Welcome to Pushing Out the Boat’s seasonal newsletter, where we let you know what we’ve been up to this year and look forward to 2020.

The highlight of the year had to be the publication and launch of our 15^th issue in April in the wonderful Phoenix Hall at Aberdeen’s Newton Dee. Over a hundred guests joined us to celebrate the success of the authors, poets and artists whose work appears in our latest edition. Our thanks to Anke Addy who took a great series of photos of guests, readers, and the artwork that was on display. You can find her photos on our website as well as the Press and Journal’s coverage of the event, complete with inevitable boat-related headline.

As always, we’ve put a selection of work from our latest issue online. You can read it here. If you don’t have a copy of Issue 15 or want more for those last minute Christmas gifts or stocking fillers, you can find Pushing Out the Boat at nearly twenty retail outlets across North-East Scotland. You can even buy Boat on a boat, which is our cheesy way of saying Northlink ferries stock it in their onboard shops on their routes to Orkney and Shetland. It’s only £5 (plus p&p if you can’t get to one of our retailers and want to order online – you can buy previous issues there too).

We also managed to fit in a couple of readings after the dust settled on the launch of Issue 15 – at Aberdeen University’s May Festival, and to an appreciative group of Over 50s in Cults.

You may know from our website and last newsletter that we have a new editor coming on board, to which we have now added a salesperson, leaving just one role to be filled when Freda and Martin retire next March – a new coordinator/project manager. Our own search is underway, but if you’re keen to help (or know someone who might be) do get in touch for a chat or with any ideas. You can check the details of what’s involved in our recent blog on the subject.

Almost finally, a reminder that we’re also on Facebook and Twitter. If social media’s your thing, do be sure to follow us there for updates and news straight to your device.

We end of course with our thanks to you – if you joined us at the launch for Issue 15, bought or read our magazine, attended a reading, dipped into our Facebook/Twitter account page or website, or even just watched us from afar!

From a chilly Aberdeen where winter has definitely arrived, the team at Pushing Out the Boat wish you a Happy Christmas and a great New Year.