Pushing Out the Boat
- probably the best regional literary magazine in Scotland,
- high quality writing, with a unique blend of the local and the global.
- a thrilling place to be published alongside writers and artists from around the world
J Graeme Roberts
…a high quality magazine like Pushing Out the Boat encourages and enables North-East writers and artists to bring their best work to the attention of a wide and discerning audience…
Alan Spence
Well-produced, nicely balanced... one of the most attractive magazines of its kind in Scotland, providing an important forum for new poetry and prose
Christine de Luca
. . . it continues to delight in its eclectic range of literary and visual contributions and in the care with which it is produced
Wayne Price
... more than just another literary magazine ... its 14 issues comprise an extraordinary and beautifully produced treasure house of new writing and art.
Mindy Grewar
I find that if you tap the covers, Pushing Out the Boat becomes a Marauders Map and Phrasebook, indispensable for sojourns in this space of sea and peak, couth and cheek…
Isobel Murray
Its standards remain exceptionally high, and format makes it a delight to handle
Duncan McLean
. . . sharp-eyed, open minded . . . helping to launch the careers of many new writers and to publish high quality work by established writers
Magi Gibson
. . . a fantastic and quality showpiece for art and new literature from the North East of Scotland
Tom Hammick
... a fantastic magazine ... essential for highlighting and enriching local culture. I’m a huge fan of literary publications and the work within POTB is of such high standard.
Shane Strachan
a visual feast across beautiful artworks and well-crafted images of language which has much to be savoured throughout.
Esther Woolfson
It has expanded its horizons while maintaining the tone and savour of place which has always made it unique.
John Aberdein
Seafaring and mindfaring are vital to our city: more power to the elbows of those who push out this handsome vessel.
Issue 17 now available
Our 17th issue was launched on 21 May, at an event in the Phoenix Hall at Newton Dee. The new issue is jam-packed with a hundred pages of wonderful stories, poems and art by writers and artists not only from our ‘home turf’ but from across Scotland and the UK and as far afield as Germany, Netherlands and the USA.
In his generous foreword to the magazine, the National Library of Scotland’s Scots Scriever, Shane Strachan, describes this edition of Pushing Out the Boat as ‘one of the strongest issues yet … a visual feast across beautiful artworks and well-crafted images of language which has much to be savoured throughout,’ and who are we to disagree?
Click on the cover image to take a peek into the magazine – read Shane’s foreword, view the Contents page, sample some extracts and browse through a photo gallery of the art that appears within.
Copies of Issue 17 can be ordered here for postal delivery. We will also be updating our list of vendors from whom you can buy copies.
Our Magazines
The first issue of Pushing Out the Boat was published in the year 2000, since when there have been a sequence high quality magazines leading up to our latest publication. You can read about how we work, who we are and how the magazines are produced on the About POTB page and the full back catalogue of magazines can be viewed on Our Magazines page.
Our current edition is POTB Issue 17. Within its pages you will find humour, pathos and drama in Doric, Scots and English, along with stimulating works of art. There’s a rich variety of theme and style from the contributing authors, poets and artists – with a mixture of new voices along with more familiar names.
Issue 17 can be purchased from our retail outlets or ordered from our online store.
After looking at Issue 17, why not browse through other editions of the magazine. Online versions of Issues 9 – 15 can be read in full and sample extracts from Issues 6 – 8 offer a flavour of earlier editions. Then visit our online shop where all editions of the magazine are available for purchase.
Donations
POTB is an entirely voluntary and not-for-profit enterprise. The costs of producing this beautiful magazine are met by magazine sales and fund-raising events all of which have been hit by the Coronavirus restrictions. Any additional contributions, however small, are hugely appreciated and will help keep us afloat. Use the button below to donate via our Crowdfunding project.
Step on board
The POTB Blog
- Across the Silent Sea: A Novel by Gabrielle Barnby (Lily Greenall, 24 Oct 2023)
- View from American Poet, Elizabeth McCarthy (Elizabeth McCarthy, 21 Sep 2023)
- Q&A with Loraine Mudie, WordsUp presenter (Naomi Greenwood, 6 Aug 2023)
- POTB at Books and Beans June 2023 (Roger White, 1 Jul 2023)
- Final Words Up on shmu FM (Webmaster, 19 Jun 2023)
- Programme 8: An interview with Alison Green
- Photos from the launch of Issue 17 (Hilda Frewin (photographer) and Aenea Reid (album maker), 2 Jun 2023)
News
- Issue 17 launched
- Tickets now available for the launch of Issue 17
- Public Relations Role in POTB
- End of year newsletter
- Submissions to Issue 17 are now closed
- POTB features on shmu FM radio arts programme
- NEOS 22 artists selling Pushing Out the Boat
- POTB now available for sale in Dundee at McManus Art Gallery and Museum
- Call for submissions to Issue 17
- Read Issue 15 Online
- Photos at the Blue Lamp on Sun 24 April
- Pushing Out the Boat Crowdfunder
- Pushing Out the Boat goes biennial
- Meet Heather our USA distributor for Issue 16; purchase in US dollars for US delivery
- Issue 16 has landed! Order your copy here
- Check out our Useful Links page for literary organisations, publications, events and POTB contributors.
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