From The Editor

Kia ora koutou,

I hope this finds you safe and well in your bubbles. Some of you will be back at school – a step in the right direction, but still a long way from everyday life. We have settled into Level 3 too, delighted to be able to send Toitois into the world.

I am knee-deep in submissions for Toitoi 20 and I can’t think of a better place to be. Congratulations to all of you who took the leap and sent us your writing and art, for following your curiosity, opening your hearts and sharing your creativity. We have received work that is imaginative, empathetic and deep-thinking. Some of it is crazy and funny, and some of it is dark and sad. Once again, I am astounded by how awesome you are.

To those of you who haven’t yet taken the leap, don’t worry. I understand how scary it is. I promise that you are in safe hands, that we will treat you and your work with the greatest respect, and that we will do everything we can to support you in your creative endeavours.

To that end, I am delighted to introduce you to my colleague and friend, Glenda Kane. Glenda is a childrens’ book author, journalist and editor at Toitoi. She and I work together to read submissions, provide copy-editing suggestions and proof the journal before it goes to press. As a writer, Glenda understands how hard – and how important – it is to be courageous. We are launching a new series of videos on Toitoi TV called Ask Glenda – where Glenda will answer your questions about the creative process, give you tips and tricks for making a submission and support you to take the leap.

You might also enjoy two special stories about courage from the pages of the journal – The Flying Fox (Toitoi 7) and In the Depths (Toitoi 13). I hope that they will inspire you to be creative and submit your own work for publication. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Aroha nui,