About the Recusant

rec'u·sant n., [rek-yuh-zuhnt, ri-kyoo-zuhnt]

A dissenter; a nonconformist; someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct [syn: nonconformist] [ant: conformist]  

the Recusant, as its title suggests, has no set stylistic criteria. We simply aim to publish online any poems, prose pieces, fiction, articles, reviews that we think interesting, imaginative and powerful.

In terms of poetry, we have a preference for work that deviates from the mainstream. We particularly like political, social and polemical poetry. We wish to promote non-conformist work, in other words, that which does not submit to the ease of contemporary trend. the Recusant is here to expose the work of those writers who write on their own terms, irrespective of fashion.

Whether formalist or modernist, all poets are welcome to submit. But it is in unfashionable subjects - such as politics, poverty, social exclusion, mental illness - rather than styles that the Recusant seeks to specialise.  

We are one contemporary poetry forum that does not shun 'bedsit' poems.

In terms of prose work, we are open to most subjects, but again with an eye

particularly for socially focused pieces, political and polemical. We make no bones

about our leftfield stance, but at the same time aim to be as broad-minded as our

name suggests.

We also aim to evolve a creative collective from this online project to offer an alternative to established writing trends. This site we hope may also act as a kind of sanctuary to such writers who identify with our view.