A note to self became a manifesto which became a call for submissions. With no pre-planning, we wrote an accidental essay in one sitting on a Sunday night, posted it Monday morning, and opened a one week window encouraging other people to get unstuck from perfectionism, start making something scrappy that exact moment, and send it to us as soon as possible.
Playing by the same rules, the editors had one week from the submissions window closing to have the special issue published online and as a zine (free download of a printable pdf provided for people to DIY print at home, to continue the celebration of urgent and imperfect energy - may be made available to order print on demand for people who'd prefer that, watch this space).
In our first online release, Placeholder Press asked contributors to explore their experience of the last ten years – January 2010 to December 2019 – through personal essay, poetry, prose and art.
The work below addresses gentrification, displacement, neurodivergence, loss, abuse, excitement, and in spite of it all, love. We hope reminiscing will help us celebrate our joys and keep our sorrows in mind, to learn from our past and move into 2020 beautifully.
It’s been a lot. It’s been hard. We’re both still here. I love you.
Misplacement was originally planned as a gothic sister publication of Placeholder, dedicated to the weird and the eerie, but changes in circumstances made it challenging to run as a separate entity. What was intended to be the first in a series of anthologies we now consider a special issue, one which showcases 14 amazing artists and writers across 80 liquorice pages.
This issue contains fairy tales, bloody knees, forgotten words, transformations, sex, ghosts, astrology, peeling skin, Totally Normal Work Emails About Milk and so much more.
Please note, some works within this issue have graphic sexual themes and gore, among other things, in addition to themes such as ghosts, death, etc. We have included a page of content warnings at the back of the book, which you can skip to and use as you need.