I still remember the day I presented my parents with a folder of ten poems and stories painstakingly written out in my best handwriting—a big deal when one is nine years old. I told my parents that I wanted to get it published, and to my surprise, they agreed. My mom grabbed her phone and searched for a place where students could submit writing, and the first thing she saw was Stone Soup. That is where my journey began. It was an amazing community: warm, friendly, and teeming with creativity.
I am a writer like any other. I rejoice over the rare acceptance, collect the rejection emails with false bravado, and write at the most inconvenient times. But Stone Soup has been a constant in my life since that evening, a source of inspiration, motivation, and entertainment. And I wanted to create a platform like that myself, for students all around the world.
The Blue Bell Review is the result of a long-cherished dream. We had setbacks: team members dropping out at the last minute, the website developing software going crazy, and occasional times where I thought, "This is not going to work out." But hey! We pulled through, and we are here to stay. We will make mistakes, we are definitely going to mess up, but we will keep going.
Reading the previous paragraphs over, I realize it sounds like some sort of motivational speech. Maybe it is supposed to be one? Anyway, Blue Bell Review is going to be, I hope, a platform where you can turn up with a folder of your own artwork and stories, and then see it come alive, just like I was able to.
We are here to be a safe, exciting place for those nine-year-olds with their handwritten folders and for the seasoned high school writers battling their third round of revisions. We promise to read every submission with care, to cheer for your successes, and to stand ready to grow alongside you.
You would not believe how excited I am as I type this out. I can see a bright future ahead: new issues, anthologies, reviews, painting, sculptures, and collages.
I truly can't wait!
We have officially opened our doors to submissions. Head over to our "Submit" page to see our guidelines and become a part of our first issue. Show us what's in your folder.
~ Elaine Elizabeth Jinto
Editor-in-Chief
We have a lot of other opportunities in store for you. For starters there's Beyond The Lines, a book club for teens based in Asia, run by the Stone Soup Magazine where we contemplate, question and criticize. It is lead by two members of our team, Elaine and Keziah.
We are also planning on starting a student column, for our newsletter. If you are interested in writing about writing or art please email us at editorbluebell@gmail.com.
We also require volunteers to join our team. We are a student-led non-profit, and while we prioritize student volunteers, we welcome adult professionals to apply for Board Member roles based on their expertise.
We are currently seeking help in these areas:
- Blog Writing
- Workshop Facilitation (Students & Adults Welcome)
- Submission Review
- Marketing & Outreach
This is a great opportunity for you all to work with a creative non-profit.
Interested? Get more details on our volunteer page.
