Preface This edition of Vortex is dedicated to the memory of Neil McCaw, who served as Editor-in-Chief for many years. His vision and wisdom continue to inspire us all. Each year, a new editorial board of creative writing students comes together to discuss submissions, select work, edit, design and market our annual anthology of poetry and prose. As we welcome you to the sixteenth edition of our literary magazine, we pause to consider what it means to us, and what it might mean to you. This magazine, for us, is about voices – singular, multiple, individual. The aim of this editorial board has been to champion the creativity of our peers and showcase the work of students at the University of Winchester. The submissions this year amazed us with the volume of perspectives on offer and the variety and vibrancy of the content. We hope our selection allows a breather from the world, but also an opportunity to contemplate the times we live in with an open and unflinching gaze. This edition, right here and now – or ‘write’ here, if we may – reflects our contemporary world and challenges us to see it in new ways, as well as riffing on the nature of creativity and the way we use words to portray the human experience. Vortex 2022, along with all previous copies of Vortex, is available to view for free at www.issuu.com/uowvortex. Thank you for reading. The Editorial Board The University of Winchester
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