Dear readers and friends of literary muses,

Welcome back! After the summer break, we are delighted to present you with more stories and poems by extremely talented authors from all over the world. It is all the more astonishing that the world has been in a permanent crisis since the Covid-19 pandemic, facing climate change, brutal wars and political struggles.

The ancient Romans said that in times of war, the Muses are silent. The impressive outburst of creativity from the depths of war zones contradicts this saying. I see it as a form of collective therapy. Who else can speak the truth about human existence?

I enjoyed this kind of therapy in the summer when I had the pleasure of seeing several performances during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I was particularly impressed by the performance of the Shanghai theatre group Three Pandas in a Trench Coat. The fusion of Western and Chinese theatre traditions impressed me immensely

I enjoyed this kind of therapy in the summer when I had the pleasure to view several performances during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I was especially impressed with the performance by the Shanghai theatre group Three Pandas in a Trench Coat. The blend of the Western and Chinese theatre traditions impressed beyond believe. Shakespeare’s heroines spoke only Chinese, as if their voices were not heard, tragedies and women sacrificed on the altar of men’s ambitions in every story the Bard ever told. The characters move skilfully from one play to another. In other words, In the play Love, Death and Shakespeare, a unique take on the classic tales of arguably Europe’s most famous writer, Lady Macbeath can talk to Puck, and it doesn’t seem strange at all. Desdemona twirls in pirouettes, toes pointed perfectly, as if ballet were the most natural way to express herself.

Like any addict, I need my annual fix of emotions, and sometimes they come in unexpected forms from surprising directions. I hope the creative charge I see coming, travelling upwards in huge waves, will keep on coming. And with it, hope for us all.

With love,

Natalie