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
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.
Rachael Beale has spent much of her career to date experimenting with combinations of words and
technology, either writing for technical companies, or doing technical things for literary ones. She
graduated from the University of Cambridge's Trinity College with an M.A. allegedly in "English Literature;"
actual English writers account for quite a small proportion of her reading, which tends to sprawl luxuriously
across genre boundaries. She makes time to read and talk about books by not doing things that normal
people consider essential (sleeping, cleaning, ironing...)
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.
Ceri Evans lives amidst the green green grass of North Wales. She is a family lawyer who prefers
reading to anything else. She would secretly love to drop everything and open a second hand book shop.
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.
Jana Herlander is a former journalist, occasional poet, and unapologetic bibliophile.
Tim Jones is an author, poet, editor and anthologist
who lives in Wellington, New Zealand. His third collection of poetry, Men Briefly Explained, has recently been published.
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.
C. Lariviere is a French-Texan who has lived in Japan, Spain and Argentina. An aficionado of
languages (fluent in French, Spanish, English and Japanese), she is quick to pick up her suitcases to
travel the globe and explore sites unknown. With her recent M.S. in organic chemistry she currently
travels via books and awaits her next adventure. Her favorite fiction consists of Japanese and Latin
American literature.
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.
Michael Matthew is a scientist with a small company outside of Boston. Outside work, his reading
is usually, but not limited to: nonfiction, current events, poetry or science fiction.
Amanda Meale is a music teacher who loves to read. She lives near Sydney, Australia.
Kate Morgan is a former professional in the law enforcement and emergency services fields. She is a
voracious reader of a variety of books, both domestic and international.
Darryl Morris is a pediatrician who lives in Atlanta, Georgia (USA),. Half o 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.
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.
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