Dear Reader, Over the last few days I have been watching with growing shock the news coming from the United States. It's astonishing to watch such wanton acts of cruelty, and I apologise for not addressing Ravens in the Attic's views sooner. I've been considering what I can do, for example, putting Ravens on hold: poetry and fiction seem glib compared to the current state of the world. Along with the riots and protests in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, I've been witnessing a Twitter storm surrounding a literary-community member who has been accused of bullying and sexual harassment. Another person has been accused of enabling this behaviour. I admit I don't know the full story; this is just my personal understanding based on my own reading of the tweets and screenshots posted. Ravens in the Attic does not stand for any of the following: racism; sexual harassment or discrimination; violence; shaming of any nature; religious attacks or bullying in any other form. When Ravens was created, it was intended as a safe space, a place to share haunted Gothic fiction or poetry. It has always been intended to be inclusive and welcoming, a place where artists get paid for their creation, a place where we boost people we work with and share their successes with a wide and diverse audience. Here at Ravens in the Attic, we believe survivors. We take accusations seriously, and should it turn out there is someone we work with who has caused harm or distress to others, we will investigate and take appropriate action. This then is what we can do: We support people. We buy work to gain the initial publishing rights, and upon publication the rights revert back to the creator. Here we have a platform to boost and promote work, art, creative efforts, small businesses, by all, be they people of colour, queer people, disabled and so many of the other marginalized voices in this world. As editor-in-chief, I have been considering how we can raise money for the Black Lives Matter movement. When submissions open shortly, we will be offering a scheme where you can donate to a fundraiser or charity: send me the proof with a submission, and I'll give feedback on the work. I've amended submissions guidelines so people may only offer one piece, allowing me to buy work from a larger and more diverse group of people. These are horrifying times, and we don't want to trivialize your experience at all. We want to offer you a safe place, where you know you can trust an editor to do her best by you, and where there will be someone here for you. Hoping you keep safe, Sarah.
- ravensintheattic