I sat down with Andrew in the beautiful Green Heart park to learn more about what inspired him to bring the New Nottingham Journal to life.
What has inspired you to bring back the name of the Nottingham Journal?
I think because I’ve grown up here, I’ve always felt very attached to the city. That connection deepened when I moved to London, I developed a kind of Nottingham patriotism. It was partly driven by the way people in the South perceived us. Some would even refer to the city as “Shottingham,” which made me feel a bit defensive and, in turn, prouder of where I’m from.
When I moved back to the city, I started working at LeftLion as the Literature Editor, and I came across a brilliant book by John Baird called Follow the Moon and Stars, which explores Nottingham’s literary history. Interestingly, the idea for the book started as a City of Literature blog post and then grew into something more substantial, so it already has a blog-like format when you read it.
What really stood out to me was the network of connections it drew between various Nottingham writers throughout history and their links to the Nottingham Journal. For example, D.H. Lawrence once entered a painting competition run by the Journal, and J.M. Barrie worked there for a time. In fact, it was during Barrie’s stint as a journalist for the Journal that he found inspiration for Peter Pan while walking in the Arboretum. Graham Greene also worked for the paper, though he was famously unhappy during his time in Nottingham and reportedly hated the city. I think that was because it was a rather smoggy city a hundred years ago, so a bit of a dismal place to live. Then there was Cecil Roberts, who served as one of the Journal’s editors and later became a very well-known novelist in his time, though his work isn’t widely read today.
What stood out to me was how the Nottingham Journal seemed to serve as a uniting force and a centre of opportunity for writers, some already prominent, others who would go on to become so. That really excited me, and began to give the name a little buzz.
Following that, I did some research of my own into the history of the Nottingham Journal. It began as The Weekly Courant in 1712, became the Nottingham Journal by the mid-1770s, and continued until it merged under a new name in the 1950s before folding altogether in the 1970s. Learning all this inspired me to create The New Nottingham Journal. It’s definitely not a direct continuation of that newspaper; I don’t own the historic rights to that, but it’s very much influenced by the spirit, ideas, and opportunities that the original Journal represented.
The new journal also draws inspiration from other local publications, of which we have such a rich back catalogue in Nottingham, and from the incredible literary talent we have around us today. I just feel like the city is fizzing with so much creative energy right now, which needs to be shared. There’s such diversity and variety in the work being produced now, and that vibrancy has only grown stronger since lockdown. It’s genuinely invigorating.
With all that in mind, I came up with the idea for The New Nottingham Journal, and have started sharing it with others to see what they thought, and it’s kind of snowballed from there, and no one’s stopped it yet!
You speak a little bit about opportunities and the opportunities that the old journal gave people in the past. So what kind of opportunities are you hoping will stem from the new journal? Is there anything specific that you’re hoping will come out of it?
Yeah, there are a few things I’d like to get out of this, both for myself and people in the city. I don’t want to make any grandiose predictions, because that would definitely come back to bite me, but there are a few goals I have in mind. One is to give local writers the opportunity to be published, especially those who haven’t been in print before, as well as to amplify the voices of writers who are already established.
What’s already becoming clear is that, through organisations like Nottingham City of Literature, our universities, and other networks, Nottingham is actually quite internationally connected. It’s the opposite of the stereotypical idea of a parochial English town outside of London, and this is something that is great in helping to challenge and break down that stereotype.
Looking ahead, for the second volume, which will be next year’s issue, I’d like to start building a team. I’m hoping to involve some master’s students from the universities, perhaps as editorial assistants or section editors. But that’s a future goal. For now, I need to focus on figuring out the journal’s editorial tone and get a solid grasp on what I’m doing before I try to teach or guide anyone else.
Really, this first journal is a bit of a learning experience. But I hope it creates opportunities for a wide range of people, both in Nottingham and beyond.
Another thing I feel strongly about is representation. A lot of Nottingham’s literary heritage is rooted in working-class voices, and I want the journal to reflect that. We’re planning to collect some socioeconomic background data, which I know sounds horrible, but the idea is simply to make sure we’re getting work from a broad spectrum of people. It’s not about excluding anyone; it’s about making space for everyone. Literature should be a platform for people from all walks of life.
Given that Nottingham is, by some measures, one of the poorest areas in the country, keeping socioeconomic background in mind, and actively creating opportunities, is something I care deeply about. It feels even more important here, and even more personal to me.
