Weaving Voices: Building Community Through Anthologies

Regina Beach is a freelance writer and editor. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Plumb Lines project for Lapidus International. Read more of her work here.

I am so excited to be the inaugural editor-in-chief of the Plumb Lines project, which is a new initiative from Lapidus generously funded by the Plumb family. Plumb Lines invests in writing groups working with those who have been historically underrepresented in publishing. Not all writing for wellbeing is intended to be published, but for those who want to share their writing with the world, an anthology is the perfect vehicle. 

An anthology is a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing. Often created around a theme, multiple writers contribute pieces of writing. Through Plumb Lines, Lapidus is publishing anthologies that bring therapeutic and expressive writing to readers as a means of expression, healing, and community building

I wanted to share some of the anthologies that I’ve recently had the privilege of working on and contributing to. Writing can sometimes be a lonely pursuit. I find such joy in curating a collection of writing to be published as a conversation both with fellow writers and with readers. 

Are you interested in having a writing group you facilitate or are part of apply for the next Plumb Lines Project? Get in touch PlumbLinesEditor@lapidus.org.uk

Writing in Community 

The London Writers’ Salon created Writers’ Hour during the first pandemic lockdown and it has been hosting 50-minutes writing sprints ever since, now offered four times per day every weekday as well as Saturday mornings. In 2021 on the anniversary of Writers’ Hour, I joined a group of community members to team up to create the first Writing in Community anthology. It celebrates the writers from all corners of the globe who created a virtual community by writing “alone but together in Zoom boxes around the world.” I’m now working with an incredible team to produce Volume 5 of Writing in Community, which has become a cherished part of the London Writers’ Salon community.   

Writing in Community Volumes 1-5 are available now from the London Writers’ Salon in ebook and hardback

The Stafford Challenge Anthology 

This collection represents just a fraction of the thousands of poems written between January 17, 2024, and January 16, 2025, by the poets of The Stafford Challenge community. Inspired by the daily writing practice of poet William Stafford, these writers—from seasoned poets to those discovering their voices—dedicated themselves to a yearlong poetic journey. I did not succeed in writing a poem every day but I did read and write more poetry over the course of the year than I had in a long time. I helped encourage editor and challenge founder Brian Rohr to create an imprint and a physical book. It was such a fun project to help edit and contribute to. 

The Stafford Challenge 2024-25 Anthology is available now as ebook or paperback

From Where I Sit 

This anthology is a companion piece to the From Where I Sit stage show that was produced as part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Disability Arts Festival. I had the privilege of designing the cover and layout of this book as well as helping to edit this collection with the poetry Laureate of Birmingham, Alabama, Salaam Green. All of the contributors to this anthology, myself included, live with an acquired spinal cord injury or illness. We all participated in the Write to Heal study, which was my first introduction to writing for wellbeing. Graduates of the 10-week program continue to meet monthly to share writing and a second anthology is being discussed. 

Download the From Where I Sit ebook free here

In This Together

This is the most recently published anthology that featured one of my poems. Edited by Cornwall-based poet Robert Gillett AKA Beneath the Tracksuit, he uses his platform to advocate for the MS community and educate about the realities of multiple sclerosis. Robert began writing poetry as a way to cope with his diagnosis as a positive outlet for the many difficult emotions that arise when one is diagnosed with an incurable, degenerative condition. 

In This Together is available now in paperback