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THE DIARIST UPDATES, PLANS FOR JUNE, SAYING GOODBYE
Editorial Point of View-May 2025
Looking forward to a bursting and busy publication (again)
It’s International Worker’s Day as I write this on the 1st of May. As I sat at my desk to draft my contribution to Editorial Point of View, I felt like that’s all I’ve been doing since the dawn of 2025 — work! Sadly, as I look back on the first quarter of the year, my energy has not been dedicated to where I would have liked it to.
Like many students around the world, I’ve been preparing for four key exams coming up in the summer, mine are in just under three weeks from now. This is where my energy has been — exam prep is a hard task master!
Having been a secondary school (high school) teacher since 2009, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t practice what I preached to students during the years that I was employed as a teacher. So yes, I have been very absent on Medium here at The Diarist, also for my other editorial role over at Fourth Wave publication, and writing on Medium in general. That said, looking back at the first quarter of The Diarist and the work we’ve had come in, I could not be prouder. Even though I have been a bit absent, and the weekly prompts have not been as frequent, we’ve been ticking along and had some great reflections and articles come in.
So, what’s been happening?
Saying goodbye…
First, we should all say farewell and best of luck for the future to . Livvy is going in a new direction with her writing, and she has been with us since we started in December 2023. What I’ve loved about Livvy’s weekly column The Netherlands Diaries is of course gaining an insight into life in The Netherlands, but also mainly her humour! I have always said it really stands out in her work. Thank you, Livvy, for all you have done.
Saying an extra thank you
We’ve had some great columnists with us, those that remain the most active such as , , and I’d love to give an extra shout out and thank you to!
You can find their hashtag # here:
And their latest articles here:
Looking forward
After my exams this month, my plan is to come back to the fifty two weeks with your diary, prompts we’ve had as a feature here at The Diarist.
From the first week of June I envision this restarting. But, in the meantime there’s never any end date to these writing ideas, so feel free to join in with any that resonate with you, they are all listed and linked above.
The regular meet ups will also commence after this time also, it’s always great to touch base with the team of writers. My lack of organising them has not been due to disinterest it’s been due to lack of time, and every free moment spent with my nose in a revision book.
our other editor has also mentioned that she is thinking of a May and June theme for The Diarist so be on the lookout for that.
Call for new writers!
It’s never a bad thing to expand the team, so if you would like to join us, or have an article, diary entry, reflection, or response to one of our themed prompts you’d like to submit please do! The submissions page is here:
I’ll hand you over to our other editor Sangeeta, who I thank with all my heart for everything she does, her contribution, and continued enthusiasm for The Diarist publication. Thank you to all readers and followers who have been steadily growing also.
Much love,
Me and My Muse
Editor and Founder of The Diarist
May is my favorite month — and I hope it’ll be yours, too!
Dear Diarists,
Today, I’m sat on my terrace, typing this and looking out at the setting sun, my geranium and rhododendron billowing in the light Spring breeze.
There is so much joy I attach to this month: it’s the month I met the love of my life. These past few months for me have been… hectic. As they have for our Founder and editor-in-chief. Because, here’s a little secret: I’m getting married this year. Will speaking it into the gentle May sprays bring bad luck?
A cultural trademark from Asian and Middle Eastern societies is the nazr, or evil eye. Not just the talisman, but the actual occurrence of speaking on your dreams too quickly and having those dreams dashed and divided like a million shards of crystal on the pavement. I believed in this, too. When I’d tell friends about someone new I’d met, not long after, the relationship would end. Often catastrophically. I soon learned to move in silence: a fate worse than death for writers who need to speak their truth into the universe, else they lose themselves.
I believed in nazr until I met Fiachra, the great love of my life. Not every love needs to last, but this one stands every test, if I may say so, myself. I remember gushing fairly quickly about him. I remember not overthinking a darn thing, because meeting him was like coming home to myself. I’d speak about him and then… wait. For that blasted other shoe to drop.
It never did. Because the truth is, every relationship I’ve had fall apart, I saw its expiration coming a mile away. Not just mine, but that of others, too. It wasn’t speaking about it that brought it to dust. The cracks were there already before they succumbed to their — in hindsight, practically inevitable — demise.
But here, I have blessings to speak on that are stronger than the winds that might knock them off the pedestal of my dreams. I cherish them — him, this life I’ve built with him — more than words can ever describe.
And like the seeds I sowed years ago, these blessings are bursting through the fabric of my subconscious like flowers that demand to be smelled, demand to be touched, demand to be adored.
Nobody but my guy, the ring designers — and, now, you! — know what we’re planning. And you’ll always be in the loop, whether that’s into our processes, our news and views, what’s going on with the publication, or with us.
So, with that, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming prompts, and be sure to submit some incredible posts as you’ve always done.
I’m pleased to have featured these pieces that I think are worth a read:
- talks us through how anxiety shows up, and why it’s not your fault if you’re dealing with it.
2. gives us a taste of felting and fantasy through her artistic column.
Looking forward to featuring more of you during this month! Writing is healing, and we’re always looking for stories that are food for thought.
Leaving you now with a little picture, a small snapshot of my entire balcony.
Your editor,
Sangeeta Kalsi
