
Sad news about our secretary, Gail Reikie

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.
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,
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.
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!
Issue 16 of Pushing Out the Boat is now available to read in full online.
Click on the image to take a look.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This image may be too small for printing.
Submitters are asked to provide an image with one dimension at least 2400 px - which has a print size of 203 mm (8 inches) when printed at 300dpi.
This image falls into the warning threshold where maximum dimension is between 1200 and 2400 px. Take a look at it and add an alert to the Selection Panel if you think appropriate.
Submitters are asked to provide an image for which the largest of width and height is at least 2400 px - that's a print size of 203 mm (8 inches) when printed at 300dpi. Smaller images in the range 1200 – 2400 px are accepted with a warning
This image is even smaller than the warning threshold and so should be rejected.
The Word Count, Stanza Count, Line Count and Notes to Selection Panel can be updated through this form.
Line Count should contain the number of lines per stanza, separated by commas,
e.g. 4, 5, 4 for a poem with 3 stanzas having 4, 5 and 4 lines, respectively.
Very occasionally you may want to record some extra information about the processing of an entry as a matter of record only, not for the Selection Panel's eyes, e.g. 'This is a replacement for entry S025 withdrawn by submitter', or 'Checked with Freda that some of the details originally included under Medium not appropriate for Selection Panel'.
This toolbar can be used to control which entries are displayed and how they are sorted.
FILTER BY ENTRY STATUS:
SORT BY:
GO
This toolbar can be used to control which entries are displayed.
YOUTH ENTRIES
These links can be used to generate a summary listing on which you can record your personal notes and comments as you review the entries. The listing can be generated either in print-ready format or in spreadsheet format, by clicking on the appropriate link.
This toolbar can be used to control which entries are displayed.
These links can be used to generate a summary listing on which you can record your personal notes and comments as you review the entries. The listing can be generated either in print-ready format or in spreadsheet format, by clicking on the appropriate link.
The Word Count and Notes to Selection Panel can be updated through this form.
Entries waiting for review by the Selection Panel are highlighted by a green background and have an initial status of for review.
Once an entry has been considered, its status should be changed as follows:
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
Entries waiting for review by the Selection Panel are highlighted by a green background and have an initial status of for review.
Once an entry has been considered, its status should be changed as follows:
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
The status of an entry denotes where it is in the selection process. All entries have an initial status of For review and are highlighted by a green background. Once an entry has been considered by the Selection Panel, its status will be changed as follows:
Only the Panel Convenor can change the status of an entry and will do so following consultation with the panel members.
Background colour
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
Initially, reserve entries will be ranked in the order in which they were chosen. Once the selection process is complete, the Panel Convenor will adjust the ranks into the panel's order of preference.
The status of an entry denotes where it is in the selection process. All entries have an initial status of For review and are highlighted by a green background. Once an entry has been considered by the Selection Panel, its status will be changed as follows:
Only the Panel Convenor can change the status of an entry and will do so following consultation with the panel members.
Background colour
For ease of recognition, the background colour of each entry is coded according to its status.
Initially, reserve entries will be ranked in the order in which they were chosen. Once the selection process is complete, the Panel Convenor will adjust the ranks into the panel's order of preference.
Reading
To read an entry, simply click on the entry number and a new window will open in which a PDF version of the submission will be displayed.
All the web browsers I have checked (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera) have a built-in reader which will display PDF documents inline. If your browser starts up Adobe viewer or tries to download the document, then you may need to adjust your browser settings. If you need help with this, please get back in touch with me.
Printing
Downloading
Mac user?
Alas, I don't have a Mac, so can't give you exact instructions for Safari but, if you need help with this, get back in touch with me and I will enlist the help of my son to come up with the recipe.
Want to read on a Kindle? PDFs can be read directly on the Kindle but there is no automatic line wrap which can mean you have to display at an uncomfortably small font size. It is possible to improve the readability of the file by using Amazon's own personal document conversion service:
For further assistance
contact me (Aenea) by email: webmaster@pushingouttheboat.co.uk
Viewing
To view an image, click on the thumbnail and a new window will open in which a full-screen version of the image will be displayed.
Printing
To print an image, view the full-screen version of the image as described above, then use your browser's Print command to print the image.
Downloading
To download an image, view the full-screen version of the image as described above, right click on the image and then choose 'Save Image As' (or 'Save As') to download a copy of the image to your computer.
For further assistance
contact me (Aenea) by email: webmaster@pushingouttheboat.co.uk
To be able to view submissions online, without having to download them first, we are using a tool called the Google Document Embedder or GDE for short.
When viewing, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of each page, to ensure that there are no footers or page numbers.
Scroll down to the bottom of the window to see the toolbar.
denotes that you are at page 1 of 5
click to advance one page
click to go back one page
click to make the text bigger
click to make the text smaller
Troubleshooting
Page appears to load but all I get is a blank screen
Try reloading the page. You may need to do this several times but the document should appear eventually.
Any other problems?
Please report to Aenea for investigation
For ease of viewing and to preserve anonymity, PDF versions of prose and poetry entries are created.
You are getting this message either because the PDF version of this entry has not yet been created or because it requires to be updated, following replacement of the submission file.
Creation of PDF files normally happens overnight, as it requires a file transfer to and from Aenea's home PC.
In the meantime, you can view the entry using the Gview inline viewer.
Please contact Aenea if you experience a delay in PDF creation longer than 2 days.
Since the PDF version is the only version that will be seen by the Selection Panel, you will not be able to update the status of this entry to Checked until the PDF file has been created.
The artwork details Colour/B&W, Medium and Original Dimensions can be updated through this form.
Note: If the details provided by the submitter under the Medium heading contain some further details that are relevant to the submission but are not part of the medium description (e.g. This image is intended to accompany the poem titled 'Fresh Fields') then these details should be copied into the Notes for Selection Panel box and removed from the Medium.
The Document Library is organised into folders
To re-sort the list of folder names:
For editors only
List all the files in each folder
Create a new folder
Delete folder (only appears when a folder is empty)
The Document Library is organised into folders
To re-sort the list of folder names:
Use the icons as follows:
To View a document or image within your web browser
To Download a document to your computer
(only appears for documents with no PDF version)
To go back to the Team Document Library home page
This help popup not written yet.
Coming shortly (I hope).