HEALING Ink, an inspiring new poetry anthology, is calling for submissions from poets aged 18 and under to share their original work on the theme of healing and mental health.

The anthology will be launched at the Glenwood Book Fair which will be held in partnership with the Glenwood Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) at the Phansi Museum from May 30 until June 1. Sarada Naidoo, a writer and editor of Healing Ink, said the aim of putting together the anthology is to shine a spotlight on healing with words by amplifying the voices of those who have faced mental health challenges and come out stronger.

Inspired by her personal struggles, Naidoo said Healing Ink includes poems she wrote following her journey with mental health. Healing Ink aims to provide a platform where young people can express their true emotions through their writing, offering them a sense of comfort and solidarity.

“It’s important to focus on the mental health of young poets as many people tend to bottle up their feelings or keep to themselves,” said Naidoo. “Poets express their true emotion through their writing, thus not always being open about how they are really feeling about a situation, which can do more harm than good. It’s important to help; poems can be an outlet to express their emotions and situations freely and verbally.”

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Healing Ink encourages the writer and readers to understand that they are not alone in their struggles and that their emotions are valid and nothing to be ashamed of. “This anthology is meant to bring comfort in a way for those reading it and contributing to it, it’s also meant to remind people not to judge a person before you’ve heard their story because every person has gone through their fair share of battles,” said Naidoo.

The submission review process will be handled by the Healing Ink team, led by their publisher. Submissions will be evaluated based on their relevance to the anthology’s theme, emotional impact, and academic quality. Poets are invited to submit their work before April 30. Naidoo is hopeful that the anthology will be available both in bookstores and online, making it accessible to a wide audience.

If successful, Healing Ink may consider further projects to continue its mission of promoting mental health through poetry. Do not miss this opportunity to contribute to a meaningful anthology and have your voice heard at the Glenwood Book Fair. To submit your poems on mental health, email anivesh@mweb.co.za by April 30. Entry to the Glenwood Book Fair at the Phansi Museum, 500 Esther Roberts Road, is free.

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