Say Hello! to Magma’s new Reviews Editor

Magma is excited to introduce our new Reviews Editor, Fahad Al-Amoudi, who will be taking over from the brilliant Rob A Mackenzie, who is leaving to devote more time to his publishing venture Blue Diode Press.

Fahad is a poet and editor of Ethiopian and Yemeni heritage based in London. His work is published in many excellent magazines including Poetry London, Butcher’s Dog and the White Review. Building on Magma’s partnership with the Obsidian Foundation, it is gratifying that Fahad is an Obsidian alumnus. He is also a Writing Squad graduate and member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen.

“Magma has established itself as a unique magazine that platforms experienced reviewers and new writers. I hope to continue that ethos as well as commission even more exciting and diverse voices in the poetry community,” says Fahad.

In the spirit of developing talent and giving a platform to new critical voices, Fahad has bold ambitions for Magma.

“My hope is to work with reviewers, who are in the early stages of their career, and embolden them to share their critical insights into the latest collections and pamphlets. I’m looking to commission reviewers who are committed to fearless peer-to-peer poetry criticism and to encourage reviews of books by authors from underrepresented backgrounds in literature.”

While Magma says a warm hello to Fahad, we also hugely appreciate the dedicated and ground-breaking work of our departing Reviews Editor, Rob Mackenzie.

Rob took over as Reviews Editor with Magma 48 in Autumn 2010, having led Magma’s website development and written some reviews over the previous two years.  He has therefore looked after commissioning Magma’s reviews for nearly 12 years as well
as regularly writing reviews himself. In this time and under his leadership, the range of reviews has expanded enormously.

The Reviews Editor now receives well over 300 poetry books and pamphlets each year, from which 12 are chosen for each issue.  At the same time the range of our reviewers has increased greatly, with established and early-career reviewers given equal prominence.

Since becoming Reviews Editor, Rob has also been a trustee and director of Magma and greatly helped the Board with his wise advice.  While Reviews Editor, he has also co-edited three sparkling issues of Magma (53, 67 and 79), publishing many fine new poets in Magma for the first time.

We wish Rob well with Blue Diode Press which is already carving a name for itself as a poetry publisher of distinction.