Crossing Borders Magazine

Storytelling and the storyteller's calling is a sacred art and the power of narrating stories can be magical...

Download 'Introduction'

When I was asked for the first time to be a facilitator for a creative writing workshop that would be conducted in English, I was surprised. I thought, surely, my status as a francophone writer is well known. I write in French, primarily, and my literary production attests to this. How could I work with English-speaking writers, some young but others more established, and be a workshop leader in a language that is not my own...

Download 'Facilitating a Creative Writing Workshop'

Reaction to being published in CB magazine

'It was a wonderful surprise to learn that a second story had made it to the Crossing Borders online magazine. I am particularly pleased because I wrote this story with my children, some of the words in it are theirs and so they are as pleased as I am.'

Download 'Where is the Rain?'

Reaction to being published in CB magazine

'News of my story being accepted for Issue Eight Crossing Borders magazine took me by big surprise. This is because I had submitted several stories previously and one of them, 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' was featured in Issue Seven. Having another story selected for Issue Eight was simply beyond my wildest expectation. I hope the people in the crowded cyber café in Nairobi where I received the news understood my reaction; I stubbed the air with my fist several times. Thank you so much British Council, and the wonderful people that make the Crossing Borders magazine happen.'

Download 'Reversed Roles'

Reaction to being published in CB Magazine

'My mother had been sick for close to one month. I hardly ever had any time to visit the internet. I told her about my writing and the stories I sent out. I had some trouble with a story I sent to a competition on behalf of a friend and I wanted to give up on writing. She encouraged me to write. Not because she approved of writing but because she despised weakness and giving up was a weakness she despised the most. I always wanted to please her and on the day of her death, three days ago, I gave my friend my e-mail address and password to send an urgent message. It was so ironic that as I was crying in my room staring at her photo and telling her I wanted to give up, he called. He told me he had read an urgent message from Sophie Goodwin about a story in a Crossing Borders magazine. That meant my story was in! I cried and cried. No words can describe how I felt. The battle was finally over. My mother could rest proud knowing I would continue to write, to live. I am not going to give up anymore. My gratitude for this opportunity that has been provided for me knows no boundaries. Thank you all at Crossing Borders. May God bless you.'

Download 'The Blue Bible'

Reaction to being published in CB magazine

'I was really excited when I found out that my story was to be published in Crossing Borders magazine. I had submitted entries to previous issues of the magazine but somehow they never made it. And as a fairly young writer, I am naturally excited at the opportunity to publish electronically given that with the almost infinite reach of the internet, you really never know who is going to read your work. It is this, I believe that makes publishing online exciting in a weird sense, knowing that you can reach the person seated right next to you in a cyber cafe, just like you can reach that other faceless guy at the other end of the world that you might never get to meet in your life - all at the touch of a mouse button! Any wonder that they call the internet one of the great wonders of the world? I hope it opens up an exciting new audience for me'.

Download 'Seasoning'

Reaction to being published in CB magazine

'I was excited when I received the email informing me my work has been selected for publication. My prose had been featured in the first issue of Crossing Borders, and I wanted my poetry to be published too. My mentor, Caroline Gilfillan, was kind enough to work with me in both Prose and Poetry, and having being published in both these genres is proof that something was accomplished in the mentoring scheme. I thank my mentor for encouraging me to write, and for the invaluable tips she gave me. My thanks also go to the British Council staff in Lusaka, Zambia.'

Download 'A Song of Africa and Other Poems'