What are the voices or themes that you’re most excited to highlight in the first volume of the journal?
From the first few submissions we’ve received for the Journal, a recurring theme of rebirth and new beginnings seems to have emerged, which actually fits, really well, given the name of the journal. I’m not sure if the title triggered something in people subconsciously, but it’s been amazing to see a thread of consistency running through some of the work. That being said, it’s by no means the dominant theme across the board. We’ve had an incredible range of submissions covering all kinds of topics.
Still, this recurring theme is exciting, and maybe it’s one of the unexpected benefits of being “compelled” to include New in the title. A few people have even told me they really like that aspect, it gives the impression that the journal isn’t some old, staid institution set in its ways. And that’s true: this project is still very much nascent, and bubbling with energy, and it will continue to evolve, even after this first volume is published
There’s going to be a lot of variety in the journal. Some of the content is quite dark, and I’m not going to shy away from including it. But there are also some wonderfully hopeful and optimistic pieces. One piece that stands out is a particularly serious one, inspired by a true story of sexual assault. It’s incredibly thought-provoking and so richly written, and including work like that feels so important. We’ll be placing content warnings where appropriate, especially for pieces like that.
At the other end of things, we also have submissions from writers like Henry Normal – writers like Henry have been super supportive of the project. He’s such an amazing person to have involved, not only as a poet but also because of his contributions to British culture as the co-creator of I’m Alan Partridge and The Royle Family. His poetry spans both serious themes and more lighthearted, comedic pieces. In fact, we’ve got a few comedy writers included in the journal as well, so I’m hopeful we’ll strike a good balance of tones and themes.
In terms of the journal’s reach, it’s become surprisingly international, which is fantastic. I have to thank the City of Literature team for playing a part that, as they’ve helped promote the project across the Cities of Literature network. As a result, we’ve received entries from all over the world: Melbourne, Australia; Dunedin, New Zealand; Heidelberg, Germany; and even several cities across the Americas. It’s genuinely exciting to see that kind of international interest!
Of course, Nottingham still has a strong presence in the journal, and rightly so. There’s a lot of work either from or about the city, which I love. But it’s equally rewarding to have that broader mix, to open up space for different voices and perspectives and give readers a sense of other people’s experiences.
There is one international submission that really stands out in my mind, which came from a trans writer in the Philippines, who submitted an exceptional poem written in English. Not only is it a powerful piece of writing, but it also offers such a compelling and important perspective for readers to encounter. It’s work like that which really enriches the journal and makes the whole project feel worthwhile.
Have you found any unexpected support or encouragement through the project? Or, were there any challenges you weren’t expecting?
Definitely. So far, when I’ve told people about the project, most of them seem relieved they’re not the ones doing it! But honestly, I’ve been amazed by how many kind people have offered their support.
We’ve got an advisory board made up of some great writers from a range of organisations, and they’ve been really engaged, and not in a begrudging way, either. When I first pitched the idea of The New Nottingham Journal, the response was a genuinely enthusiastic “yes,” which was incredibly encouraging.
Now that the project is finally in motion, it’s exciting to be part of something from the ground up. I haven’t really had any negative responses to the idea so far, which has been reassuring.
That said, I’m fully aware that there will come a point where I realise I probably can’t (and shouldn’t) do this all by myself. When that moment arrives, it’ll be the right time to gratefully accept help from the people who’ve already offered to volunteer. I’m also fairly certain there will be a point where I regret taking all this on board, but I think that’s the case with any project that’s really worth doing. You hit a wall, you struggle for a bit, and then you push through, so I’m already preparing for it a little. And once you get past that, then it’s brilliant.
What are your longer-term hopes and ambitions for the journal? Do you have any? And what do you envision for it going forward?
The plan right now is to publish annually, which feels like a good starting point. With the whole project, I’ve been following a bit of an ethos that I heard from Nottingham Forest’s manager Nuno Santo. When he was asked about the possibility of Forest reaching the Champions League, he would always say, “We’re taking it one game at a time.” So, for me, it’s one journal at a time.
Of course, it would be great if the journal developed a regular rhythm and maybe even became a bit of a collectable over time. We’ve had a really beautiful cover designed for this first issue by Jim Brown, a graphic designer who’s generously donating his time. Looking ahead, we’re hoping to create a sense of continuity between editions, each issue will have an annual colour theme, and the spines will line up to create an image when displayed together. They’re kind of cute, pointless little things, but hopefully charming ones. And ideally, they’ll look great on a shelf or coffee table, as well as in libraries.
