Our second issue and first of 2026 is kindly supported by the Munster Literature Centre as well as support from the editors of other lit mags in Ireland, such as The Stinging Fly and Banshee. The overall encouragement from writers of all backgrounds regarding our inaugural issue was quite overwhelming, and I want to thank everyone again for their continued support of Oscail and the community behind it.

 

With the rise in second-rate creative writing generated by AI (otherwise known as ‘AI slop’), it is increasingly refreshing to read work written by profoundly talented humans. This issue includes the work of human writers with unique lived experiences and perspectives that are seldom explored and represented on the page. In this issue, we interviewed two Irish writers whose writing and identities align with the ethos of Oscail: Chloe Michelle Howarth and Sam Fowley. They share thoughts on their work, their process and experience within the industry.

 

It was an honour to interview them for this issue and an honour to publish more work from queer and neurodivergent writers, both from Ireland and abroad. Finally, I would like to highlight a new resource from Ireland’s LGBTQIA+ charity ShoutOut for neuroqueer people. It offers support and advice on how to navigate the world with the aim of empowering neuroqueer people across all backgrounds, validating and ensuring our community receives the support it deserves. Thank you to them and anyone else who has taken the initiative to promote the lives and work of our neuroqueers everywhere. This work is vital and deeply appreciated.

 

Le meas,

 

Emmet