Category Archives: News

News and Announcements

Sad news about our secretary, Gail Reikie

We are heartbroken to report the death of our Secretary, Gail Riekie. She died peacefully in hospital after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September. She was a kind and gentle person with many interests who fulfilled her role as secretary with calm efficiency. She will be sorely missed by us all.

Season’s Greetings from Pushing Out the Boat

POTB Christmas 2024 Newsletter

From a snowy Aberdeen (yes, November is too early for winter and icy pavements) welcome to Pushing Out the Boat’s seasonal newsletter keeping all our friends and followers in touch with what we’ve been up to this year and looking forward to next year.

Let’s start on a practical note. It’s that time of year when many people’s minds turn to gifts for their loved ones. A thoughtful gift needn’t break the bank, and as always we’d urge you to consider our latest issue as your gift of choice, a snip at £9 per copy. We always describe it as a stocking filler but it will of course bring hours of pleasurable reading and viewing. You can buy copies online or at any of our vendors spread across the country from Dundee to Shetland  (courtesy of Northlink Ferries – ‘Buy a Boat on a boat’) and in between.

Limited numbers of back issues at only £5 each are also available through the online link above if you’d like to share a lovingly remembered piece – maybe even your own work – with family or friends.

So, to our last year.

As you probably know, we work on a two-yearly cycle and 2024 has been an ‘in between’ year, with Issue 17 published in 2023 and Issue 18 due next year – more on this below. That doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy. In March we ventured South (well, South for us) for an evening of readings by Central Belt based contributors to Issue 17, hosted by the Forth Friday poetry group at Stirling’s Book Nook..Our thanks to Stirling makar Laura Fyfe for arranging the event, which you can read about here. In July we were lucky enough to make two contributions to Aberdeen’s Festival of the Sea, a Power of the Sea reading showcase at Footdee’s community hall, and a writing workshop, marine-themed of course, facilitated by Aberdeen Uni lecturer in creative writing Shane Strachan.

With planning now underway for our next issue, we were pleased to welcome our new editor, publisher Peter Burnett of Leamington Books. Submissions were open over the summer and yielded a record number of entries for consideration by our selection panels. We posted a blog giving a behind-the-scenes insight into how our panellists work in assessing the hundreds of poems, prose pieces and works of art received.  Selection of work for the next issue is almost complete and,  If you’re one of those writers or artists, our thanks to you, and you will receive notice of whether you’ve been successful by the New Year.

Looking forward to 2025, we intend to launch our new issue in Aberdeen on Sunday 27 April, a diary date for contributors and friends to note. We’ll be in touch about that, as well as about the chance to pre-order a copy of Issue 18 online. Until then, Season’s Greetings to everyone, in the traditional words, a very Merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year.

Submissions to Issue 18 are now closed

The call for submissions to Issue 18 of Pushing Out the Boat closed on 30th September 2024. We received a wealth of submissions to this issue – thanks to all who submitted.

Now the selection process begins, during which the Selection Panels will review all the entries received and make their choice of items to go forward to the publication. Once the selection process is complete, successful contributors will be notified by email. We aim to launch Issue 18 in Spring 2025.

For those who made a submission, further information is available here, including how to withdraw a submission, should you need to do so,

Call for Submissions to Issue 18

Submissions of writing and artwork are invited to Issue 18 of Pushing Out the Boat, North-East Scotland’s acclaimed magazine of prose, poetry and visual arts. The window for submissions is 1 July – 30 September 2024. Issue 18 will be published in Spring 2025.

Follow this link for further details on how to make a submission.

POTB events in Festival of the Sea

Pushing Out the Boat invites you to their exciting Power of the Sea reading and writing events running as part of this year’s jam-packed Aberdeen Festival of the Sea programme.

Immerse yourself in an ocean of talent at our live reading showcase on Saturday 20th July, featuring sea-themed readings from past contributors and music performed by Alastair Eddie. Tickets and more information here.

Dive deeper into your own creativity at our creative writing workshop on Thursday 25th July, hosted by Aberdeen writer Shane Strachan for new and established writers. Tickets and more information here.

Attendees of the workshop may wish to gain inspiration from the Saturday reading showcase – but all and any are welcome to both.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Read Issue 16 Online

Read Issue 16 Online


Issue 16 of Pushing Out the Boat is now available to read in full online.
Click on the image to take a look.

