Diana’s poem, “Wildflower Pilgrimage, Great Smokies,” received an Honorable Mention for the November 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and her poem appeared in Issue 8 of Lit Shark Magazine: The SHARK WEEK Edition and will appear in Lit Shark’s Best Of 2024 Anthology.

Diana Woodcock has authored seven chapbooks and six poetry collections, most recently Heaven Underfoot (winner of the 2022 Codhill Press Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award), Holy Sparks (2020 Paraclete Press Poetry Award finalist) and Facing Aridity (2020 Prism Prize for Climate Literature finalist). A three-time Pushcart Prize nominee and Best of the Net nominee, she received the 2011 Vernice Quebodeaux Pathways Poetry Prize for Women for her debut collection, Swaying on the Elephant’s Shoulders. Currently teaching at VCUarts Qatar, she holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, where she researched poetry’s role in the search for an environmental ethic.

Diana’s poem, “Except for Robin and Wood Thrush,” received an Honorable Mention for the November 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and her poem appeared in Issue #7 of Lit Shark Magazine: the Spooky (TEETH) Edition and Lit Shark’s Best Of 2024 Anthology.

Nicky’s poem, “Collective Mind of Small Fish,” received an Honorable Mention for the September 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and her poem appeared in Issue #8 of Lit Shark Magazine: the SHARK WEEK Edition and will appear in Lit Shark’s Best Of 2024 Anthology.

Michele’s poem, “In Deep,” received an Honorable Mention for the July-August 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and her poem will appear in Issue #8 of Lit Shark Magazine: the SHARK WEEK Edition and Lit Shark’s Best Of 2024 Anthology.

Peter’s poem “Rock,” received an Honorable Mention for the July-August 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and his poem appeared in Issue #8 of Lit Shark Magazine: the SHARK WEEK Edition and will appear in Lit Shark’s Best Of 2024 Anthology.

Peter Kay was born in Heywood, 1950. and now lives in Burton-in-Kendal. He is an author, writer, and poet. His published works include two travel memoirs: A Pennine Way Odyssey (self-published 2012) and Show Me The Way to Santiago (Curious Cat Books 2020), a fictional story, A Very Alternative Coast to Coast (Curious Cat Books 2022), and an illustrated Children’s Book, The Owl &The Mole, (published by Ingram Spark in 2023). He has written and performed poetry for the past 7 years and is currently working on his first poetry pamphlet, which is to be published by Yaffle Press in Spring 2025. He has had 13 poems included in various anthologies or online. He is also currently writing a murder mystery, set in 1930s Yorkshire, and ghostwriting the Autobiography of a Congolese refugee RAP star.

You can see more of his work at www.peterkaywordspace.co.uk.

Twitter: @PeterKa29830408

Beth’s poem “Resilience, In Theory” received an Honorable Mention for the May-June 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and her poem appeared in Issue #8 of Lit Shark Magazine: the SHARK WEEK Edition and will appear in Lit Shark’s Best Of 2024 Anthology.

Beth Kanell lives in northeastern Vermont among rivers, rocks, and a lot of writers. Her poems seek comfortable seats in small well-lit places, including Lilith Magazine, The Comstock Review, Gyroscope Review, The Post-Grad Journal, Does It Have Pockets?, Anti-Heroin Chic, Ritualwell, Persimmon Tree, Northwind Treasury, and Rise Up Review. Find her memoirs on Medium, and her reviews at the New York Journal of Books and Historical Novels Review. She also writes feature articles, short stories, and novels, recently This Ardent Flame and The Bitter and the Sweet.

See more of her work on her website.

Additional writings can be found on Medium.

And of course, don’t forget to follow her on Facebook!

Dustin’s poem “Prism,” received an Honorable Mention for the February 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and his poem appeared in Issue #5 of Lit Shark Magazine.

Dustin P. Brown (he/him) has a BA in creative writing from Western Michigan University. He was also a fiction reading intern at Third Coast Magazine and an editorial intern at New Issues Poetry & Prose. These days he lives in Spain, and works as a freelance editor, writes, and drinks delicious wine. He has poetry published at Hawaii Pacific Review, Poetry Quarterly, Coe Review, Hollins Critic, Punchnel’s, Falling Star Magazine, Waterhouse Review, and Third Wednesday, among others.

Doug’s poem “An Octopus Hug” received an Honorable Mention for the December-January 2024 Poem of the Month Contest, and his poem appeared in Issue #4 of Lit Shark Magazine, our final issue of 2023, and Lit Shark’s Best Of 2023 Anthology.

Doug Van Hooser (he/him) splits his time between suburban Chicago where he uses pseudonyms with baristas, and southern Wisconsin where he enjoys sculling and cycling. His poetry has appeared in numerous publications and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Orison Anthology. He has also published short fiction and had readings of his plays in Chicago.

Links to his work can be found at dougvanhooser.com.

Emily’s poem “My Dentist Diagnosed Geographic Tongue and I Don’t Know What That Is But I Think It Means It Wants to Talk about How We Used to Travel the World” received an Honorable Mention for the November 2023 Poem of the Month Contest, and her poem appeared in Issue #4 of Lit Shark Magazine, our final issue of 2023, and Lit Shark’s Best Of 2023 Anthology.

Emily Kerlin has published poems in journals such as Cider Press Review, Sheila-Na-Gig, Blue Mountain Review, Storm Cellar, Split Rock Review, and The MacGuffin. Her book, Twenty-One Farewells, won Minerva Rising’s 2023 chapbook contest. She lives with her family in Urbana, Illinois where she teaches the difference between “chicken” and “kitchen” to English learners.

Website: www.emilykerlin.com

Beth’s poem “From Lightning to the Earth” received an Honorable Mention for the October 2023 Poem of the Month Contest, and her poem appeared in Issue #4 of Lit Shark Magazine, our final issue of 2023, and Lit Shark’s Best Of 2023 Anthology.

Beth Marquez (she/her) has been published in Moontide Press, Valley of the Contemporary Poets, and Ugly Mug anthologies. Her poems were selected for Damfino’s debut issue and the Like a Girl anthology from Lucid Moose Press, which nominated her poem Shedding for a Pushcart Prize. She is a 2017 Pink Door Fellow.