On “Stories of Rebellion”
Greetings, Hillfire readers!
In November 2022, we announced a new partnership with The Selkie, a non-profit literary magazine founded to support and publish the work of writers and artists from diverse backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the creative industry. As sister publications, we have a lot in common. We share similar origin stories—we were both established here in Edinburgh by creative writing graduates from Edinburgh Uni. We share a commitment to craft, development, and community. And these days, we share quite a few team members!
On behalf of both of our teams, I am excited to tell you a little bit about The Selkie’s latest anthology, Stories of Rebellion, released on February 24, 2024.
Last summer, the Selkie team voted on a theme for a new anthology; we chose ‘rebellion’.
From Antigone's fiery speeches defying the will of a king to uprisings in the dystopian societies of contemporary young adult fiction, literature has long served as a means for exploring themes of revolution and rebellion. These narratives not only entertain us but also challenge the status quo, ignite our sense of justice, and prompt us to interrogate the systems that govern our lives.
And yet, rebellion isn't always about grand gestures or massive sociopolitical movements. Literature also explores more personal forms of defiance, like Huck Finn's pursuit of freedom or Maya Angelou’s unshakable declaration of joy, dignity, and resilience in the face of racism. These acts of individual resistance demonstrate the power of personal conviction when fighting to overcome hardship or injustice.
Our team eagerly waited to see how writers would interpret this topic, and the wait was well-rewarded. Our Submission Readers selected a beautiful range of poems and short stories. I wish I could mention them all, but I will call out a few in the hope that they will whet your appetite to experience the collection in full.
“The Stars Before They Fall”—Zack Wilkins’s tale of first love, jerry-rigged telescopes, and battles against both illness and guardians who are sticklers—is gorgeously bittersweet.
In “Death of a Diva,” James J. Siegel interweaves echoes of the twentieth-century fight for gay rights—growing increasingly resonant in this time of emboldened prejudice—and adoration for Judy Garland as an escape from homophobia, a way to imagine there is a safe place to come home to.
A speaker in Oenone Thomas’s “Forms of Protest” practices a new skill: saying no. Dana Knott’s “Resolutions” joyfully defy conventional wisdom. Girls with flying braids and skirts race through Roxane Llanque’s “Bowler Sky Imilla” on skateboards.
In “Acceptable,” Surabhi Naik urges those who would persecute women to interrogate their own self-worth instead.
M. J. Gomez’s “Love Poem In Spite of Electron Repulsion” is—appropriately—both minutely specific and epic all at once, and it has stuck with me ever since I first read it.
These and many more authors’ pieces are the heart and soul of this collection, but much like Hillfire Anthology, Stories of Rebellion would not exist without the collaboration and hard work of the team at The Selkie, who are all volunteers. This dedication to amplifying voices committed to the work of ‘undeceiving the world’ through art, to borrow Seamus Heaney’s words, is something I am proud and grateful to be a part of—something that brings me joy and hope.
And after all, aren’t those two emotions at the heart of every great story of rebellion? Joy, an experience that affirms that the world is worth saving, worth holding out for, and hope, that all is not lost, that the choices we make will matter and play a small part in bringing about change.
Stories of Rebellion is out now and available here. A recording of the online release party can be found on YouTube.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carly Craig is a British-American writer and business analyst based in Edinburgh. She is the Executive Editor for Hillfire Press and a copy editor for The Selkie. She studied at the New England Young Writers’ Conference and the University of Edinburgh, where she was awarded an MA in English Literature.