The newleaf staff
Julia Boll joined newleaf in April 2000, starting out as a copy editor. Since then, she has not only published several poems and short stories in the magazine, but became newleaf's third editor in summer 2003, after spending two semesters at the John Moore's University in Liverpool, UK. She is also responsible for the newleaf special editions and edited Ole D. Herlyn's book Changing Nighthouses, published by newleaf press in November 2004. She now experiments with being on an outpost for newleaf, communicating with the other editors online and joining in on staff meetings when she's in the country. Besides her work for newleaf, she has several side jobs such as Teaching Assistant for English literature and as a research assistant for a bank. Furthermore, she has done working experiences with Radio Bremen and the British magazine "Cargo Systems". Julia finished her MA (English Studies, German Studies, and Politics) at the University of Bremen in 2005 and currently does a PhD in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, from where she recruits new authors for the magazine.
Cora Buhlert was born and bred in Bremen, though she has also spent a lot of time abroad. She got her MA-degree at the University of Bremen some time ago, used to teach linguistics at the University of Vechta and now works as a translator and teacher. Cora writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Texts by her have appeared in newleaf as well as in various international magazines.
Even though she is no longer a student, Cora has remained loyal to newleaf and is the magazine's sales manager, at least in theory. She used to be infamous for bullying people into buying the magazine any way she could, but now she is no longer at the university, the hallways are finally safe.
Visit Cora on the web at www.corabuhlert.com.
Oliver Chrystossek is newleaf's graphic designer. He joined the crew in 1999 and gave his entrance appearance by relaunching the cover of No. 11, thus lifting the magazine to a new and professional level of graphic quality. Although he finished his university studies with a degree in Arts and English in 2003, he still supports newleaf.
Since gaining his degree, he has earned his living as a freelance graphic designer. Aside from that, he paints and manages a local baseball team.
Nicolas Graf joined the newleaf team in summer 2008 to take over the website administration. Apart from working on the newleaf websit and his studies in English-Speaking Cultures and Political Science, he is a member of the English students council (StugA) and works in the university's IT department. He spent the winter semester 2009/10 abroad at the University of Portsmouth, England.
Simon ‘the scissors’ Makhali joined newleaf as a student in 1996 to help Ian compile issue #3. Over the years, he has acquired a certain ruthlessness as a co-editor when it comes to chopping huge chunks off poetry and prose alike if he deems it necessary – hence his nick. No longer a student, he still feels glad to be a member of this bunch of mad hatters, aka newleaf community.
Ian Watson was born in Belfast, too long ago to remember. In the Diaspora tradition of Van Morrison, James Galway, Liam Neeson and George Best, he left that windy city after his Ph.D. to seek fame and fortune in Germany. The quest continues. A writer since his schooldays, he has – apart from his ‘publish-or-perish’ academic work – written and published poetry, articles and essays since an indefinable date in the previous century. In Bremen he taught British and Irish Literature, English Language Practice and Literary Writing before leaving to become a fulltime hanger-out and layabout writer. In 1994 he founded newleaf, one of the best decisions in his life, in addition to his wife and two grown-up children. He is addicted to Manchester United (has been since childhood) and Werder, where he has been a season-ticket holder through thick and thin since his arrival in Bremen. Since 2005 he has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Virtuelles Literaturhaus Bremen.