Apologies for the lack of updates but we’ve been busy at the Lounge, what with the polls going up and all. This half promises to be chock full of a lot of poetry; writers seem to be a dying breed, and what few there are, are either suffering through massive writers’ blocks or are in between pieces or finally, just plain lazy to put up their most recent work. We hate you all! 🙂

Our present reading series, being held in Islamabad, will be concluding in March 2009 (coming full circle), and we’ll probably have two more readings before then. As to whether or not we’ll continue the series remains to be seen. One of the moderators and key organizers of the reading, will be moving to Karachi on a permanent basis, so it’s a case of the ‘ifs and maybes’ for now. We’ll keep this space updated, however, as things progress.

Meanwhile, polls are going up with an expiration date of September 30. The date by which new pieces will be considered for inclusion into the fourth issue, is September 15. The interim two weeks will then be plenty of time for the bulk of our membership who chooses to mass-vote at the end.

Questions, comments etc? You know where to put ’em!

– TPTB

September 15. That’s when you can no longer submit your work for the ‘zine. Why? Keep reading.

September 30. That’s the date when all polls on pieces (from December 6, 2007 onwards) close.

The interim two weeks give our members enough time to comb through pieces and vote for whether they think the selected should be among those who represent the site for the next issue. We’ve chopped down our issues from three to two (from quarterly, to biannually) and increased the editing period.

Whereas previously, our e-mentors and associated writers only had a month to shape up the material, now they have two. More time, more chances of spotting mistakes and less reason for me to cut whole pieces out of the running, before going to publication.

See? This way it works out for everyone!

If you’re interested in having your work considered for inclusion, and you’re not a member, register and start putting stuff up. You only have till September 15, after all! And then September 30, all polls close.

Confusions, questions, comments? Post em!

– TPTB

We turn four today (August 6) and as a community, we have come incredibly far. The present Orkut Desi Writers community is merely a ghost of what it used to be ye olde glory days. When we said goodbye, it turned more into a platform for advertisement as opposed to a place where serious writing could be done. Almost all of the present Desi Writers Lounge veterans are no longer affiliated with Orkut, and though our allegiance to the brand that is Desi Writers remains in tact, our loyalty to the community as it stands now, with nothing but our posts to prove we were once there, is questionable. And yet, without it we wouldn’t have forged the relationships we built during those formative years. It was our home for a year, before we realized it was destined only to be temporary, and then another year before we finally moved. Desi Writers Lounge itself, is a little over three years old since it became a domain name, about two when it became an identity.

When we turn five, we’re thinking of doing something extra special. After all, we’ll have been together for half a decade. Surely that merits some kind of response, right? Ideas for the bash are welcome.

Meanwhile, the planning for the grand international meeting/reading continue, as a tribute to incorporate our members stationed out of Pakistan and who can’t physically participate. In the end of course, it’ll be up to “the administrator” to make it happen. But it will happen. Admin’s committed to it, see. The last time that happened, the Desi Writers Lounge was born. Pretty decent track record, dontcha think?