by Anita Patel, Guest Editor Issue 2

The poems in this issue of Not Very Quiet have moved, startled and delighted me, and they leave me in no doubt that (in the resounding words of Arundathi Roy) we will lay siege to empire and pave the way for another world …

She is definitely on her way … I can hear her breathing …

To create a journal of women’s poetry seems like a daring venture but the breathtaking  response to Not Very Quiet is testament to the fact that this space has long been needed. We have had over 300 poems submitted from all corners of the globe including many from our own region. It was a daunting task to select sixty six poems from that field but I am so excited by NVQ Issue 2.

The poems in this journal confront us with terrible realities and comfort us with common experiences. They offer us tiny moments of beauty, quirky notions and gentle reflections.

Each and every poem in this issue, and indeed many of the poems that were submitted but not selected, tells a story that is different from the ones we’re being brainwashed to believe.  Each and every poem in this journal is made more powerful by being part of a collective of stories.

To all of the poets – your profound generosity and open heartedness reminds us that women, at their very best, will always share the stage with their sisters and that poetry is not an individual competitive art form but part of a conversation which transcends place, time and culture. Thank you for building a diverse and vibrant community of worldwide poets through our journal. We can only benefit from sharing our stories with each other and inviting more women to add their words to the sum of all our words.

I have had a fabulous ride as guest editor of Not Very Quiet Issue 2 and I thank three extraordinary women for this experience – Moya Pacey and Sandra Renew, the founders and editors of Not Very Quiet journal, and Tikka Wilson, the Production Manager, who is truly a superwoman. I salute all of you.