THE BRIDGE

Overview of the Project

The Bridge is a creative writing venture based on the idea of connecting writers from around the globe, bringing them to a platform where they can showcase their work and build multi-ethnic ties through their writings. The project offers multiple publishing opportunities, both online and in print for local and international contributors. The website also engages writers in very exciting writing competitions every month devoid of geographical, ethnic, religious, social or racial boundaries. The main highlights of the website are its annual E-Magazine, the upcoming volumes of The Bridge and countless opportunities of On-Site Publications. Recently, the website has launched a very unique feature as “Collaborative Writing Portal” which would turn out to be an exceptional way of assisting writers in completion of their unfinished short stories.

The Bridge is initiated by and is a brain child of Aaisha Umt Ur Rashid who is a poet, short story writer, editor and researcher based in Lahore. She is the CEO of The Bridge. Emerging from a single mind, The Bridge is evolving into a very energetic team and a vibrant energy that is disseminating its current around the world.

One of the main highlights of the project is its focus on empowerment of women as Editors, Writers, Researchers and Scholars. The books that have been published so far under the patronage of this project have been edited by female editors from Pakistan, Malaysia, and the US. The upcoming volume is also co-edited by female editors. The project encourages and promotes female writing across the world. This way, the project is focusing on the empowerment of women writers for whom the opportunities of creative and academic growth are scarce in our part of the world. However, it is important to note that the project is not limited to female writings only and is not gender specific.

Being the first one of its kind, the project launches one volume of The Bridge every year in alliance with writers from one particular country. Each volume contains poems and short stories by emerging and published writers from Pakistan and the selected country. The first volume targeted writers from Malaysia. The second one brought to us poems and stories by writers from the United States. The third volume, expected to come out by the end of 2023, would show extracts from the diaries of writers from Nigeria while the fourth one is expected to reach out to writers from England. The Bridge will soon build up a community so strong that you would be able to meet all the contemporary writers from around the world, on one platform.

This distinctive project is one of its kind in the country and is initiated to encourage the young emerging writers from our part of the world towards an international exposure of writing. By having virtual interactions with people of other ethnicities experiencing altogether different environments, different cultures and different mindsets, a clearer vision and a stronger outlook of life in general is developed and that is what the project largely aims at. The project is expected to reach out to an audience who can, with the power of their pen, bring revolutionary changes to their societies towards betterment.

Latest News
STORY OF THE MONTH
Posted: 10/1/2024 9:57:39 AM

Topic: Inner Peace

Deadline: 20th October, 2024


POEM OF THE MONTH
Posted: 10/1/2024 9:57:07 AM

Topic: Resilience

Deadline: 20th October, 2024


The Bridge E-Magazine Volume-IV
Posted: 9/22/2024 10:37:24 AM

Submission categories:

  • Short Fiction/Flash Fiction/Microfiction

-       Real life Story

-       Horror/Suspense Story

-       Pet Story

  • Poetry
  • Articles
  • Book Reviews
  • Memoirs
  • Travelogues
  • One Liner Quotes
  • Humour
  • Health and Well being
  • Adventure
  • Kids’ Corner
  • Food on Your Table
  • Other

The Bridge E-Magazine is an opportunity for you to explore multifarious genres of writing and experiment with innovative ideas.

Deadline: 31th March, 2025


Publishing Categories

Interested in getting Published Internationally? Here are the categories THE BRIDGE offers you...


The first anthology of its kind.


Experiment with diverse genres of Writing.


Complete your unfinished writings in collaboration with renowed writers on board.


Register to take part in various writing competitions.

Aims and Objectives

The Bridge, as an anthology of an exceptional kind, aims at bridging bridges between the writers of various parts of the world, and also readers.

  • As a unique platform of an exceptional kind, The Bridge aims at bridging bridges between the writers of various parts of the world. It has already begun to establish a community of writers which is expanding rapidly. The Bridge expects writers to stay connected and continue to be mutually beneficial to each other in terms of sharing ideas through their pen.
  • Through its discussion forums, The Bridge aims at building a strong community of writers who would overlook all national, political, geographical and religious boundaries while sharing their ideas and yet, would respect all.
  • The Bridge will assemble writers from across the world where, at some point in time, they might be able to come up with ideas together that can bring revolutionary changes to their societies and the world at large.

