University Centre Peterborough Announces Publishing Project With Stamford Based Writing Magazine Mono.

University Centre Peterborough (UCP) are pleased to announce a partnership with Stamford based writing magazine, MONO. Over the next three years, Mono. will work out of UCP, editing and designing print and digital issues and offering undergraduate students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience skills in publishing.

MONO. was launched by UCP alumni Kayleigh Cutforth in 2020, after being inspired by the Employment module in her second year of study, and has steadily gained a readership of over 1k readers as well as recognition amongst fellow indie publishers and authors. The first three issues have attracted worldwide writers, including, established poets and authors, some of whom have been published in high profile journals such as The New Yorker. Kayleigh and her co-editor, Tina Parsons, (also a UCP graduate) have also organised three successful literary competitions during this time, all won by high profile as well as up and coming authors and writers which have not only raised the necessary funds to pay for printing and marketing the journal, but also raised the profile of the journal significantly. Their most recent competition was judged by 2021 TS Eliot prize winner, Joelle Taylor and were also awarded recognitions from the major online writers’ forum, Reedsy for the quality of the competitions in both 2021 and 2022, receiving a Best Writing Competition badge in both years. MONO. have achieved all this within fifteen months of launching.

MONO. currently have a potential distribution deal to distribute the print journals in major retailers and bookshops, including WH Smith, however, to move ahead with this deal, they need to secure Arts Council funding. This is where the partnership between UCP and MONO. will be mutually beneficial, helping to secure funding for the journal, further the promotion of literature in the city, whilst also providing an invaluable opportunity for UCP students to gain real-world editorial, design and marketing experience and all in-house.

Kayleigh said, ‘Studying at UCP was a wonderful and life-changing experience. Not only did it offer me a high-quality education, but the teaching staff have consistently gone above the call of duty to invest in my journey which has already afforded me several opportunities including workshops with the National Centre for Writing, working for Peterborough Cathedral and gaining a Masters’ placement at University of the Arts London, none of which I could have achieved without the encouragement and support of UCP staff.”