Accessibility is also a big part of the vision. So many literary journals are quite academic and can feel a bit exclusive. I do love academics and would like some kind of engagement with that world, but I want that to be just a small part of it. At its core, I want the journal to be about telling stories that people from all backgrounds and levels of experience can connect with and enjoy.
I’ve also having conversations with Jared Wilson, who’s the director at LeftLion, and he’s coming on board to help with publishing. I’m working in the LeftLion offices right now. Looking ahead, I’d love for The New Nottingham Journal to become something people enjoy reading and a part of the city’s cultural fabric. There’s already a lot of really great projects out there, so I just want the NNJ to slot into that really.
The Journal slots into both Nottingham’s literary history now, but also into the culture. What does the literary history of Nottingham mean to you in inspiring this?
Like I mentioned before, Nottingham is a big part of who I am. I feel very proud of the city, and that kind of local pride feels like a healthy alternative to nationalism, which can often be quite damaging. Having pride in your hometown seems more grounded and connected to real experience. For me, it’s also about feeling a link to the people who’ve written here before.
A lot of the landmarks are still the same, and as someone who’s definitely a bit of a history geek, that continuity really speaks to me. I’ve always thought that when life feels a bit monotonous, there are two ways to escape that: you can either travel outward and explore the world, or you can drill down into where you already are. And the more you learn about your surroundings, the more fascinating everything becomes.
There’s a word for it, palimpsest, which I think describes something pretty similar. It refers to old scrolls monks used to write on, where the parchment was reused over time. You’d still see traces of the older writing underneath the newer layers. I think cities are a lot like that, full of buried stories and overlapping histories. That layered sense of place can be really powerful. It gives you a feeling that others have walked similar paths before you, and you want to honour that in some way. But at the same time, we’re not stuck in that past. It’s about building on that history while still moving forward.
I’d love to ask a little bit more about you and your own background as a writer and a creative. So what first drew you to take more of an active role in Nottingham’s literary and cultural community?
My dad was an English teacher, so a lot of the encouragement to read came from him, and I always really enjoyed reading, especially as an only child. Books helped me build my own
little world when my friends weren’t around.
When I was younger, my main background was actually in music. I used to attend the Nottingham Music Hub when I was in secondary school, and that’s where I met my band. We started gigging when we were about 14 or 15, and by the time we were 17 to 19, we had a manager and were playing quite a lot in Nottingham and then further afield, including some gigs in London. That was really cool.
Eventually, I moved to London to study English at King’s College. But I ended up dropping out. Looking back now, I don’t think it was the right time for me to be doing that degree. My head was being turned more by music at the time, and, as with most bands, we thought we were doing a bit better than we probably were. But I was happy with that at the time, and music and writing have always been two strong passions of mine.
In 2019, I won the Young Creative Award, which was massive for me. At that point, I’d dropped out of university and was bouncing between casual jobs. I wasn’t particularly happy, to be honest. Winning that award gave me a bit of momentum, and I later joined the board of the charity behind the award, eventually chairing it for a couple of years.
That experience helped spur me on to return to university, this time to study English with Creative Writing. I really enjoyed the writing module. The University of Nottingham has been fantastic, the staff are really lovely and they’re all kind of their own creative powerhouses. You learn a lot just by being around that kind of energy; some of it sinks into you just by osmosis.
Not long after, I noticed the Literary Editor role at LeftLion open up, and I decided to throw my hat in the ring. That’s been great, it’s given me a bird’s-eye view of how many great things are happening across the city. Like anything, the more you get involved, the more opportunities you start to notice. That’s been a real joy, and I’m happy to keep being part of it.
Of course, with things like this, there’s always some confirmation bias when you’re like, “Oh, it worked out better that way,” and that’s not always true. But I do think there were some real benefits to the path I took. It’s easy to stay on the treadmill, moving straight from one stage of life to the next, without having to panic and look around you and take a step back. For me, having to stop and start again gave me space to figure out what I was genuinely interested in. And honestly, some of those more casual jobs ended up being great for people-watching, which is quite useful for writing.
I know you do a lot of freelance writing, and you’re starting to do even more now you’re graduating. Is there anything that you are currently working on that you can share, or you’re particularly excited about?
