As an adverb or pronoun, ‘elsewhere’ immediately brings to mind the notions of space, place, and alterity. In Miyazawa Kenji’s short story, Nighthawk escapes oppression and finds his ‘elsewhere’ in the form of an everlasting blue star in the night sky, a metaphor for nirvana. The mission of our magazine is all about finding and building that alternative space for silenced voices. For the inaugural issue of Nighthawk Star, we are looking for writings and art on this very theme. We want stories, characters, ideas, theories, and images that explore what it means to be from elsewhere, going elsewhere, or even just being elsewhere.

What becomes of us and our voices, when we are not confined to the here —
somewhere we take for granted?

In this inaugural issue, writers, thinkers, and artists explore what ELSEWHERE means philosophically. In the Fiction section, we start off with a translation of “The Nighthawk Star” by our editor-in-chief. “Fog” and “Dreaming” will lift you off the earth into a world of symbolism and aspirations, as “The Bird Story” presents a cheeky nod to Nighthawk. Next, the poets will tell you about what it feels like to escape to an inner “room”; to lie among moss and flowers outside of the city; to define “home” but not quite managing; and to miss your sibling while reading in George Square. In the Essay section, you will learn about the concept of inochi in Japanese philosophy from Professor Masahiro Morioka, as well as what the phrase “world philosophies” entails in theory and practice from Professor Cosimo Zene, founder of the BA World Philosophies programme at SOAS. For Nonfiction, you will hear about a traveller’s account of his time in Myanmar during its military dictatorship. Finally, brace yourself for the illustrations and photographs scattered among the pages!

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please visit our donations page.