The Journal  

'...plenty of different styles of poetry in each issue. The result is that, whilst The Journal will never have that sense of comforting familiarity that some 'zine have developed, it will always stretch your boundaries.' The Supplement #73

'...an international magazine in the tradition of Poesie Europe, Ecuatorial, and Labrys. It publishes poems in English, in particular by English-language poets in exile, translations into English alongside the originals, interviews with poets, and appraisals of current poetry scenes...' Wolfgang Görtschacher

'A plainly elegant layout, making the most of its size to incorporate sequences and longer poems, articles and plenty of reviews .... The contents are global ... all saying what has to be said, in ways and words you wish you'd imagined. Shining intelligence, to brighten and inspire serious poetry lovers.' Orbis

'Few publications deliver consistently good issues — The Journal is among them. Filled with well-written poems from some of the best contemporary poets I've ever read, The Journal is the definitive showpiece of the small press. Each issue also contains thorough book and journal reviews composed by writers whose love of literature is evident.' Hyacinthe L. Raven Via Dolorosa Press (USA)
​
'...interesting and experimental while avoiding the obscure and unnecessarily difficult. Add to the excellent selection of poetry, some interesting and insightful reviews and The Journal is a must for anyone who loves poetry and is not afraid of a bit of experimentation and the new insights that this can bring.' Juliet Wilson

current issue 


Here’s where, possibly in fear and trepidation, 
 #59 The Journal, available now, has original work by these people - David Callin / Frank De Canio / Laura Chalar / Paul Connolly / Jim Conwell / Alan Dixon / Gregg Dotoli / Matthew Friday / Barry Fentiman Hall / Richard W. Halperin / Chris Hardy / David Heidenstam / Emma Jones / David Lewitzky / Alwyn Marriage / Carolina Massola / Beth McDonough / Michael Newman / Anita Ngai / Simon Perchik / Cristina Piña / Fiona Sinclair / Grant Tabard / Rod Whitworth / Rodney Wood / John Zedolick Jnr and Alessio Zanelli.
And in #59 The Journal, courtesy of reviewers Emma Lee, Brian Daldorph, Andrew Taylor and myself, these were the people who got their work assessed - Derek Adams / Jane Burn & Bob Beagrie / Daniel Bennett / James Byrne / Fiona Cartwright / Andrew Halsey & Kelvin Corcoran / Brian Daldorph, /Matt Duggan / John Gohorry / Dawn Gorman / Paul Hawkins / Richard Hawtree / Martin Malone / Patrick Dubost & Eleanor Margolies / Kevin Maynard / Anne McKerrow / Ian Mullins / Dele Oladeji / Simon Rennie / Gareth Prior & Elisabeth Rowe / Belinda Singleton & Kathryn Southworth / Martin Stannard / Michael W Thomas / Merryn Williams / Sally-Shakti Willow / Robin Lindsay Wilson / Richard Woolmer / Gareth Writer-Davies / Mick Yates and Alessio Zanelli.
​
 
​
Time to take out/renew the subscription?

to subscribe to The Journal

annual subscription (3 issues) is £13.00 The PayPal button below often refusing to work payment can still be made by going directly to the PayPal website and making payment to The Journal via smithsssj@aol.com or asamsmith@hotmail.com . If you do this please also email me your name and address so I can send you copies.
Failing that you can send me a cheque, made payable to 'Sam Smith' at The Journal, 38 Pwllcarn Terrace, Blaengarw, Bridgend, CF32 8AS
​within the UK a single copy, current issue, is £4.50 Again, should the PayPal button below refuse to work payment can still be made by going directly to the PayPal website and making payment to The Journal via smithsssj@aol.com or asamsmith@hotmail.com . If you do this please also email me your name and address so I can send you your copy.
Failing that you can send me a cheque, made payable to 'Sam Smith' at The Journal, 38 Pwllcarn Terrace, Blaengarw, Bridgend, CF32 8AS

To submit

editorial policy is '...to try to publish those poems — from wheresoever they may come — written with thought to what the poem is saying and to how it is being said. Also welcomed are poems that can travel, that can cross boundaries, that do not assume in their readers a shared knowledge nor a shared set of beliefs. And it will be a rare day when I take a poem about being a poet or about the writing of poems. Also, because my aim is to keep The Journal secular, any poem containing religious terminology will not be considered for publication....'

* poems in English please, or translations into English (about 6 at a time)
* also welcome are interviews with poets, reviews, appreciations or appraisals of current poetry scenes
* if, within UK, a reply is desired, enclose SAE (email submissions only as part of email text, not as an attached file.)
* payment will be one complimentary copy to each author
* copyright will remain with author
* from outside UK enclose 2xIRCs, or submit by email (email submissions only as part of email text, not as an attached file.)

​* But before submitting work from outside the UK please be aware of the following - In 2012 the Royal Mail failed to deliver #36 The Journal to overseas subscribers and contributors for more than two months after posting, and this despite my having had Post Office counter staff weigh and price every envelope containing a copy of #36. This failure caused not only disappointment, but also some bad feeling. The Journal is a labour of love, and I don't need to even feel accused of bad faith. So from #38 on I will no longer send contributor's copies abroad via the Royal Mail, nor accept any subscriptions from outside the UK. I will, however, send to those who still wish to contribute from outside the UK a pdf file of the relevant issue as an email attachment. And I will of course endeavour to meet all outstanding obligations, but please don't blame me if the Royal Mail fails again to deliver.

original plus, having found a good short run printer in Imprint Digital, is once again able to consider the publication of perfect bound full collections as well as poetry chapbooks. Consideration of either usually follows from publication in The Journal.

​email - asamsmith@hotmail.com

Front cover poem for #59 by Alessio Zanelli  ​(Italy)

Recurrence
 
 
Age of disruption.
                                                                       Upheaval.
                                   Derangement.
Screaming hordes at large
                                                                       nobody wants in the streets
                                   but everybody wants to join.
Ubiquitous lies
                                                                       for all tastes
                                   none objected to.
Just be the first
                                                                       to get on your soapbox
                                   and sell your crap.
The fuse burns shorter
                                                                       while all keep blowing
                                   instead of ripping it out.
Endless propaganda
                                                                       fed to devotees on parade
                                   soon hard up without distinction.
Yes
                                                                       deep purple
                                   ten years after.
Thunder from no stroke.
                                                                       Ebb from no tide.
                                   One more descent into the Maelström.