A Letter from the Editor

March 31st 2017

Dear Reader,

Issue twenty-three celebrates six years of StepAway Magazine. When we first came up with the idea of creating an online literary magazine devoted specifically to urban walking, we had little idea of the response we would receive from writers. In the beginning, it was a slow-drip processes. We placed calls for submissions anywhere we could and hoped for the best. Our first ever submission generated considerable excitement, followed by an equally considerable concern that it could also be our only submission. Then came the flood. We were amazed, no, astounded at the limitless number of ways writers succeeded in capturing the feeling of walking in the city. Submissions poured in from across the globe and continue to do so. Six years on, we no longer require to put out a call for submissions. Writers seek us out, and, for us, this reflects our growing reputation in the literary world.

Working with Durham University to publish Voicewalks and Westminster University to produce Fitzrovia Atlas, demonstrated to us the infinite potential of the walking narrative – specifically its power as an analytical tool. We have a number of exciting new collaborative projects in the pipeline that we will share with you soon.  And, of course, receiving a Walking Visionaries Award in Vienna, was one of many events that make publishing StepAway Magazine thoroughly worthwhile.

To mark our sixth birthday issue twenty-three showcases the work of nine alarmingly talented writers: Miki Byrne, Quinn Byrne, Michael G. Casey, Ceinwen E. Cariad Haydon, Monique Kluczykowski, Ilona Martonfi, John Richmond, Nevin Schreiner and Rachel J. Turpin.

Our cover art is courtesy of the photographer Jo Teasdale, and is part of a new series she is working on. Taken in Brighton Station, the image is a departure from her usual shooting style. It vividly captures the changes in light and shadow when moving through a crowd, and the manner in which individuals are often transformed into indistinct shapes as we walk absent-mindedly or at pace. There are many correspondences between Ms. Teasdale’s work and StepAway, specifically the manner in which she captures the essence of the urban observer. Her excellent portfolio can be found at joteasdalephotography.com

I hope that you enjoy reading this, our twenty-third issue, and may I say a heartfelt thank you to our contributors and readers for your continuing support.

Yours faithfully,

Darren Richard Carlaw

editor@stepawaymagazine.com