The Apiary Issue 6 and The Future of Student Publication

By Fleur Howe and Laura Ward

The Apiary is returning for its 6th issue with a new logo, new editor, and their biggest publication to date. Editor, Dara McWade spoke with us about their latest edition, discussing the process from submission to print. Their newest sponsors, The Annual Fund, alongside his enthusiastic team have ensured the release of this momentous issue.

The Apiary, a print magazine that combines creative and critical writings, with illustration and photography was founded in 2020 by Ríbh Browlee and Caitlin Young, and has become crucial to the QUB literary scene. The magazine – beautifully designed, and filled with engaging and daring work – has now extended its content, placing literary criticism, and translation alongside poetry, short prose, and photography. In the editors note, Dara expresses how The Apiary exists as an artifact, a collection reflective of the current time and place. It became apparent through our discussion that the outstanding theme of this edition is the idea of Generation Rent – the namesake of the largest prose piece in the collection. The term ‘Generation Rent’ refers to the impossibility of buying a house in today’s current economic climate. Dara noted how this piece was a unanimous ‘yes’ amongst editors during the selection process. Generation Rent is a piece which explores the social anxiety surrounding the cost of living, how money, and lack thereof it has become an increasing source of anxiety. As Dara claims:

“It feels of the moment.”

Whilst the editors set no theme for this issue, as they have done in previous years, a theme emerged organically, speaking deeply to the society it is reflective of.

For the first time since its conception, the collection has introduced a translation section, introduced by Head Editor, Dara, and monitored by translations editor Cian Dunne – offering a window to the wider world. In The Apiary’s 6^th Issue includes 5 translated poem, courtesy of Dunne; poems are translated from Russian, Chinese and Spanish. This translation section opens a new field of study and expression in The Apiary. The translations open the multicultural contribution from Queen’s students, exploring further the impacts of generational relation, movement, and a celebration of multilingualism – a field which can only grow from here.

The Apiary had around 200 submission this year and have managed to include 36 of them, their largest issue to date. Dara expressed that for him the editing process is one of discussion and suggestion, placing emphasis on ‘not changing the writer’s voice’ insisting that it is his job to ‘make the work more itself’. Each piece is distinctly powerful, and unique – The Apiary offers a space for experimentation and boldness.

The Apiary is tied to the QUB Writers Society has become an integral part of Queen’s culture, it is a space for students, staff, and alumni to publish their work. When asked what he hopes for the future of The Apiary and student publication Dara posed that in order for The Apiary to continue to flourish, there needs to be a centralised publication board at Queen’s. A board and community for all the student publications to receive adequate support from the university. Universities such as Trinity College Dublin have a similar system in place which allows for the success and longevity of print publication within university life. The new Student’s Union posed hope for clubs and societies, but it lacks space for societies to exist there. Dara stated the important and pertinent question,

“How can we support the writers of tomorrow without dedicated space and funding?”

For The Apiary, and literary culture at Queen’s the new Seamus Heaney Centre is sure to have greater accessibility, a space that the SU failed to provide.

The Apiary Issue 6 is due to publish on the 6^th of March and is available in No Alibis in Botanic – and we for one cannot wait to get our hands on this gorgeously cultivated piece.