Student led anthology series made reality

Working with the Bowen Street Press (BSP), students of the Master of Writing and Publishing program celebrated their contributors, designers and editors who helped make the Anthologies Series a reality.

Founded in 2016, Bowen Street Press (BSP) is a student-run publishing house that produces books, magazines and digital content through a range of different partnerships with industry, not-for-profits, and institutional collaborators.

BSP proudly holds the title of being the most hands-on teaching press in the country, embodying a harmonious fusion of dedication, practical experience, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

The Anthologies Series was unveiled this year, marking another significant milestone in our publishing journey.

Read about the books that RMIT students have worked on below.

The Letterbox

The Letterbox is a literary zine collecting an assortment of letters and writings that share the beauty of our unvoiced moments hidden within an envelope. Here, the readers will share the timeless joys, sorrows, hopes and fears that permeate our day-to-day life.

Creator Elizabeth Lamb said she enjoyed the entirety of the project.

"I enjoyed the editing process and working with our authors to be most satisfying," she said.

"Showing them that I had understood their visions (or not and gently discussing my confusion) and helping to bring their voices into focus was a process that I will cherish."

Every aspect of this project has been delightful.

Lost & Found

Lost & Found is a collated family scrap-book that includes fragments of each of our contributors families. A compilation of non-fiction stories/materials that explore both lost and found family (biological and chosen). It explores themes of what family means through childhood memories, ancestral history, and family secrets—expressed through forms such as essays, poems and photos.

Home and Content

Home and Content is a new nonfiction anthology showcasing writing that explores our relationships with home and the pursuit of belonging. The anthology includes a range of texts and media, including essays, poetry, narrative nonfiction and photography. It offers hope and consolation, while also challenging the limitations of traditional ideas of home and reflecting on the challenges and setbacks of finding it.

Contributors from all over the country and all over the world have sent their pieces to the BSP to be published by its students.

Grit and Growing

Grit and Growing is a fiction anthology about coming of age: the attainment of maturity, often at the expense of innocence. Growing up is not always linear; we stumble, regress and fall flat on our faces as we journey into adulthood. We want your stories and insights into the unique struggles and triumphs of adolescence, when emotions are at their peak and every decision feels like the end of the world. The pimple popping, parent-hating, bullied and bullies are the feature characters of this fiction anthology, which captures the joys, sorrows and anguish that is coming of age.

Frazzle

Frazzle is a new magazine for 18–30 year olds trying to stay sane. We know that finding balance when you’re working, studying, socialising and trying to navigate a cost-of-living crisis is no small feat. And we’re tired of wellness culture insisting that self-care is as simple as owning a smoothie-maker and meditating for 30 minutes a day. We’ve acknowledged the chaos and imbalance that is a living reality for most young people and show readers that they’re not the only ones who struggle from time to time—or a lot of the time.

Are you a writer/artist/poet/creator, looking to test your professional mettle and expand your portfolio?

Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to work with the BSP and get that first taste.

Find out more about Bowen Street Press

Story: Radha Sekar and Elizabeth Lamb

30 October 2023

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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Student led anthology series made reality