WELCOME
TO
OUR POETRY ARCHIVE
Dear readers; with this April
number Our Poetry Archive is in its fifth year of web publishing. We have
successfully completed four years over the net with 48 monthly web editions and
four Anthologies. It was 1st April 2015; the first issue of Our Poetry Archive
was published. At that moment even I had no idea about the future of OPA. Yet
it was my dream to create a monthly poetry journal over the internet where
writers from different literary traditions with different cultural heritages
would gather and exchange their literary vision through their own literary
merit and poetical brilliance. No, not at that point of time, when I was
preparing that particular first issue of OPA, I had any idea of its future
success. Yet I had that belief in my mind with a clear conscience that this
cultural exchange between people of different parts of the world with different
racial, religious, and national backgrounds is an essential aspect of the human
civilization. Poetry is actually an instrument to express the rhythm of our
life and also to carry forward the essence of that rhythm towards the future
generations as well as towards other communities. Actually poetry brings different souls closer
to each other. They touch the inner cords of the hearts and can create a symphony
of human souls dancing with the tune of the eternity. We at Our Poetry Archive
really do believe this from our heart. All our efforts always remain along with
this direction only. Yes, we have come along more than four years across this
path to bring different cultural traditions and literary heritages more and
more close to each other. We hope our mission will pick-up to the next gear in
the upcoming years with the constant support and contributions of our poets and
readers around the world. So I do feel that poetry is a vital medium of
cultural exchange. This belief has
propelled me physically to create Our Poetry Archive and to publish it monthly
so that we can accommodate a considerable volume of poetry over the time. And
yes, since then we are doing this phenomenally.
And during this phenomenal journey
I am really fortunate enough to get unconditional support and tremendous help
form few extraordinary people who realized this concept and liked my vision.
They have eventually joined in the editorial team to put forward my dream
project and have helped OPA to gain international fame through their hard work.
Personally I’ll remain ever grateful to each of them. And what OPA has achieved
today in the literary field worldwide, credits definitely go to them. I would
like to introduce them all to our readers once again.
ALICJA MARIA KUBERSKA – awarded Polish poetess,
novelist, journalist, editor. She writes both Polish and English. She is an
author of many volumes. Her poems have been published in numerous anthologies
and magazines in Poland, Czech Republic, the USA, the UK, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Hungary, Albania, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Israel, Canada, India, Italy,
Uzbekistan, South Korea, Taiwan and
Australia. She won : medal on Nosside poetry competition in Italy, medal of
European Academy Science, Arts and Letters in France, statuette in Lithuania.
She was also twice nominated to the Pushcart Prize in the USA. Alicja Kuberska
is a member of the Polish Writers Associations in Warsaw, Poland and IWA Bogdani,
Albania. She is also a member of directors’ board of Soflay Literature
Foundation.
ANCA MIHAELA BRUMA: Educator, lecturer,
performance poet, eclectic thinker, mentor with staunch multi-cultural mindset
and entrepreneurial attitude, Anca Mihaela Bruma considers herself a global
citizen, having lived in four continents. Her eclecticism can be seen in her
intertwined studies, she pursued: a Bachelor of Arts (Romania) and a Master of
Business Administration (Australia). The author labels her own writings as
being “mystically sensual”, a tool and path for women to claim their own inner
feminine powers. She uses poetics as a form of literary education,
self-discovery and social. Anca-Mihaela Brumă strives to continuously challenge and change the
world we live in by means of ART, and it is by breaking away from old
traditions that she invigorates the art world in pursuit of a new emotional
intellect. It is central to her own belief that it is her duty to empower,
motivate, inspire, educate and heal. The awakening of the latent gifts we all
perhaps unknowingly possess is also central to her quest. In an astute and
complex combination of art forms,
Dr. APRILIA ZANK is an educationist, freelance
lecturer for Creative Writing and Translation Theory, as well as a multilingual
poet, translator, editor from Munich, Germany and an Author of the Poetry book
BAREFOOT TO ARCADIA. Born in Romania, she studied English and French Literature
and Linguistics at the University of Bucharest, and then moved to Munich,
Germany where she received her PhD degree in Literature and Psycholinguistics
for her thesis, THE WORD IN THE WORD Literary Text Reception and Linguistic
Relativity, from the Ludwig Maximilian University, where she started her
teaching career. The research for her PhD thesis was done in collaboration with
six universities from Europe, and as a visiting lecturer at Alberta University
of Edmonton, Canada. Dr Aprilia writes verses in English and German, French and
Romanian and was awarded a distinction at the “Vera Piller” Poetry Contest in
Zurich. Her poetry collection, TERMINUS ARCADIA, was 2nd Place Winner at the
Twowolvz Press Poetry Chapbook Contest 2013. In 2018, she was awarded the title
“Dr. Aprilia Zank – Germany Beat Poet Laureate”, by the National Beat Poetry
Foundation (USA). She has been an acclaimed guest at cultural events in Germany,
Great Britain, Canada, Turkey, Singapore and Romania, where she read her poems,
delivered lectures on various topics. Her poems and articles are published in
many ezines and Anthologies of different countries.
