Newsletter

1 February 2026

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

~ Philippians 4:8 NIV

Dear friends,

As we begin February, we’re glad to share a few important updates and recent highlights from Valiant Scribe.

No-Fee Submissions Now Open

Our no-fee reading period runs from February 1 to March 31 and is open to all genres we publish. Writers are invited to submit work during this window without a reading fee.

In addition, our year-round general call for submissions remains open from January 15 to December 15. Submissions made through the year-round call carry a $5 reading fee, introduced this cycle to help support the journal’s core operations, including website hosting, newsletters, and editorial infrastructure. Submissions that are not accepted through the year-round call will now receive brief editorial feedback, a new feature intended to offer encouragement and guidance to writers.

Recently Published

We’re pleased to share two pieces published in January 2026, both reflecting on memory, meaning, and the evolving human experience:

• “Book of Winter Revelations” — a poem by Gerard Sarnat. This reflective poem meditates on aging, faith, and survival through spare, luminous imagery. “What the cold teaches, the body remembers— even when the world insists on forgetting.” Read here: 👉 https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/book-of-winter-revelations-a-poem-by-gerard-sarnat​
• “Remembering Eden in the Age of AI” — creative nonfiction by Russell E. Willis. This essay explores technology, innocence, and moral responsibility, asking what it means to remember humanity in a digital age. “The question is no longer whether we can create, but whether we will remember why.” Read here: 👉 https://www.valiantscribe.com/post/remembering-eden-in-the-age-of-ai-creative-non-fiction-by-russell-e-willis​

Program Updates

As we focus on sustaining our core publishing and scholarship work, there will be no poetry competition, artistic showcase, contributor interviews, or anthology publication in 2026.

Scholarships

Our two educational scholarships will continue as usual:

• The Naomi Kambai Ayis Scholarship (for primary and secondary students in Nigeria)
• The Billy Ayis Scholarship (for university students in Nigeria)

Applications open June 1 and close June 30, with recipients announced at the end of August. Students outside Nigeria who may need educational financial assistance are welcome to contact us directly.

We Are Resilient — New Platform & Pricing

We Are Resilient, originally released in 2024, is now available on an additional platform with updated pricing. The book is currently listed for as low as $1.99. Full details and purchasing information are available here: 👉 https://payhip.com/b/zR0go​

Supporting the Journal

We’ve also launched a Donate page to support the ongoing work of the journal. All donations go directly toward sustaining Valiant Scribe’s publishing operations. If you’re able, we invite you to share it with others who may wish to support our mission to give voice to the voiceless by retelling the human experience.

Thank you for being part of the Valiant Scribe community. We look forward to reading your work and continuing the conversation throughout 2026.

Warmly,

The Valiant Scribe Team

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