Ta Voix

THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR.

For the majority of us, we have experienced multiple stay-at-home orders. Many of us have not hugged our family and friends in months. Those of us less fortunate may never have that chance again. We have had to pick who deserves to bear witness to a partnership, who deserves the chance to say goodbye, to grieve. We have been furloughed. Made redundant. Flung into adulthood from university with no ceremony.

The book industry has always been among the most competitive, and this year has definitely not made the situation any easier. It’s not uncommon to find an entry-level book job with over 1000 applications and, with redundancies simultaneously increasing the pool of applicants and lowering the number of positions available, it’s hard not to feel hopeless.

However, while it may have dampened our spirits, hopefully it has not put them out entirely. There is still hope, some of which has even been borne from the disaster. From the conception of this project, I had always hoped that it would make some sort of a dent in the way the industry operates; to put a stop to the arbitrary ‘experience’ cycle, to decentralise, and become more accessible. It was impossible to imagine that the pandemic could actually have facilitated some of these positive changes. And, while it would be ridiculous to say that Ta Voix has had any impact on a large scale, it has made a difference to our team, our contributors, and especially to me.

Our Ta Voix team has, once again, come together to create something wonderful, even under the most difficult circumstances and, in doing so, have offered the opportunity for artists and writers to have their works exhibited. Each volume offers more and more people a better chance at success in the industry, and we have certainly already seen several members of our team achieving it in spite of the odds.

Since volume 2, we have grown from around 300 contributors, to a total of 428 to date. This includes 60 more editors who have joined the team, 80 new writers, and 11 photographers whose pieces have been considered for volume 3. This growth is exponential and, if you couldn’t tell by the attached scrawlings, something I absolutely never considered back when I was theorising this project last January:

So here’s to new beginnings. This new year won’t be a magical reset button which will end the pandemic, revitalise the job market, boost our mental health, and we will undoubtedly continue to feel 2020’s effects for years to come. The next year may be unpredictable and, for many of us, we may continue to struggle to work our way into an industry that seems determined to shut us out. However, we can make a start.

Thank you for reading.
– Raphaelle