‘A Space for Experimentation and Boldness’:  The Tangerine Magazine  

By Abbie Leeson

Edited by Hannah Laker

In case you missed it, our second letter from Volume 6 is now live! This one comes from Grug Muse, who wrote us a reflective letter on nature and escapism from the gardens of Belgrade. In keeping with The Letters Page tradition, we’ve sent Grug a gift subscription to one of our favourite literary journals as a thanks for letting us publish her letter.   

This time round we chose Belfast-based magazine, The Tangerine. Here, Abbie Leeson gives us an insight into this exciting journal. 

On its website, The Tangerine quotes Belfast-born Louis Macneice, whose wonderful poem, ‘Snow,’ entices us with the bizarre duality of being alive. 

World is crazier and more of it than we think,

Incorrigibly plural. I peel and portion

A tangerine and spit the pips and feel

The drunkenness of things being various.

Louis Macneice, ‘Snow’

It is this idea of variety that The Tangerine shines its light upon. Incorrigibly plural, its diverse ensemble of writing takes a knife to convention, slicing it open and revealing the fleshy reality that sits beneath the peel. In its quest for new creative work, The Tangerine provides a platform for new artistic voices who aren’t afraid to get their hands sticky. From poetry and creative prose, to long-form pieces with a journalistic focus, the writers of these pages capture the beauty and reality of culture and politics in Northern Ireland and beyond.  

In an interview with Totally Dublin, head editor Tara McEvoy cites the city of Belfast as a crucial source of inspiration for the magazine. Feeling as though the North was lacking a literary platform for its multitude of voices, McEvoy and comrades first established The Tangerine in 2016, with the aim to create a publication that is ‘open and inclusive.’ A relatively new platform (and therefore unburdened by tradition), McEvoy describes the magazine as a ‘space for experimentation and boldness; for fresh creative work and thoughtful critical discourse.’  

As I write this, I think of the sprawling gardens of Grug Muse’s letter; the vibrant, enclosed patio spaces; the tropical greenhouses in Belgrade. I’m not sure how well a tangerine tree may fare in the temperamental UK weather, but I do hope that this publication can serve as a zesty addition to your new home, and a fervent reminder of the ‘drunkenness’ of this thing we call life.  

Happy reading, Grug.  

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