As some of you may know, the publication of the first issue of our magazine 'Melange' has been fairly successful, especially considering our limited resources. I would like to acknowledge everyone who joined the project concerned with creating that issue. I express my sincere gratitude to Ms Ute Walker, Mr Jamie Thompson, and Ms Perina Chapelle. They understood our motives, helped us by proof-reading, and gave us useful advice. I also appreciate our members who have given me such a wonderful opportunity to go public with my writings and to involve me in these creative activities. And I'm also grateful to everyone who picked up the previous issue and read it, and is reading this new issue as well! It amazed us that all the issues we printed were gone quickly.

In this second issue we have started some new things. The most notable thing is that we are now able to receive financial support from the Palmerston North Community Arts Council and Creative New Zealand. The council accepted our application wholeheartedly: it will enhance the magazine's publicity as well as the city's development in art and literature. In respect to contents, we have started a story series entitled 'Cafe Evergreen' in collaboration with group writers, what we call 'relay writing'. Last but not the least – we are very happy to include the contributions of a new guest writer, Aki. We also thank Ms Walker, Ms Thompson and Ms Diana Scrimshaw for proofreading drafts in this issue.

We, the Writers' Group The 8th Continent, always welcome your contributions and encourage people who like to join as member writers. In principle we ask contributors to write in English. Any work, which contains offensive or politically incorrect language or is inappropriate to the magazine's motif will not be accepted. We simultaneously invite free subscription of our magazine. In other words, we will deliver a new issue to you (in your mailbox if you are an IPC student) each time it is printed if you tell us beforehand. If you are interested in either contributing articles or subscribing, please come and talk any member of us, or e-mail us on melange_writers@hotmail.com.

What's more, you can receive notices by e-mail. The mailing news will inform you of the release of a new issue and update information off our group website. It was established not long after the publication of the first issue. There you can read the issues and some articles in Japanese. The URL is http://www.oocities.org/melange8c. You are more than welcome to visit our site and subscribe to the free mailing news 'Melange Tipoff-e' either in English or Japanese. Please let me know or e-mail the above mail address, just typing 'subscribe mail' in the subject. Thank you so much for your kind attention.

Megumi Kanie

Writers' Group The 8th Continent