Published Projects


The Bridge Vol-I

Volume-I is Edited by Ms. Aaisha Umt Ur Rashid from Pakistan and Prof. Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf, from Malaysia. The book consists of poems and short stories by emerging and published writers of Malaysia and Pakistan. The contributions deal with diverse themes like ethnicity, landscape and identity. The volume is being used as a reference book in the creative writing courses of both Malaysian and Pakistani universities (At IIUM and LCWU). The book is published by Silverfish Books, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Writers from Pakistan Writers from Malaysia
Zakia Nasir Nur Ain Nabila Binti Abu Hassan
Mahrukh Bokhari Nur Alia Mohd Jamil
Aaisha Umt Ur Rashid Amirul Nazmi bin Azrymi
Mahnoor Tahir Fathin Addina Mohd Azeem
Habiba Ikram Rajaekaran
Saima Eman Devi Suguna Arumugam
Ayza Yousaf Wan Nurnisa
Mubashra Malik Zul Harith
Syeda Farwa Batool Ahmad Soufi bin Ahmad Badri
Mehreen Khan Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf
Komal Naeem Nur Amira Jeffrey
Muhammad Afiq bin Che Arif
Amirullah Zul
Dzulfazreena Annessa Dzulkefli
Cover Designed by: Qasim Nawaz & Farhan Arif
Published by: Silverfish Books, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


The Bridge Vol-II

Volume II is edited by Aaisha Umt Ur Rashid from Pakistan and Shannon Phillips from the United States. The book contains poems and short stories by published and emerging writers from both the countries. The writings revolve around the theme “Roots”. This volume is also being used as a reference book in the creative writing courses at LCWU and also at some Institutes at the United States. Volume II is available on Amazon.

Writers from Pakistan Writers from the United States
Rizwan Akhtar Stephanie Barbe Hammer
Zakia Nasir Nur Alia Mohd Jamil
Iffat Sayeed Shannon Phillips
Sana Munir Judy Kronenfeld
Aaisha Umt Ur Rashid Aruni Wijesinghe
Taha Kehar Suzanne Allen
Saima Eman Kareem Tayyar
Nausheen Mazhar Christina Brown
Mahnoor Tahir Mifanwy Kaiser
Areej Tahir Brian Harman
Maania Farhan Lloyd Aquino
Zobia Arif Martin H. Levinson
Cover Designed by: Qasim Nawaz
Published by: Picture Show Press, USA


The Bridge Vol-III

The Bridge Volume III is a compelling anthology that seeks to foster a deeper understanding and connection between writers from Pakistan and Nigeria through the shared exploration of the theme of Race. By featuring both established and emerging voices from these diverse regions, the collection offers a rich tapestry of perspectives and experiences related to racial identity and dynamics. The anthology not only highlights the unique cultural contexts of each country but also underscores the universal struggles and narratives surrounding race. Through their captivating contributions, the writers bridge geographical and cultural divides, creating a literary dialogue that resonates with readers around the world.

Writers from Pakistan Writers from NIGERIA
Rizwan Akhtar Amina Haruna
Zakia Nasir Hassana Isma’il Tsiga
Taha Kehar Ismail Bala
Muhammad Khurram Adamu Usman Garko
Amina Obaid Khawaja Mubarak Ibrahim Lawan
Dirha Qazi Muhsin Ibrahim
Areej Tahir Aliyu Kamal
Hafsa Tariq Idris Hamza Yana
Anum Khalid Mifanwy Kaiser
Maania Farhan
Mubashara Malik
Mahnoor Tahir
Ayesha Irfan
Rabia Akram
Cover Designed by: Qasim Nawaz
Pubished by: FICTION HOUSE LAHORE PAKISTAN


  Membership Benefits

By being a member of The Bridge website, you are entitled to get the following benefits:

