Dear friends,
And that's a wrap.
Today, 31 August 2026, marks the end of Valiant Scribe.
After nearly seven years, I have made the decision to bring the journal to a close due to health and professional commitments. It is a bittersweet moment, but it is also one I approach with enormous gratitude.
When I founded Valiant Scribe in New York City in December 2019, I could not have known where this little literary initiative would take us. Before we close this chapter, I wanted to take a moment to look back at what we accomplished together.
What We Built
Over nearly seven years, Valiant Scribe:
- Published approximately 350 pieces of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, interviews, and artwork on our website.
- Published writers and artists from 32 countries.
- Reached readers across 135 countries.
- Held two poetry competitions.
- Hosted four artistic showcases.
- Published five anthology issues.
- Featured five author interviews with writers from around the world.
- Ran numerous open calls for submissions, providing a platform for writers and artists to share their work.
- Built an archive exploring faith, social issues, justice, human rights, mental health, the environment, and the broader human experience.
And a small correction from our last newsletter: I had previously written that our readership spanned 129 countries. As I prepared this final recap, I took some time to go through our analytics more carefully, and it turns out we reached people in 135 countries. I'm very glad I checked!
But the work extended beyond publishing.
Beyond the Journal
Through Valiant Scribe's philanthropic work, we were able to:
Award 12 educational scholarships to children in Nigeria, helping them remain in school.
Support the hygiene needs of 54 girls in Uganda who were at risk of being pulled out of school.
And Valiant Scribe's philanthropic arm contributed CAD $2,000 toward efforts to complete a permanent residence for girls in Uganda who are at risk, including orphans and girls vulnerable to trafficking, prostitution, and child marriage.
There was much more besides, but these achievements are particularly close to our hearts because they remind us that the journal was never only about publishing words, but about investing in future writers and artists and empowering unheard voices.
The Scholarships
Our educational scholarships were made possible through the generosity of the Estate of Naomi Kambai Ayis, which sponsored the programme throughout its time with Valiant Scribe.
We are also grateful to Neha Das for supporting the scholarship programme with a donation.
Although Valiant Scribe is closing, we hope to find a different platform through which the scholarship can continue next year. If you would be interested in hearing more about the programme or potentially supporting its continuation, please reach out to me [contactvaliantscribe@gmail.com].
To Our Writers and Artists
To everyone who submitted a poem, story, essay, photograph, painting, or other work to Valiant Scribe: thank you for trusting us with your work.
To those whose work we published, it has been an honour to give your words and art a place in our pages.
The Valiant Scribe website will remain available until it is decommissioned on 25 November 2026.
If you have had work published with us, please download and/or print copies of your work for your records before the website disappears. You can find your published pieces in our Collections:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/collectionβ
Our Final Publications
It seems fitting that our final pieces are all poems, each offering its own perspective on memory, longing, place, struggle, and perseverance.
"Lost and Found" β a poem by Gail E. B. Padillaβ
A reflective poem exploring loss and discovery, and the thingsβwhether people, memories, or parts of ourselvesβwe encounter again along life's journey.
Read here:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/lost-and-found-a-poem-by-gail-e-b-padillaβ
"Soon" β a poem by K.B. Ballentineβ
A contemplative work about waiting and the possibility of what lies ahead, inviting readers to consider the quiet space between hope and fulfilment.
Read here:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/soon-a-poem-by-kb-ballentineβ
"The Barn" β a poem by Jeanette W. Stickelβ
A poem rooted in place and memory, using the familiar image of a barn to evoke reflection on time, history, and what remains.
Read here:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/the-barn-a-poem-by-jeanette-w-stickelβ
"Chinggis" β a poem by John Delaneyβ
A historically evocative poem that turns its attention toward Chinggis Khan and the legacy of power, conquest, and human ambition.
Read here:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/chinggis-a-poem-by-john-delaneyβ
"Ibruprofening Violence" β a prose poem by Michael Shoemakerβ
An experimental and provocative work engaging with violence and the ways language can be used to confront difficult realities.
Read here:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/ibruprofening-violence-a-prose-poem-by-michael-shoemakerβ
"Through It All" β a poem by Mark Hanleyβ
A resilient reflection on perseverance and continuing forward despite the challenges and uncertainties encountered along the way.
Read here:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/through-it-all-a-poem-by-mark-hanleyβ
From the Archives
Since December 2019, Valiant Scribe has accumulated an archive of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, interviews, artwork, newsletters, and journal issues from contributors around the world.
As we close, we invite you to take one last journey through the archive and revisit some of the work that has made Valiant Scribe what it became.
You can explore our past newsletters here:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/newslettersβ
You can also browse our archived newsletter site:
π https://app.kit.com/newsletter-siteβ
And, of course, our Collections remain available while the website is online:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/collectionβ
Books & Publications
Although the journal is closing, our books and published journal issues will continue to be available through the platforms below.
Valiant Scribe Bookstoreβ
Browse our books and publications directly through our website:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/bookstoreβ
Journal Issuesβ
Explore our electronic and print journal issues:
π https://www.valiantscribe.com/issuesβ
Amazonβ
View Valiant Scribe titles available through Amazon:
π https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BR3TWP2Z/allbooksβ
Payhipβ
Purchase select Valiant Scribe publications, including We Are Resilient:
π https://payhip.com/ValiantScribeβ
Thank You
We also want to say a special thank you to everyone who reached out with supportive messages after our previous newsletter. Your kindness, encouragement, and understanding meant a great deal to us during what has been an important and difficult decision.
Throughout its existence, Valiant Scribe was sponsored by its founder and sustained with the help of volunteers. It was, quite simply, a labour of love.
To our volunteers, contributors, readers, scholarship recipients and their families, donors, supporters, and everyone who ever shared a Valiant Scribe piece with someone else:
thank you.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for writing.
Thank you for creating.
Thank you for believing that stories, art, faith, and honest engagement with the human condition still matter.
It has been an extraordinary privilege.
That's a wrap, folks.
With gratitude,
Debra Ayis
P.S. The Valiant Scribe website will remain online until 25 November 2026, when the domain will be decommissioned. Please remember to save copies of your published work before then.
Our social media pages and YouTube channel will remain online as an archive, although we will not be publishing new content.
The Valiant Scribe Team
βhttps://app.kit.com/creator_profileβ
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