By Nikita Rimal Sharma
“We are fighting misogynists in every culture. My solution is to listen to the women in each community and amplify their voices.”
~Mona Eltahawy
Choosing one word to exemplify 2024 for Yellow Arrow Publishing is a ritual we have followed since 2020. I think of it as being an intentional way to reflect on the past year and take those experiences forward with a new energy.
Previous yearly values include REFUGE for 2020, EMERGE for 2021, and AWAKEN for 2022—watchwords that trace not only Yellow Arrow’s experience of the last few years but the culture as a whole. Last year we chose the word SPARK to rekindle our fire. We used that flame and that sparkle to light a flame. We hosted 39 workshops, published three chapbooks and two journal issues, released our second edition of Yellow Arrow Vignette, organized two fundraisers, one in-person in our home town of Baltimore and one online, represented Yellow Arrow in four local and one national conference, and the list goes on.
The root that we established in our beloved Baltimore City is growing, spreading its branches and leaves to so many more writers beyond borders. We are proud of the growth while remaining committed to our home base and are ready to capitalize on what we have created. For 2024, we are ready to AMPLIFY, to get women-identifying voices out loudly and proudly into the ethos.
When I think of amplify, I think of taking what we have and going to the next level: supporting more women-identifying writers to bring their creation to the world through publications; inspiring seasoned and aspiring writers to take up more space and share their stories without any inhibition through our workshops. As we work on our mission and bring beautiful morsels of writing into life, we find that each piece we publish or showcase brings us and our humanity together and helps us nurture our emotions with vulnerability and grace. There is so much power in creation.
Our 2024 will be about amplifying women-identifying authors with our biannual Yellow Arrow Journal, our chapbook series, and our online publication Yellow Arrow Vignette. We can’t wait to introduce you to our first guest editor in the new year and open submissions to Vol. IX, No. 1 in February, release our first 2024 chapbook Beyond the Galleons by Isabel Cristina Legarda, or find new voices to showcase with Vignette. With 2024, we also look to strengthen the voices of women-identifying authors (those taking and those teaching the workshops!) with our 2024 workshop offerings, such as, for the spring, the revamped Poetry is Life, The Written Womb, Write Here Write Now, and Ekphrastic Poetry (SOLD OUT!). And finally, we’re using 2024 to intensify our presence within the Baltimore community and beyond with more in-person and virtual events, festivals, and get togethers.
The word AMPLIFY fills me with a sense of pride and gratitude. It is a sign that we have come a long way fighting through adversities, changes, and challenges to a place where we can dream a little bigger. I am truly thankful for every staff member on the team who has continued to work tirelessly for women-identifying authors. And all of this would not be possible without our readers and supporters. Your faith in the power of creativity, storytelling, and writing was our spark in 2023 and will be our energy to amplify in 2024.
Now, let’s go!
Nikita Rimal Sharma (she/her) currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband, Prashant and dog, Stone. She works at B’More Clubhouse, a community-based, mental health nonprofit organization focused on psychosocial recovery. She graduated with a master’s in public administration from Wichita State University, Kansas, which is where she landed when she first moved to the U.S. in 2013. When she is not working, Nikita is busy reading, writing and reflecting, hiking, or spending time with family and friends. She has been involved with Yellow Arrow Publishing through the Poetry is Life workshop, her first poem ever published in Yellow Arrow Journal, and her first chapbook publication, The most beautiful garden. She loves being a part of this amazing women driven creative community. Nikita is on Yellow Arrow’s board as director of fundraising. Find her on Instagram @nikita.playwithwords.
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Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women-identifying writers through publication and access to the literary arts. You can support us as we AMPLIFY women-identifying creatives this year by purchasing one of our publications or a workshop from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, for yourself or as a gift, joining our newsletter, following us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or subscribing to our YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 65185, Baltimore, Maryland 21209). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.