Blog – Lucent Dreaming

PRESS RELEASE: Publication day for our first fiction title: ‘Jude’ by Elin Heron

September 30, 2024

Lucent Dreaming has been operating as a creative writing magazine since April 2018 from Cardiff. In 2023, we began our single-author trade publishing venture, launching Dominoes and Miracles by former Wales Children’s Laureate, Connor Allen. This autumn, financially supported by Books Council Wales, we launch our first fiction title. Jude by Elin Heron is a young adult novel that explores

Elin Heron in the spotlight

August 5, 2024

Today we shine the spotlight on Elin Heron, whose story John Truslove appeared in issue 11 of Lucent Dreaming, and whose book Jude is forthcoming with Lucent Dreaming. So, what inspired your piece ‘JOHN TRUSLOVE’? Can you tell us a little more about what it’s about? There is so much I could tell you about this story because it is

COMING SOON: Slingshot by Andrew Ogun (3 Oct 2024)

March 25, 2024

Lucent Dreaming signs Andrew Ogun’s debut poetry collection ‘Slingshot’

Lucent Dreaming is Highly Commended in The British Book Awards: Small Press of the Year (Wales) Category 2024

March 11, 2024

The Bookseller have announced their winners for regional and country finalists for The British Book Awards Small Press of the Year 2024. Lucent Dreaming have been highly commended in their category amongst many deserving publishers. Receiving this recognition as a small press at the beginning of our book publishing journey means the world. We look forward to our growth from

Kolawole Samuel Adebayo in the Spotlight

November 28, 2021

Kolawole Samuel Adebayo (he/him), whose piece ‘The Poem in Which I Open Myself Like a Door’ is published in issue 7 of Lucent Dreaming, is an old soul in a young Nigerian body whose poems seek to awaken the human consciousness. His works have appeared or forthcoming on Kanstellation, The Kalahari Review, Glass Poetry, Button Poetry, Burning House Press, The

Thoughts on… Writing Advice [by Jonas David]

November 22, 2021

Think about the story you have in mind. Think about what happens next. Think about how it ends. Think about what the characters might be thinking about. Think about the nearby landscape, the sights and smells and sounds.

Lucent Dreaming 2021 Flash Fiction Competition, Winning and Highly Commended

October 11, 2021

We are delighted to announce the winners of Lucent Dreaming’s 2021 Flash Fiction contest. The winning stories appear below, and will be published in our upcoming 10th issue next month. Highly commended stories will appear in issue 10 of Lucent Dreaming which is available to preorder. 1st Place Jeffrey Skinner, ‘Mission Creep’ 2nd Place Julia Clayton, ‘Dacre Must Fall’ 3rd

Issue 9 arrives!

April 23, 2021

Lucent Dreaming issue 9 has arrived at Lucent HQ and we think it’s our best one yet. Subscribe today from only £20 to purchase your copy. Issue 9 features prose and poetry inspired by fairytale and folklore. And, to celebrate our upcoming third anniversary of issue 1 this April 28th, we’ve gone all out with a foil cover for our

Thoughts on… Good People and Good Art [by Jannat Ahmed and Jonas David]

November 27, 2025

A good person does not equal good art. There, I said it. Goodness is subjective, I know – that’s kind of my point. For this piece, I’m not necessarily concerned about explaining what I think makes a good person, or good art, but I’ll share examples of how this thinking behind ‘good’ and ‘bad’ art and ‘good’ and ‘bad’ people

Thoughts on… that Jack Edwards video: influencer culture, classism, and publishing [by Jannat Ahmed]

November 27, 2025

On 10 December 2023, 11.12am precisely, my sister messaged to ask if I should be made aware of ‘public criticisms’ of our books. My response to my sister was ‘!! Show me // that’s INCREDIBLE’. Post-watch, it was ‘Well the book is literally not for him 😭😭😭’, which continues to be the stance I maintain. And the one I want

Thoughts on… Welsh National Theatre and Michael Sheen [by Jannat Ahmed]

November 24, 2025

Let’s begin by saying this think piece isn’t a takedown. If that’s what you wish to read, I encourage you to write your own.

Thoughts on… the Future of Publishing [by Jannat Ahmed]

November 12, 2025

Our stories deserve to be treated with integrity, not as a trend. Unless fair, living wages are made a priority for independent authors and publishers, this will not change.

Congratulations to our Lucent Dreaming alumni! News from Bethany Handley & Richard Hooton

April 14, 2025

We are super excited to share that two of our previously published contributors have recently released debut books of their own. Bethany Handley’s Cling Film (Seren, 2025) and Richard Hooton’s The Margaret Code (Sphere, 2025) are now available to buy or order online and via your favourite bookshops. Bethany Handley, first published in issue 8 of Lucent Dreaming, is an

Header image with both covers and logos from Seren Books, Lucent Dreaming, Literature Wales, Book Council Wales and The Riverfront

BEYOND / TU HWNT and CLING FILM in-person launch event at The Riverfront, 6pm, 10 April 2025

April 2, 2025

We hope you can join us at The Riverfront in Newport on Thursday 10 April 2025 from 6pm to celebrate the publication of Cling Film by Bethany Handley and Beyond / Tu Hwnt, a bilingual anthology of Welsh Deaf and Disabled writers. The event is free and everyone is welcome. As well as readings by Bethany and contributors to Beyond / Tu Hwnt, Lucent Dreaming will

A photo of Sodiq smiling

Announcing new member of the Lucent Dreaming team

February 13, 2025

We are so excited to formally announce that Sodïq Oyèkànmí has joined the Lucent Dreaming team as freelance Poetry Editor. Having co-edited Andrew Ogun’s Slingshot alongside Jannat Ahmed, he will be involved in poetry editing and selection across our publications. Sodïq Oyèkànmí is a poet, dramaturge and editor from Nigeria. A 2022/23 Poetry Translation Centre (UK) UNDERTOW Fellow. He is

Thoughts on Lucent Dreaming

Thoughts on… Lucent Dreaming [by Jannat Ahmed]

September 13, 2024

At the end of last year, our writers and funders received an email from me outlining a new publication timeline. It followed a long period of sporadic communication and delays. I referenced my mental ill health, exacerbated by grief and loss. I was grateful for the kind messages in response, all supportive and understanding. At the time, writing things out