Local Author and Poet Jamal-e-Fatima Rafat Named Guest Editor for NorthWord’s Issue 35

(May 14, 2026) Fort McMurray, Alberta – The Northern Canada Collective Society of Writers (NCCSW) is thrilled to announce local interdisciplinary artist and poet Jamal-e-Fatima Rafat (The Crafted Writer), as guest editor for NorthWord Magazine’s Issue 35.

Rafat is a Fort McMurray-based writer and mixed-media artist whose work explores the intersection of poetry, collage, storytelling, and community connection. Through her creative practice, she combines visual art with deeply personal and reflective writing, often focusing on healing, identity, memory, and human connection. She is also the author of two poetry collections, The Lavender I Lost and It’s Past Midnight Somewhere.

Recently, Rafat participated in the “Fragment as Verse” PoetryXCollage Residency hosted by the Kolaj Institute in New Orleans, where artists explored the intersection of poetry and collage in collaboration with the New Orleans Poetry Festival. Her work was featured alongside international artists as part of the residency and exhibition program.

Locally, Rafat has continued to foster creativity and connection through community-engaged programming, including workshops and live poetry events.

"I am beyond excited to be chosen as guest editor for the next NorthWord issue,” says Rafat, “To me, 'resistance' is my existence. It appears in everyday life decisions when I question the status quo of how the world functions around me, the systems we work and live in, and the political impact of such decisions on our lives and the lives of living creatures around us.”

When discussing the process, Rafat says “I am curious to read your submissions on the topic. I invite you on a journey to explore resistance within you and around you."

As NCCSW prepares for the Issue 35 artist call, the Society would also like to thank the writers and artists who submitted works for NorthWord’s upcoming “Nonsense” themed issue, guest edited by Anna Victoria Pottie and set to launch during Alberta Culture Days in September 2026.

Stay tuned on NorthWord’s social accounts for details on the 2026 magazine launch events. Issue 35 is set to launch in April 2027. Artists can send original works to northword@hushmail.com by October 30, 2026.