Renewing The Ark Review: A Manifesto
By Arshia Eghbali, Benjamin Derksen & Sara Dahlberg
ark books should not exist. At least not on paper, not in this world. It is a not-for-profit enterprise, entirely run by volunteers, in one of the trendiest areas of one of the world’s trendiest cities. And it happens to trade in the supposedly all-too-dead business of hold-it-in-your-hands, smell-the-pages, physical books. It is an open space for reading, writing, and discussion, where not only are no tickets sold, but there is always something to linger over and share. Even more surprisingly, it is nobody’s vanity project. It is not a smokescreen for accumulating personal cultural capital. It is truly a collective. Somehow astonishingly, it is more—or quite literally less—than a collection of egos.
It is beautiful that ark books does not make sense. A serendipitous miracle. But what does make sense is for it to have a collective, written outlet for the eclectic harmony of voices and thoughts that make this miracle possible. The Ark Review was such an outlet. It ran from 2016 until 2021, published online as well as in printed anthology volumes. We believe that the hiatus has lasted long enough, and we intend to revive The Ark Review. In an era of academic fast fashion, now is the moment to root ourselves in a knowledge ecology rather than invest in a knowledge economy. This is the context in which we undertake the revival of The Ark Review. In doing so, we take it upon ourselves to outline our mission statement in response to three main questions.
Why publish?
In a world oversaturated with “content”, it is both easy and hard to justify publishing something. From “why not?”, on the one hand to “what’s new?” on the other. Either way, it is perhaps an absurd inquiry. What we value is the creation of something by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. That is why we identify with the tradition of indie publishing, where the reasons for this labour of passion can fall under these classes: friends, fame, and fortune.
The Ark Review shall be published in the spirit of the friendship and meeting of minds that the bookshop makes possible.
The Ark Review shall work to get the voices it hosts heard by as many enthusiasts as possible. It shall aim for an ambitious outreach.
In line with ark books’ ethos, The Ark Review shall remain volunteer-run and not-for-profit. While for the time being, we will not offer writer compensation, we shall aim to make that possible over time.
We believe in the craft of writing. The Ark Review shall provide a space for promoting and experimenting with writing in all its forms.
What kind of publication do we aspire towards?
Divining the future of a publication may seem foolhardy, especially one such as this, where we hope to keep doors open. Indeed, hospitality to a broad range of interests, styles, and formats is a core value of what we hope The Ark Review will be. It is therefore paradoxical to attempt to define the publication. Leaving this contradiction suspended, we proffer the following:
The Ark Review shall be a refuge for the otherwise unpublishable, experimental works in the universe of the para-academic. Given the state of academic publishing, we see this as an increasingly necessary salve to rebut a culture bound up in results, breakthroughs,”firsts,” and careerism.
The Ark Review shall be a ”place” of hospitality with the ability to connect and expand your interests.
Following from the previous two points, The Ark Review shall be an ever-expanding cabinet of curiosities where our writers’ interests are nurtured.
The Ark Review will, over time, become a palimpsest. Its previous iteration as a home for the writing of ark books will be preserved both in the form of the archive as well as in the future, given its relationship to the shop. We hope that a new layer will grow, with new possibilities, new relationships, and new branches for inquiry.
The role of the editor
The etymological origin for the modern English word ’editor’ is the Latin editor. Its verb form edo means ‘put forth,’ or ‘publish,’ while its root verb, edere means, crucially, ‘to give.’ The origins of the word 'editor ‘contains our ambitions and desires as the editors. First, to publish, that is, to put forth the critical and/or literary work to a general readership. Second, through this act, to give both authors and readers the chance to encounter each other.
The editor is first, and foremost, a collector: of writers, of writing, and, by extension, of ideas.
The editor is the curator of said collection. The accumulator and the intendent who selects, arranges, organises and rearranges as to best suit the purpose and aims of the Review.
The obligations of the editor are dual, not divided, and extend both to the author and to the Review.
Editorial work is an exchange and a compromise between the editor’s expertise, and the author’s creative work.
The relationship between editor and author is based, fundamentally, on generosity and trust. The editor is a guide, a comfort, an encouraging friend, and, if needed, a critical one. Above all, the editor is a trusted and committed companion.
The editor aims to select and to commission based not only on achievement but on potential. Ark Review aims to platform both emerging and established writers.
We are aiming to relaunch The Ark Review on the 25th of April as part of the celebration of ark’s 12th anniversary. Send us your manuscript at review@arkbooks.dk
Volunteer your creativity!