Drawing on the tradition of literary magazines while paying homage to the legacy of queer publishing, the BitterSweet Review is a publishing platform dedicated to the advancement of queer literature and visual culture, say the publishers.
Initiated in London by a group of international writers, artists and scholars, it features a biannual print and online magazine; commissions artists limited editions and organises writing workshops to nurture a new generation of queer artists and writers. Earlier this year, the project raised over £7,500 from a Kickstarter campaign, which has been used towards the production of this first issue, contributors' fees and longer-term developments.
The project’s graphic identity is designed by Spanish-born, London-based designer John Philip Sage and features the typeface ‘Kéroine’ by Amsterdam and Berlin-based Studio Charlotte Rohde. According to the publishers, the magazine’s logo – a one-eyed monstrous figure – references the perennial vine celastrus scandens – commonly known as bittersweet – popular in witchcraft for its protective quality against the evil eye.
Titled ‘Let’s Get Physical’, the BitterSweet Review’s first issue explores the topic of physicality with seventeen original contributions spanning prose, poetry, interviews and art.
Some highlights include:
- New poetry by New York artist Diamond Stingily, star of Martine Syms' The African Desperate (2022)
- Excerpts from Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore's upcoming book, Touching the Art (Soft Skull Press, 2023)
- Previously unpublished poetry by the late poet and AIDS activist Donald W. Woods (1958-1992), student of Audre Lorde and collaborator of Marlon Riggs
- First English translation of Ma’ohi author and activist Chantal T. Spitz's short story 'Joséphine', the first published trans narrative from Tahiti
- Essay on reproductive rights by British journalist Vicky Spratt, author of Tenants (Profile Books, 2022)
- Fiction by emerging writer Roberto Rodriguez Estrada drawing on Latin American and indigenous third-gender folktales
- Cover artwork designed by American-born, London-based artist Gray Wielebinski (available as a limited print edition of /70).
Isabel Waidner, author of Sterling Karat Gold and winner of the Goldsmiths Prize 2021, says: “A literary magazine for queers and their friends is what I needed twenty years ago and I still need it now. The BitterSweet Review will be an invaluable resource for queer readers and writers, new and established. You know, when you feel less alone.”
Kole Fulmine and Benoît Loiseau, the BitterSweet Review founding editors, say: “As writers and scholars interested in gender and sexualities, we feel that the media and literary fields lack opportunities for queer makers to produce experimental and critical works. We want the BitterSweet Review to provide a supportive space for writers and artists dealing with critical ideas that can’t always find a home. Above all, we want to nurture friendships: that’s how exciting works are born.”
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