Issues 9 -15 can also be read in full, here on our website.
Follow the link to Our Magazines to read your chosen issue.
 

Join us at the Book Nook

Join us at the Book Nook in Stirling
on Friday 22 March at 7pm

In a first for Pushing Out the Boat, we are excited to be holding a reading event in Scotland’s central belt, featuring contributors from our latest issue. Presenting an evening of poetry and prose at The Book Nook’s monthly Forth Friday event, POTB and Stirling Makar Laura Fyfe look forward to welcoming you on March 22nd at 7pm.

“Stirling’s only indie bookshop cafe”, it is the perfect location for reading, relaxing, studying and socialising with a hand-made fine piece and a second-hand book. One of the cafe’s regular evening events, Forth Friday is a fantastic opportunity for our followers from further afield to get involved, and get a real flavour of some of the talent that comes our way – and of some delicious cakes and drinks, too! For tickets and more information, follow this link.

Season’s Greetings from Pushing Out the Boat

Welcome to Pushing Out The Boat‘s seasonal newsletter, reflecting on the busy year we’ve had and looking forward to the next.

Most of our attention this year has been focused on the publication and launch of our 17th issue. Thanks to the help of our whole team of volunteers, the magazine was completed in time for its launch at Newton Dee’s Phoenix Hall in May. We welcomed many contributors to the event, who read their poetry or prose to guests, or showcased their art – all in all, a successful afternoon. You can find photos on our blog.

Following the launch, we began to publicise each of our 14 magazine vendors through social media as part of our #VendorOfTheWeek series, highlighting the diverse range of locations available to purchase a copy. The continuation of our social media presence is now overseen by PR manager Naomi Greenwood, who we welcomed in March – keep an eye out on our Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for more updates on our activities.

Throughout the beginning of the year, local community radio station shmu fm’s Loraine Mudie continued to conduct her Words Up interviews with Pushing Out The Boat contributors. These proved an intriguing insight into the backgrounds of the many writers we’ve published, some returning to the magazine several years in a row. We would like to thank Loraine for her support and wish her the best in her next adventures as she departs from the show. Check out our interview with her, where she describes her experience on the programme.

Books and Beans, the popular coffee and book shop on Aberdeen’s Belmont Street, kindly hosted a selection of Issue 17 contributors at their monthly poetry event back in June, accompanied by plenty of coffee and cake.

Looking forward into the new year, we hope to host a reading event in Scotland’s central belt. Keep an eye out on our social media during the springtime for updates. All going well, submissions for our next issue will open at the beginning of July 2024.

The POTB Blog is continuously updated throughout the year, so make sure to check it out in case you’ve missed any posts.

Before we conclude, a reminder that a copy of a Pushing Out the Boat magazine makes a great Christmas present for family and friends. While the festive season is just around the corner, there is still time to order copies of issue 17 before Christmas, as well as previous releases.

Finally, we would like to thank you for your continued support. Your engagement, donations and copies purchased enable us to continue the publication of our beloved magazine, and celebrate talented writers and artists from the North East and further afield.

From all at Pushing Out The Boat, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, and may the New Year bring you an abundance of joy, laughter and good fortune.

Launch of Issue 17

Pushing Out the Boat Issue 17 was launched on 21 May 2023 at an event in the Phoenix Hall, Newton Dee, Aberdeen.

A selection of contributors and team members read poems and stories from the new issue and artists displayed the originals of their artwork in the foyer area.

Visit our blog for photos, reflections and details of the programme.

Tickets now available for the launch of Issue 17

Once again we are opening up the Launch of the latest issue of Pushing Out the Boat magazine to members of the public.  Why not join us on the afternoon of Sunday 21 May and be amongst the first to see the new magazine?  This joyful event will include writers reading their poems and stories from Issue 17, and there will be a display of original artwork as featured in the new edition.  Plus you can meet the contributors and the Team!  The launch is in the wonderful Phoenix Community Hall at Newton Dee Village in Aberdeen.  Doors open at 1.30pm for a 2.30pm programme start, aiming to finish by 5pm.

Tickets cost a mere £12, or £15 for two people, which also includes a copy of the magazine and refreshments. Young people are welcome but please note that the event is open only to those aged 12 and over.

[Click here to book your tickets.]

If you can’t manage to the launch, copies of Issue 17 can be pre-ordered now, for delivery after the launch.