About Us

Belletrista is a not-for-profit, bimonthly web magazine which seeks both to encourage cross-cultural understanding through international literature written by women and to increase the visibility of that literature.

Originally the brain child of Lois Ava-Matthew, Belletrista has been developed and honed with the assistance of a remarkable international group of readers who came together as our Board of Advisors, each bringing to the magazine special skills, talents and education. Our initial group of writers and reviewers come from the US, UK, continental Europe, Canada, Ireland, Australia and South Africa, a list that is expanding.

We approach our mission as readers, not as academics or book industry professionals. Belletrista hopes to bring its unique view of women-authored, global literature to a broad audience of international booklovers, from the seasoned fan of world literature to the passionate reader who is just venturing beyond familiar literary shores.

A majority of our content is freelance-written. Writers should note that we do not accept submissions of original fiction or poetry. We do not accept unsolicited material of any kind; however, if you think you have something to contribute to our magazine please feel free to contact us and inquire.

Belletrista acknowledges the early and continuing support, financial and otherwise, of the Matthew family, The Toadstool Bookshop of Milford, NH, USA; and the generosity of many of its writers and advisors.


Contributors in this Issue

Kathleen Ambrogi is an American who has spent most of her life abroad, in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. After earning her M.S. in English Education, she taught English, Social Science, Art and Information Technology in schools around the world. Today she is a professional writer, sharing her impressions of cultural forces through fiction and nonfiction.

Andy Barnes lives in Bristol in the United Kingdom. He is an avid reader on a mission to discover great writing from as many parts of the globe as possible. Andy works in one bookshop, and volunteers in another, and when he isn't reading or selling books, he is usually talking or writing about them.

Flavia Baralle de Goyeneche is an Anglo-Argentinian English literature and language teacher living in Trieste, Italy. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University.

Tad Deffler spent the first quarter of his life (so far) moving around the world as an Army brat, the second quarter of his life acquiring degrees he doesn’t use, the third quarter trying to figure out what the fourth and subsequent quarters should be about, and the last quarter working for a long series of companies without ever moving his desk as his tiny software company got acquired by ever-larger ones. He lives in New Jersey but spends as much time in Ontario as he can wangle.

Caitlin Fehir is an English teacher living in southern Ontario, Canada. Her reading tastes change daily, and she is constantly adding to her never-ending list of books to explore. Her new-found love is traveling, an expensive hobby that is supplemented by seeing the world through literature.

Akeela Gaibie-Dawood lives in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa. She enjoys nature and is a keen hiker. She loves books and the written word, and has a Masters degree in journalism. Her current reading challenge is to visit as many countries around the world, via books, as possible.

Tim Jones is an author, poet, editor and anthologist who lives in Wellington, New Zealand. His third collection of poetry, Men Briefly Explained, will be published by Interactive Press (Brisbane, Aus) in late 2011. As a reader, he especially enjoys Russian and South American literature in translation, poetry from New Zealand and around the world, and science fiction—plus everything from Elizabeth Jane Howard novels to Buffy comics.

Judy Lim lives on a few acres on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, with two dogs, three cats, a husband and one of three children. The other two living in various parts of the world at any given time. After many years teaching preschool children, and a few different University degrees, she has settled into the life of a Youth Services Librarian with every spare moment dedicated to reading.

Arlene McKanic is a writer who lives in Jamaica, New York and Blair, South Carolina when she can! She loves to read, look out the window on cloudy days, try and grow artichokes in the garden and walk around in the woods if the South Carolina bugs aren't too bad. And read some more.

Amanda Meale is a music teacher who loves to read. She lives near Sydney, Australia.

Darryl Morris is a pediatrician who lives in Atlanta, Georgia (US). Half of his days are spent taking care of hospitalized children, and he uses his time off to travel in the US and abroad, and to attend jazz and classical music concerts, plays, museum exhibits, and author readings, whenever he isn't reading.

Joyce Nickel is a corporate writer from Vancouver, Canada. When she's not reading or traveling, she can be found enjoying the outdoor lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest.

Jean Hughes Raber teaches college English and journalism in Michigan (US). She has a master's degree with a concentration in medieval literature from Central Michigan University. The first book she ever read by herself was The Cat in the Hat. In 50 years of enthusiastic reading, she has never found a more profound parable of totalitarian authority (Fish) vs. joyful anarchy (Cat). Her heroes include Harpo Marx, Mother Jones, Dorothy Day, Studs Terkel, and, of course, Dr. Seuss. She lives with her husband, son, and three joyfully anarchistic cats, all of whom just stepped in on the mat one day and never left.

Lisa Sanders is a professional librarian and archivist living in the Seattle area with her husband, daughter, and various pets. Currently, she enjoys reading about women in the Middle East, Jewish literature and history, and international fiction of all kinds. However, in a pinch, the back of a cereal box will do. Loves gardening, travel, and watching her daughter discover the joys of reading.

Charlotte Simpson lives in London. She reads a wide range of classic and contemporary fiction written by women and is currently focusing on Africa. She has a Masters degree in Modern British Women's History.

Andrew Stancek writes, translates and dreams in southwestern Ontario. Some of his recent fiction has appeared in the online literary magazines: Bartleby Snopes, Apollo's Lyre, 52/250 A Year of Flash, Pure Slush and Istanbul Literary Review. His novel and interconnected story collection are both nearing completion.

Cyrel Troster is a retired art teacher who now has time to travel, sculpt, and read. She lives in Toronto and now attends film festivals, is a member of a women's co-operative pottery studio and directs art courses for teachers in the summer.