Era Journal: Co-Editor-in-Chief

Hello everyone! My position as Era Journal’s literature sub-editor these past two terms has showed me how much I enjoy participating in this society, along with all the amazing experiences and opportunities that I’ve gained along the way. I love the quality of submissions that I’ve encountered thus far – they’ve all been incredibly well-researched, well-written, multifaceted, and interesting! Editing and putting together write-ups has always been a passion of mine, and I've always believed that there is something truly magical about viewing the end-results of a thought provoking and carefully curated publication.

I love working with different writing styles and media choices, and am eager to view the stories that individuals from various backgrounds and cultures share. From my summertime job of editing and translating web novels for Phoenixgate Solutions (a translation company based in my home country Malaysia), to editing various psychological, biographical, and political manuscripts as part of my freelance editorial internship, my interests in all aspects of humanities reach far and wide.

Having encountered a wide range of articles dealing with various subject matters, it would be an honour to take on the rewarding experience of working as Era Journal’s co-editor-in-chief.

Hi! I’m Kimi, a second-year, History of Art student. My role as Music Editor has been so rewarding. I’ve enjoyed sharing my love for music, reading articles, and honing in on something I’m passionate about: achieving more nuanced and critical levels of music discourse, avoiding the trope of industry-led, predictable journalism that has taken over music magazines at present. This goal has allowed the editing process to be valuable for both myself and writers, bouncing off of each other’s ideas and creating a conversation that expands our perspectives and, in turn, the articles. However, writer engagement and incentive to submit is low. The pandemic has disrupted live music and press events, these close-at-hand and inspiring experiences seem harder to access than before. Knowing this, I would work towards making Era's press links much more active so that writers go to gigs, exhibitions or shows with the incentive to write and make connections between art collectives and the journal.

White-centrism in the arts is still pervasive. As a journal, we have to actively ensure that the diversity of the arts is given its due representation and that our platform is openly encouraging BAME writers and artists. Not only would this allow the journal to do justice to London's multi-culturalism, but it would also strengthen Era's ethos of progressive, high-quality journalism and content, showcasing contributions from a wide array of perspectives.

Hi, I’m Mina and I’m a second year Anthropology student. I have loved being Art and Design Editor since the beginning of Term 2 so I’m eager to continue within Era Journal as Co Editor-in-Chief. Having joined Era Journal halfway through the year and between print editions, I have adapted to the role quickly, developed my editing skills, and become very familiar with how Era Journal is run.

Editing my section has allowed me to collaborate with talented writers in UCL whilst indulging in my love of art and culture; I have been regularly recommending exhibitions to the Era community, both to encourage reviews and inspire members to engage with London’s extensive resources. As EIC I would implement shorter, more frequent reviews for all types of art and culture to bring readers back to the journal but also to make contributing less daunting. Students offer a unique and necessary angle on contemporary issues: posing the same prompt to writers for each journal section could be a way to take advantage of this, offering a more holistic and varied angle to a subject by combining their work. I am passionate about using our platform to champion marginalised groups and I think this would be an effective way to create a space to have these critical conversations. Era Journal has been a hugely valuable part of my experience at UCL (especially after Covid!) so I would love to broaden our outreach by hosting more free events and workshops.

Hi, I’m Romilly; as Music Sub-Editor and contributing writer, Era has been a huge part of my uni experience and I would love to take my involvement further in being Co Editor-in-Chief. Developing a wonderful collection of articles for both of this year’s print editions has been so valuable; working on these pieces has enriched my own awareness of the music industry as well as having refined my editing skills. Reaching out to peers to write for Music created a dynamic working environment; being able to get to know the writer and share thoughts face-to-face was really invaluable: as EIC I would commit to harbouring a community of writers and editors can contact one another for pieces to respond to the developing cultural world in the most thoughtful ways possible. This year,I covered the opening of Vlatka Horvat’s By Hand, On Foot at PEER, a gallery committed to nurturing the growth of new and established artists alike. As EIC, I would aim to adopt a similar ethos: providing exposure to smaller artists is so necessary in the evolution of the arts, yet reaching out and making connections with bigger industry names is so valuable in terms of journalistic development and opportunities that can arise. To me, celebrations of both UCL artists and the entire creative world is what sets Era apart as a student journal, and being able to give back to the Era community as EIC by providing a platform and experience for writers and creatives alike would be an honour.

As Co-Editor in Chief, I want to help foster a community of creatives from diverse backgrounds and interests. With Era being UCL's dedicated arts and culture journal, I intend to use my position to platform writers, performers and artists in a way that allows for the cultivation of the untapped potential that currently exists in the society. 

Being an international student has given me the skills to collaborate with creatives from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds. I have been a contributor to Era since my first year with my prose piece. Since then, I have written for the Theatre section for both print and online. Outside of Era, I am mostly involved with the Musical Theatre Society, not only as an actor but also as the current Workshops Coordinator. As an English literature student, I also feel that my literary background would lend itself well to this position. 

Hi! I'm Zosia, and I'm a 2nd year Archaeology and Anthropology student. Due to the nature of my degree, people as creative creatures has always been at the centre of my attention. I would love to continue my adventure with Era as a Co-Editor-In-Chief to help maintain and curate this creative and inclusive platform. 

Being the co-curator of the LISTEN section and a contributor to the Arts&Design and Theatre sections has only deepened my interest in journalism, editing, and learning how to operate within the world of stories. One of the most exciting parts of the job was uncovering the motives behind somebody's work and making sure I do their story justice. Following my placement as a Junior Advisor in the Archaeology Alive magazine I've gained the necessary editing skills, as I was responsible for reviewing the issues and advising on how to make the journal more appealing to their target audience.

As the new EIC I would strive to open up the journal to even more collaborations by fostering relationships with collectives of independent creatives. As part of my personal research, I have maintained contact with several small businesses focused on arts and culture, and would love to use those connections to widen our target audience. Secondly, this year I have witnessed the success of the events put on by the current senior committee and I would love to continue down this path and focus on a more in-person experience of the Era.

I’m Ariana, a 2nd year philosophy student. I've been Literature Editor for Era this year and have been trying to think of a way to say this without sounding exceedingly corny—I just really love Era.

I found Era last year, deep in lockdown. It was the first place I ever shared my writing, where my love of writing became part of me, what inspired me to take up poetry, and gave me the courage to share it. Era has come to define my time at UCL. 

Being Literature Editor has been an amazing learning experience and I feel has equipped me with the skills I would need in this role. I've developed a sense of what speaks to the Era audience, an appreciation of our writers’ capacity for deep reflection, and a general sense of what makes a good magazine. I have also tried to encourage anyone with an artistic aptitude to contribute to Era, and as the year has progressed have had an increasingly good response!

I see Era as a safe, nonjudgmental community, and a unique, authentic channel for any creative energy. I believe it has potential to be a source of motivation to explore this facet of imagination. One of my aims for this role is to build on the foundations laid this year, and encourage an even more diverse pool of contributors and a wider audience–from different academic, ethnic, and social backgrounds. 

I would love to take care of Era, like I did the literature section this year, and have more people fall in love with it the way I did.