DEBORAH BROOKS-LANGFORD (poet,
novelist, and writer) was born in Gastonia, NC July13 1951 (a military brat
so-to-speak). She was the oldest of eight children. Deborah went to High
School, in Columbia; SC. They lived in Germany and Spain and Turkey. Her father's side of the family comes from
Cherokee North Carolina and her mother's families are English. She now resides
in Covington Tennessee. Deborah has been writing poems all her life. Her
passion is poetry. She loves to
write—writing and poetry and stories are her life. She is a published Author of
forty-eight books. Deborah has been in so many anthology books that she cannot
count. Deborah has co- wrote lot more poetry books with talented poets. Deborah
is Vice President and co-owner plus Marketing director and accountant with
WILDFIRE PUBLICATIONS, LLC. She wears many hats. Although she is retired she
couldn’t sit still and that’s why she started writing professionally.
LEYLA IŞIK: Educator, poet, writer and artist. She is a member of
the 'World Nation Writers Union' and chief representative WNWU in Turkey. She
completed the primary and secondary education in İzmir. She studied at the Teacher Training College in Uşak. She
graduated from the Faculty of Education of Eskişehir Anadolu University and retired from the primary
school. She is Vice President of KIBATEK and International Organization and
Project Coordinator. Leyla Işık has received many valuable awards in her literature
life: 2003 - İKSDER İzmir Culture and Art Association "Halikarnas
Fisher Cevat Şakir" First
Prize Poetry Award, 2008 - Şaire Mesheti Gencevi (MŞM) Honorary Diploma on behalf of Azerbaijani
Baku Poet Mesheti Genjevifor Serving Turkish World Literature. 2015 World Young
Writers Association (DGTYB) Literary Award. 2016 Rumen Dialect, Poetry, Art,
Literature Platform International Literature, Friendshipand Peace Prize. 2017
Pablo Neruda Cultural Association "Neruda Award". 2017 Pentasi B
World Friendship Poetry 2017 ”Universal Inspirational Poet 2017” award.
MARIA A. MIRAGLIA: Born in Italy, has an
expanded consciousness and considers herself a cosmopolitan. She loves
travelling and interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
A long time member of Amnesty International for the defense of Human Rights,
she herself founder of World Foundation for Peace. She graduated in Foreign
Languages and Literatures and got a Master’s degree in Evaluation and
Assessment at Aldo Moro University of
Bari; a Master’s degree in Teaching of Modern Languages at the University of
Rome and the HLC (highest- level Certification) from Trinity College-UK. Maria
taught in public high secondary schools, was lecturer in courses for
post-graduate students, in courses for language teachers, was tutor in English,
Scottish and Irish colleges for Italian students and collaborated with the Department
of Education for studies and projects relating to international language
certifications.
STACIA REYNOLDS: She resides in the state of Ohio,
United States of America. She is an Independent Contracting Editor and
Freelance Writer, Poet, and the Published Author of Escape Down the Roman Road,
A Poetic Journey Through Life, and is also published in various group poetry
collections. She is also on the Editorial Team of “Our Poetry Archive.” Stacia
began her English degree at Owens Community College, continued her BA in
English through the University of Phoenix. She is now finishing a degree in
Biblical Studies, through Ohio Christian University. She is 46 years old, a
follower of Christ Jesus, whose life’s goal is to encourage others with her
words.
And now we have a new member form
Kolkata in our editorial team. She has recently joined OPA.
IPSITA GANGULI: She describes herself as a student
of the myriad experiences that life holds out. She is quintessentially a
“people’s person” and relishes connecting with a variety of lives. Post a 20
year career in the corporate world, including telecom, logistics and luxury
hotels, Ipsita has now embarked into a whole new journey trying her space out
in the world of industrial manufacturing of enamel and ceramic frits. All through her life she remains a compulsive
scribbling her emotions at the back of a notebook or on a tissue paper. Her
poems have been published in several national and international e zines and
anthologies over the years. Her recent book” Of Love, Longing and Random
Pondering” was launched in the Kolkata Book Fair.
And finally I would like to thank all
our poets; it is only for their continuous support and contributions that has
helped us to achieve this so far. We’ll remain obliged ever to each of them.
Thank you all.
From The Editorial Desk
OPA
A
WORLDWIDE WRITERS’ WEB
PRESENTATION!
PUBLISHED BY
OPA
OUR
POETRY ARCHIVE
ONLINE MONTHLY POETRY JOURNAL
email us to:
**************************************
