EDITOR’S NOTE

SERIF AYDIN

Welcome to the 2022 edition of Ses Magazine, our exclusive magazine for young writers.

On behalf of the Board of the Ses Magazine and my co-editor, I am delighted and super excited to announce the publication of the inaugural issue of the Ses Magazine Initiative.

Ses magazine has only been out for about three years, starting in 2019 during humanity’s darkest hours, but the accomplishments it has accumulated since then make it appear much older. During these three years, it has released 21 issues, each telling the story of someone or somewhere that has violated the rights of the people through interviews, real-life stories, articles, and essays. However, while Ses magazine is bringing human rights issues to  light, it is not all it does. At its core, it is a literature magazine. 

The committee has decided that the magazine should be published as an open-access online magazine. It was also decided that we would endeavor to publish it bi-monthly.

To make this change successful, we need people to share their stories so we can build a safe and proud community.

This inaugural issue owes much to many people. Thanks are due first to the Ses Board, where the idea originated, for supporting it so wholeheartedly, and particularly to Niki Chatelain, professor at Algonquin College, for her unfailing support. Thanks are also due to the committee that drew up the parameters of the magazine, as well as to Esra Dolunay, Seyfullah Sacit, Zeynep Gur, and Yasin Toksoy, for agreeing to host the magazine and for providing much help in its production. 

Most of all, thanks are due to my wife, who has so generously given her time and expertise, encouraging me to make this project happen. No detail, large or small, has been beyond their notice. Her professionalism, attention to detail, and good humour have made seeing this issue into “print” a real pleasure. I also thank the guest editors of this first issue who admirably and with good humour suffered through our teething process as we put in place our workflows while at the same time going into production.

This inaugural issue consists of papers written at the Algonquin College, the Professional Writing course, and some new works. 

Thank you to all the people who worked day and night preparing this magazine by sharing their stories, poems, and time to make this lifelong dream a reality. Thank you to everyone that put effort into helping us make Ses Magazine more accessible to a larger group of people.