developments by checking out the WritingThreeSixty website, or following @writingthreesixty on Facebook  and Instagram, or @writing360 on Twitter.