ILLUMINATION | PUBLICATIONS | ANNIVERSARY
Three Years Strong: Celebrating Illumination’s Milestone And Bright Future
A publication that celebrates diversity and human touch with a big heart.
It was August last year when Dr Mehmet Yildiz contacted me and offered me the opportunity to submit my stories to Illumination. I was blown away by his encouragement and kind offer.
Dr Yildiz has created a publication that is unlike any other. It celebrates beginners with the same enthusiasm as seasoned writers. It gives a platform for all with a message without discrimination and exclusivity. It is only three years old, but has an old soul.
Since that day, I have been reading and writing for Illumination, first as a writer and later as an editor. It has been a fantastic time and a hugely rewarding experience.
The writers’ community around Illumination is an incredible collection of insightful and diverse writers. Some shine with style and wit, and some whose writing is raw but touching and everything in between. Illumination doesn’t discriminate but understands that the merit of a story comes from the opportunity to give it to the readers.
As an editor, I have read stories that sometimes have made me grit my teeth, sometimes sit silent for a while and digest the depth of the lived life experience of the writer, but always being in awe of the global connections that Illumination can build between writers and their audiences. I have learned to be less judgmental and more curious when listening the heartbeat of writers from all corners of the world.
In the dawn of AI and the avalanche of ChatGPT-generated content, Illumination feels like a beacon of hope for aspiring writers. It has thousands of genuine human writers opening their hearts and minds to the scrutiny of the readers.
One of my favourite quotes is by Nichiren Daishonin from medieval Japan, “It’s the heart that is important”. Illumination has one big heart pulsating and keeping the written word alive across the world.
Congratulations, Illumination.
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