As we go forward into the new year, ElbowRoom waves its beautiful pages in a gesture of farewell.
This lovingly hand-crafted gem has given the literary scene 20 issues of poetry, short prose and artwork, plus some fantastically enjoyable launch parties. It has earned the right to rest on its laurels. 
The brainchild of artist/writer, Rosie Sherwood, (ably assisted by poet Zelda Chappel), Elbowroom launched in April 2012 and became something of a trend-setter in the world of hand-made art journals.
More than 100 writers have graced its pages. Poets published in this final volume (issue 20) are James Bell, Claire Booker, Christy Hall, Roger Hare, Oz Hardwick and Stella Wulf. The photographic artworks are by Bethany Murray and Rosie Sherwood. 
“In the introduction to the first volume of Elbow Room, I wrote about coming across a hand-painted sign for a bookshop so tiny it only had space for a desk and one over-flowing bookcase,” says Rosie Sherwood.
“Despite the size of the shop, they had divided the shelves into fiction, poetry, illustration, photography etc. I found myself frustrated that art, visual and written, is not allowed to sit together more regularly. This was the birth of Elbow Room.”
You can still buy some Elbow Room back-numbers by visiting the As Yet Untitled website. Although its flagship publication, Elbow Room, has now sublimed, As Yet Untitled will continue to specialise in limited edition, handmade works that embrace the breadth of possibility in book form, from traditional binding techniques to sculptural works.
Good luck Rosie, and all who sail with you!
Check out the latest developments at As Yet Untitled
It’s always a pleasure to open a copy of Prole magazine which celebrates its silver anniversary with issue 25. Editors Brett Evans and Phil Robertson have a keen eye for poetry that punches its weight yet remains accessible.
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