  • Only the registered members would be able to submit their work for the upcoming volumes of The Bridge. All alerts, call for contributions and news regarding the upcoming volumes would be shared on the website.
  • You can show your interest to work with us as Editor for the upcoming volumes of The Bridge. By sending us your profile stating your writing interests and successful creative endeavors, you can get a chance to work with us.
  • In case you are an emerging writer, you would be able to interact with the renowned international writers from around the globe, share your work with them and get their feedback and professional guidance.
  • You would be able to get your work published on the website on monthly basis. Your profile will be rated based on the number of On-Site Publications in various available categories.
  • You would receive the annual e-magazine in your user console consisting of contributions by contemporary writers from around the world. By becoming a registered member of the website, you would be able to submit your work for the e-magazine as well.
  • You would be able to take part in the Creative Writing Workshops by international writers from various parts of the world.
  • Registration fee for one year (Pakistan) : Rs. 1000/- Registration fee for one year (International): US$ 10

So don’t wait further and REGISTER here (Register) for a fabulous writing experience!

WHY SHOULD I REGISTER HERE?

Well, if you are a writer-in-the-making, this is exactly where you should be. The Bridge will provide you countless opportunities to experiment and excel while exhibiting the pinnacle of your potential on national and international levels for the whole one year. And if you happen to be a renowned, published writer, The Bridge needs you even more as you are the one we are trying to connect to.

So, while you register, fasten your seat belts as The Bridge is going to take you to a fun-trip of WRITING where you would be able to…

  • Create your individual profile stating your writing interests so that writers of mutual interest can interact with you.
  • Have individual/group discussions with the contemporary writers from all over the world.
  • Get a chance to polish your creative writing skills following the “writing tips” of published writers.
  • Keep yourself updated about the upcoming anthologies to submit your work.
  • Get a chance to submit one short story and one poem every month to be evaluated as the “Story/Poem of the Month.” If you are lucky enough to have both your submissions selected for one month, you can even become the “Writer of the Month”.
  • Interact with your favorite writers, editors and publishers of The Bridge (Volume I and II).
  • Get a chance to publish your work in The Bridge and various other platforms related to it.

So don’t wait further and REGISTER here (Register) for a fabulous writing experience!

For you, your passion and your work!

Are you a day-dreamer? Do you fantasize yourself as a writer in the near or far future? Have you had no opportunities to exhibit the miracles of your pen? Or….are you shy to share your work that you have been writing for so long ? Well let us help you in making your dreams come true…but before that…lets day-dream once again… Imagine how intensely altered will your life be if…

  • You could be a part of the writers’ community where you can let the inner voice of your heart get heard…
  • You could have multifarious chances of getting your work evaluated by renowned writers…
  • You could even have direct access to communicate with the contemporary writers around the globe…
  • Your work reached out to the writers around the globe and you were receiving awesome feedback on it…
  • The secret diary full of musical pieces of your own verses that you had been hiding all this time was finally accepted for publication as a book…
    And what if finally…
  • You were at a gathering with all of your favorite writers…and guess what…they were waiting for you to sign your recent book for them…

Sounds Awesome, isn’t it? And as possible as ever. The Bridge will offer you opportunities and directions, based on your potential as a writer, to make these reveries turn into reality.

What is Collaborative Writing?

Ever heard of co-authored articles? In academics that may be a usual practice but in creative writing, it is not. So The Bridge brings for you this unique and fascinating Collaborative Writing Portal to experiment with. If you have been trying to finish a short story since long but you are stuck at some point due to writer’s block or any other reason, feel free to post it here. Let the writers on board give it a read and suggest/write an extension to your story. They might complete your story for you or take it a little further. It is up to you, as the main author of the story, to accept or reject that suggestion/extension/ending of the story contributed by your fellow writer(s). Those who are possessive about their work would initially feel hesitant in sharing their incomplete works here, but it is worth giving a try as collaboration not only enhances individual’s abilities to think in broader terms but also polishes the resultant product, i.e. The creative piece as more minds are at work for its completion. So, ransack your old diaries and journals where your unfinished tales are stored. Take them out and let The Bridge community of writers facilitate you in taking your voice further.

Introduction

The Bridge Writers in Conversation

The Bridge Writers in Conversation (Special Episodes)