Publisher's Synopsis
The Brussels Review - Summer 2025 is a vibrant showcase of international literature, featuring fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that challenges and resonates. With contributors from five continents, this issue offers a panoramic view of contemporary voices, each distinct in style yet united by a commitment to form and depth.
Highlights include:
Fiction:
- Motion Picture Sickness by Beatriz Seelaender: A metafictional novella where actors vanish from film upon death, confronting fame, identity, and the ethics of representation.
- Some Gifts by Gaye Brown: A personal essay on altruism, sacrifice, and the shifting meaning of generosity, grounded in memory and moral ambiguity.
- The Word Thief by Patrick ten Brink: A haunting tale of obsession, grief, and language, where the right words can heal or destroy.
Poetry:
- Sonnet Mondal: Fragments of Life and The Biscuit Factory-meditative poems on memory, tradition, and decay.
- Yelena Moskovich, Christina Brannon, and Paul O'Brien: Poetic sequences ranging from lyrical minimalism to textured introspection.
Additional Fiction:
- Hayden in March by Charles Wilkinson
- Like Freedom or Fear by Danila Botha
- Violent Design by Molly Collins
- Please Help Yourself by Jonathan D. Scott
- The Begotten One by Crystal McQueen
- We'll Ride Them Someday by Joshua Carlucci
- His Last Picture in the Ashes of the Fire by Wilson Neate
- I Get the Lies by Stacey Megally
- The Farthest Sea by Gabrielle Glaslyn
- Mrs. Purefoy by Yannick Marien
- A Founding Father's Guide to Contingency Planning by Louis Kummerer
Poetry Contributions:
- Sonnet Mondal (4 poems)
- Yelena Moskovich (7 poems)
- Christina Brannon (3 poems)
- Paul O'Brien (7 poems)
Curated by Publishing Editor Dritan Kiçi and the international TBR editorial team, this issue continues The Brussels Review's mission to bring fearless, cross-cultural literature to the forefront. Printed in rich design and available as both eBook and in print, Summer 2025 captures a moment where boundaries dissolve, and language becomes the last homeland.
