Boyne Berries 15

The latest issue of Boyne Berries magazine will be launched on Thursday 27 March at 8pm in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim. This is issue 15 of the magazine, which we in Boyne Writers Group, Trim, have published twice yearly since 2007.

As with previous issues the publication includes poems and stories by local writers authors and those from far away, first-time authors and well-published authors. This issue has contributions from various parts of Ireland, the UK and the USA.

This is the last issue under my editorship. I felt it was time to pass on the work and the enjoyment to another and I'm delighted that Orla Fay is taking up duties from issue 16. Orla Fay is a long-time group member and well-published poetry and prose writer.

I have enjoyed my years as editor. I've made lots of friends all over the work and was delighted to publish work from new writers and well established ones. It did involved a lot of work, everything from sending out the call for submissions to compiling a print-ready pdf for the printers. I've had great support from the group over the years and am very grateful to have been entrusted with the task.

I've learned a lot during my time as editor - a lot about writing, a lot about submitting to magazines and a lot about writers. I must expand on that at some stage but not at the moment. I have to prepare for the launch on Thursday.

Our launches are usually most enjoyable. We get audiences of between 40 and 60 usually with lots of contributors attending and reading. As well as those who travel long distances from far flung parts of Ireland, Cork and Galway for instance, we have had poets from Canada, the USA and the UK attending and reading.

So I'm looking forward to a good launch on Thursday. Cover of Boyne Berries 15 above, cover image, as for each previous issue, by Greg Hastings.