Congratulations to Mary Silwance our new teaching poet in residence.
Mary won our 2023 poet in residence with the submission of her book. We are so honored to have her on our team. She'll receive the publication of her solo collection and the opportunity to put out a new call for poetry for our next anthology project. Look out for a new season of classes and workshops to be announced soon, both online and locally. Her goal in her residency is to “provide access to the arts from those less presented in the arts community."
Originally from Egypt, Mary Silwance lives in Kansas City and is a mother of three daughters. She has been an English teacher, Farm to School Coordinator, environmental educator, and farmhand. Mary provides writing workshops and serves on the editorial team of Kansas City Voices. She also explores ecology from an intersection of justice and spirituality in workshops and writing. While her poetry and essays appear in numerous publications, you can find her work, chapbooks, radio, zoom presentations, and workshop offerings at marysilwance.com. When not writing, you can find Mary gardening, hiking, thrifting, or planning her off-grid village.
Kansas City regional/Local friends are invited to join Mary in her Women's History Month Project. "March 25th and 26th, a weekend of inspiration, vibration, elevation, creation, and collaboration." Two days of activities and events, including an open mic on Sunday, March 26th. Tickets here.
She writes, "For the past seven years, I’ve posted daily on Women’s History month from international articles I curate all year. This practice has deepened my awareness...." Silwance is currently working on a call for poetry that creates space for new voices. She will be collecting poems and art for a women's anthology titled In Our Own Accord that "evokes resonance and empathy with those who’ve been denied the full spectrum of embodied expression as poets. In poetry, I want to detail the underrepresented experiences of our lives.”
Past Poets in Residence:
Ketchupedia is achieving increased connections between the writing community, advocacy, and the arts.
Our 2019 Poet in Residence Poet. T.L. Sanders won Producer’s Pick at Fringe Fest 2020 with his one-man performance, which later became a film, and is now a doctoral education project.
Our 2020 Poet in Residence, Hasna Sal, created a full-color book of art and poetry with essays about her advocacy work creating the first art installation in honor of survivors of human trafficking.
Our 2021 Poetry Editor in Residence, Beth Gulley, with her newfound education in publishing, began an annual publication, The Writers Place Yearbook, and started our new imprint for hybrid chapbooks to reach more poets with publication opportunities. You can submit it on our submissions page! One of the first collections we created was Venice Comes Clean by Victoria Garton with Watercolors by Dr. John Garton 2023, which had a public reading at the Riverfront Reading Series on January 20th hosted by the Writers Place.
Thanks to a scholarship from former poetry editor-in-residence Samantha Malay (2021), we were able to add two new chapbooks for new and diverse poets this year: "Fight the Good Fight" with St. Louis Poet, Samantha Newton (Cyndi Lee Lovely) and first collection of poetry by teen poet from Maryland, Lily Chesgreen, coming out later this year.
Next Anthologies: Thanks for your submissions. Our jurors are reading. We'll have two more opportunities to submit poetry and short fiction this year, opening soon. (We also have a few opportunities for solo author collections of literary short fiction or mystery. Click here.)
Ketchupedia: Resources for Writers
We have restarted our writers' meet-up group for networking, critique, and creative idea mapping. Every other Wednesday at Renegade Coffe House---meeting this week, March 22nd! Details will be updated on our Eventbrite and FB pages. Please email or message if you are interested!
Upcoming Anthologies
Sprouts Meditations: Artists, Poets & Writers, April 2023
Path of Birds Poetry and Art Anthology in June 2023
Universe in a Bottle: Tales from Time Anthology October 2023
Halloween Clock: Tales on the Hour October 2024- edited by John Waterfall
Of Our Own Accord: Women's Poetry Anthology 2024- edited by Mary Silwance
New Contests now open on Submittable.
Flying Ketchup Press ® founded in 2018 to champion new and diverse voices in short fiction and poetry. Our dream, to share worlds of wonder and delight.
Salt & Fig Books folksy, narrative, free verse that is down to earth and strangely satisfying. Salt & Fig is the poetry imprint of Flying Ketchup Press ® to develop new and diverse voices in poetry through one anthology a year focusing on international and regional poets and one solo collection a year connected to a regional artist advocate. Our dream is to salvage lost treasure troves of written and illustrated work—to create worlds of wonder and delight, to share your story.
Ketchupedia. To empower new and diverse voices in Kansas City's regional poetry. Making room for poetry opens space for personal narrative; empowers, heals, and unites diverse audiences.
