June 2018

Dear Readers,
Welcome to the second issue of Ink & Sword!
Life is all about balance. No, I am not talking about your
bank account. I am referring to a concept far more
meaningful and what has become a necessity in our
stressful, fast paced lives. The root cause of so many
people falling into depression or suffering from other
physical illnesses is a lack of balance in our society.
There are numerous contrasting views and opinions on
everything and everyone wants to assert their thought,
their opinion, because it is the ‘correct’ one. It pushes
some who are unable to voice their thoughts into a corner
forcing them to suffer in silence. Society needs to
remember the basics: speaking and listening are two
connected parts and only when they work together can
communication be effective and successful. Just like after
a dark night there is a bright morning; after winter there is
summer; bad times are followed by good times. Balance.
The concept of opposing forces coexisting together is a
fragile one. Opposing elements like dark and light, good
and evil, draw energy from one another and often in
doing so take on the characteristics of the other one,
therefore changing roles. The point is – they are temporary
presences. However, if one never experiences the
biting cold of winter, it is quite unlikely they will treasure
the warmth and cheerfulness of a bright summer’s day.
Perhaps that is why writers are needed today; to shed
light on areas overlooked by society, to voice thoughts
that have long gone unheard, to spread positivity and
create a connection between people bypassing borders
and cultural differences. On that note, I would like to
thank all the writers who took an interest in our magazine
and sent us their work.
A lot of work goes into setting up and managing a literary
magazine, and since our first issue we have definitely
learned quite a few things. It has been an exciting - sometimes
nerve wracking - journey and we are thrilled to
finally release the latest issue. It greatly pleases us to
announce that we have TWO featured writers in this
issue! It was pure luck we came across their composed
pieces which immediately grabbed our interest, and we
are overjoyed to be able to showcase their amazing talent.
By launching Ink & Sword, I wanted to tap the hidden
potential in every aspiring writer and help them become
better, so they can achieve their literary dreams. Following
this thought, we contacted a few renowned authors
and got the opportunity to interview them! We asked
questions about their writing process, the struggles they
faced, their characters – all of which, we hope, will
inspire and motivate you.
With that, I bid you farewell so that you can proceed to
indulge in our pages full of literary fiction and fun!
-Rayya Taha, Editor-in-Chief
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