Square One: an anthology of new writing from St Mary's University

Earlier this month, the creative writing team published a new anthology of student work. The chapbook, titled Square One, includes short stories, poetry, essays, reviews and flash fiction by Creative and Professional Writing students.

Jonathan Gibbs, Programme Director for Creative and Professional Writing, said in his introduction, "Putting together an anthology like this offers the editor two distinct pleasures. Firstly, there is the surprise of newly submitted work: the stuff the students have been sitting on in secret, slowly crafting in their own time – as well as the stuff pounded out the night before the deadline in a rush of panicked inspiration. Then there is the subtler, deeper glow of looking again at work submitted by students for assignments over the last academic year, and seeing again just how well it stands up."

Square One includes 22 submissions from students across all three years of the degree programme and is described by Jonathan as "vital, passionate and personal, politically and socially engaged, historically aware, poetic, funny and intelligent."

Download Square One

He just had to be patient, forceful and gentle. The magic was coming, he could feel it. He put his pen on the page and let it run. He watched as it moved. A pirouette on the paper and the ink splashed colour into the world. A tiny ice-skater, alone on a sea of snow. She cares not if they are watching, this is for her. His words began to move and clash and dance. They live, they breathe. A crescendo of thunderous silence. There, the magic. For he was no longer writing; his pen had been left far behind. He stepped between lush vines and dense jungle. The sand warm against his bare feet. The castle walls old and perfect. In between his dreams and design. This was his world, their world. And when they ask him why he writes, why he wants to write, he doesn’t answer. He shows them.

. by Rob Higgins (3rd year student), page 8