Poetry magazine 14 announces £2,000 appeal success
A poetry magazine that is published once a year has reached its £2,000 target after just seven days of a cash appeal to keep it going. Poet and novelist Richard Skinner said 14 Magazine, which publishes poems of 14 lines only, had suffered a big sales dip after Covid.
He also cited the cost of living crisis, adding: “This drastic fall in sales has left me in a difficult situation and the future of the magazine is uncertain. Printing and postage costs have risen sharply. In the past 18 months alone, Royal Mail has raised its postage prices four times and postage costs, especially international, are now eye-wateringly expensive.”
He said that the cost of living crisis had “left many unable to afford things like poetry magazines. Running 14 magazine is a labour of love and I run Vanguard Editions without any financial aid of any kind. I simply can’t continue running the magazine at such a loss and so I’m asking for your help.
“To cover the printing and postage costs for the next two issues, I need to raise £2,000. I know that 14 has many supporters across the world who would mourn the loss of yet another print poetry magazine. I believe the magazine is a valuable community resource that benefits writers and readers of all backgrounds. If you would like to see future issues of 14 in print, please do consider making a donation, however small, to keep our little magazine alive.”
The first series of 14 magazine was founded in 2005 by poet and editor Michael Loveday, and ran until 2012. In 2020, with Michael’s blessing, Vanguard Editions launched a second series of 14 magazine. The design of the magazine was radically altered but the ethos remained the same: to publish poems of 14 lines only.
A new feature was introduced, called Platform 14, which is a showcase for under-represented voices from projects supported by community groups and charities across the UK. So far, Platform 14 has showcased work from projects supported by Hounslow Action for Youth, Community Action Sutton, Sutton Women’s Network, the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association and, most recently, work by Palestinian poets.
The magazine has reached its fundraising target in just seven days with 80 donations. On Facebook, Richard Skinner said: "You guys! Thank you one and all for your incredible generosity. I’ve had so many personal messages of support, too. Now, 14 magazine is secure for the next two years."
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