Yeah, so on the journalism side of things, I’m pitching quite a few pieces at the moment, and I’m also just wrapping up a contract with Radio Times doing games reviews. It’s an area I seemed to fall into rather than have chosen, really, but I’m enjoying it a lot. I recently wrote a piece for Father’s Day called “Dad Pixels,” which explores the portrayal of fathers in video games, and that was fun to put together.
I think gaming is still a developing medium, kind of like where film was a hundred years ago. People are still experimenting and doing weird, interesting things with it, and it’s not quite universal yet. It’s still got a way to go in terms of storytelling, and certainly some of the scripts can be a bit dodgy, but I’ve really enjoyed exploring that side of things.
To be honest, I always thought that to get writing opportunities like that, you had to move to a bigger city like London. So, it’s been nice to realise that’s not necessarily the case any more. Especially now that so much is happening online, it feels a bit more open and accessible. In some ways, it’s actually easier to find opportunities beyond London, which is really encouraging.
Creatively, I’ve been writing more poetry lately, and I’m starting to feel happier with it, so I’ve started submitting some pieces. I had my first short story published a couple of weeks ago in Litro Magazine. That was a Jurassic Park parody, about 30 years too late. It’s kind of an irreverent satire, which resets the story in a failing theme park in North Nottinghamshire. It starts off with a bit of humour but gets more intense as it goes.
I was reading a lot of D.H. Lawrence at the time I was writing it, and he’s very full-on, so I think some of that intensity probably comes through in that piece of work. I’ve also got a near-complete first draft of a novel, so that’s moving along too. But honestly, I probably need to just stick to one project at a time and maintain some illusion of focus.
You’re one of the editors at LeftLion. What is something you feel you’ve learnt from creating and editing that has surprised you, or shifted your thinking as a writer?
Pitching is probably the key thing for me, especially now, because I receive a lot of pitches. That sounds like showing off, but honestly, it’s more about the strength of LeftLion; it’s an institution here, and people love it. I had nothing to do with building that reputation. I grew up reading it, and when I was in the band, we always hoped to get featured. We actually did once, and it was really exciting. I became an editor nearly 20 years after it started, so I’ve just stepped into something that was already cherished.
People send a lot of material into the literary section, and I’ve noticed some people pitch really well. I’ve tried to pay attention to what those people are doing. If you can boil your idea down to two or three clear, digestible sentences, you’re much more likely to be successful. I’ve tried to emulate that, but I still find myself getting overly excited and writing loads, which is harder for someone to engage with, especially if they’re having a busy day.
Another big thing for me has been learning to work to deadlines, and finding the link balance between getting something perfect and getting something done. That pressure helps, because often the thing that stops you from improving is inertia, not exactly laziness, but just needing a push over the first speed bump. Having deadlines can be a blessing, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
Also, whilst I’ve been an editor, I’ve been invited to a lot of events, and as someone who’s a bit introverted, being ‘forced’ to go to things has been surprisingly rewarding. I usually enjoy it once I’m actually there. I’m making this sound like a burden, but it’s not; it’s great that there are so many live events, and so many of them just don’t have the same impact if they’re not live. For example, the brilliant poet from Quebec, Vanessa Bell, along with Emma Oldham, who’s a great Nottingham-based writer, and I, ended up at an event called Tenx9 at Broadway Cinema a few weeks ago. It was just in one of the screens, and the concept was so clever: just nine people telling true stories from their lives, each lasting ten minutes. I don’t know if all the speakers were professional writers, but it was incredibly well done, and it covered so many different themes, some happy, some sad. During the performance, you could just settle into a comfy cinema chair, and it was like getting a bedtime story. It was a really lovely atmosphere and quite intimate despite the performance being packed. Events like that are easy to miss if you’re not paying attention, so I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to get prodded into things like that. It’s just a fantastic time to get stuck into this city’s literary scene. If we’re not the envy of the world, we bloody should be.
For anyone interested in having their very own copy of the journal, pre-orders will be opening soon on Kickstarter. By pre-ordering, you’ll be helping Andrew and the team get a clear idea of how many copies to print, which means they can use their funding to ensure the journal becomes a self-sustaining project.
Website – https://www.newnottinghamjournal.com/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/newnottinghamjournal?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=NmY4M212ajdjdXZ4
Grace Sanders is a Classics graduate and emerging writer. She recently completed an internship with Nottingham City of Literature, and she now contributes regularly to their blog. She has also written for Her Campus, and is currently working on a piece for LeftLion.