Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 30/09/2026The Portland Aquaria, Portland Road, South Norwood - I do like a good shopfront! #illustration 041
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 09/09/2026New issue of Candlestick Paper out now!! www.candlestickbooks.store/shop/p/candl... 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 05/09/2026I'm a huge fan of Candlestick Books on Instagram (and Substack) - so I was delighted when Katie asked me to contribute to the new issue of her zine. Get your copy here - www.candlestickbooks.store/shop/p/candl... 020
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Food zines for sale - www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Reen... 020
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 25/06/2026Ice cream sundaes at Favoloso, Eastbourne embroidered 🪡 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 17/06/2026I illustrated and wrote about Jen Cafe, Chinatown for the Restaurant Graveyard section of 'Meal Train' - the new food risograph periodical from BearBear - bearbear.co/products/mea... 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 10/06/2026A Vinaigrette and Spices for Biscuits - four inch embroideries. www.etsy.com/shop/reenama... 000
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 09/06/2026A Simple Spaghetti, an embroidered kitchen still life. Going to be working on a series of these through the year (this one inspired by the zine I did with Margaux). www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Thanks to @theemmapress.bsky.social for sending through my illustrator copies of 'Eating Air' by Suyin Du Bois! Loved working on the cover for this. Officially out on 9th July and available to pre-order here - theemmapress.com/shop/poetry/... 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 01/06/2026June from 'Letters to Another Kitchen', an unseasonal almanac zine - words by @margauxvlln.bsky.social and illustrations by me - available here www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... #foodzine #almanac 000
Reposted by Reena Makwana The Emma Press @theemmapress.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Just when I thought TEP office couldn't get any hotter...look who showed up: the gorgeous EATING AIR by Suyin Du Bois! 🍜 Illustrated by Reena Makwana, EATING AIR is a mouth-watering book of poems about food, belonging and connection. Pre-orders open: buff.ly/GcHQS4O 031
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Upper Norwood Library, Crystal Palace Triangle, embroidery on calico #embroideringlondon 071
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 15/05/2026I drew five South London Post Offices that I use for Issue 3 of Pencil Magazine - The Letter Writing Issue - shown here are Elmers End and Beckenham Post Office - get your copy here - pencilmagazine.com 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 14/05/2026Haynes Lane, Crystal Palace. A few weeks ago I did an embroidery workshop at Camberwell for BA illustration second years (my old course)- 'Embroidering from our lived experience' - this was one of the pieces I used to demo the tissue paper transfer technique. Thanks for Geoff Coupland for asking me! 110
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 05/05/2026Thanks Rob!! You can buy a copy here - www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4...etsy.com 010
Reposted by Reena Makwana Rob Walton @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Lovely Bank Holiday treat from the pens and imaginations of @reenamakwana.bsky.social and @margauxvlln.bsky.social . Final image is one of Reena’s fantastic illustrations from our @theemmapress.bsky.social book. Great to see more of her food-themed work. 041
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Officially out today and a merrie month of May to you all! 'Letters to Another Kitchen' - words by @margauxvlln.bsky.social and illustrations by me! #foodzine #foodwriting #foodillustrations www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 29/04/2026In anticipation of our zine being launched this Friday - here is May from 'Letters to Another Kitchen', words by @margauxvlln.bsky.social www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 000
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 20/04/2026We have gone to print!! 'Letters to Another Kitchen', words by @margauxvlln.bsky.social and illustrations by me - available from 1st May and you can also pre-order! www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 100
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Thanks for all the pre-orders on our zine! Ran through the final proof with @margauxvlln.bsky.social yesterday and today I'm doing a final proof check on the design. Available officially on 1st May 🌿 www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 000
Reposted by Reena Makwana Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 09/04/2026We made a zine! 'Letters to Another Kitchen'- a collaboration between writer @margauxvlln.bsky.social with my illustrations! Available to pre-order from our respective websites! www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 022
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 09/04/2026We made a zine! 'Letters to Another Kitchen'- a collaboration between writer @margauxvlln.bsky.social with my illustrations! Available to pre-order from our respective websites! www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 022
Reposted by Reena Makwana The Emma Press @theemmapress.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Pre-orders now open for EATING AIR by Suyin Du Bois, a mouth-watering book of poems about food, belonging and connection. Head over to The Emma Press website for more: buff.ly/nER3SEo 🍜 Cover by Reena Makwana ❤️ 031
Reposted by Reena Makwana The Emma Press @theemmapress.bsky.social · 05/03/2026It's World Book Day!! What are you reading today? Celebrate with one of our children's fiction or poetry bundles via our webshop here: buff.ly/YUnpVsR 💖 #WorldBookDay 051
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 06/01/2026Took down the tree and used up the last of the mincemeat in a cobbler with apples 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 02/01/2026Sharing again, the cover I illustrated for the fourth issue of Feast Zine - 'Odyssey' - 60 pages of poetry, prose, photography, art, illustration and more - available here - www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 030
Reposted by Reena Makwana The Emma Press @theemmapress.bsky.social · 27/12/2025Here are our favourite moments of 2025! James ~ Launching Rachel Spence's Daughter of the Sun! Georgia ~ PARABLES, FABLES, NIGHTMARES winning the Edge Hill Debut prize! Emma ~ Please Don't Read the Footnotes Please nominated for the Carnegie Medal! Ella ~ Creating an interactive Instagram post! 072
Reposted by Reena Makwana Rob Walton @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social · 19/12/2025Ive had a few nice acceptances recently for flash fictions and children’s poetry, but it’s great that people are still being kind about this. Thanks - always - to all at @theemmapress.bsky.social and @reenamakwana.bsky.social. And the School Reading List of course! @schoolreadinglist.bsky.social 082
Reposted by Reena Makwana Rob Walton @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social · 08/12/2025Many thanks to School Reading List for placing our book on the fiction shortlist with lots of awesome titles. @reenamakwana.bsky.social Great time to buy with @theemmapress.bsky.social sale too. #kidlit #childrensficrion 063
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 05/12/2025I illustrated the cover of the new issue of Feast Zine! And a few spot illustrations inside - available to buy here - www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 020
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 02/12/2025Illustration for @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social and Rebecca Leeks's advent calendar - a seasonal piece of writing each day -https://open.substack.com/pub/rebeccaleek/p/2nd-december 120
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 14/11/2025Prints, tea-towels, zines and Christmas cards for sale on my Etsy! www.etsy.com/shop/reenama... 020
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 07/11/2025Cross-stitch of our local fish and chips shop - Marlow Fish Bar! 060
Reposted by Reena Makwana Rob Walton @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social · 03/11/2025So thrilled to be on this list with @reenamakwana.bsky.social and @theemmapress.bsky.social! Thank you! So many fantastic writers, illustrators and publishers here. 141
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 10/10/2025Ever wondered about the small magic folk that live in South Norwood Country Park? So have we! Jack Good and I have made this zine which you can buy from the communal table at Goblin Market on the 19th October at Stanley Arts and here too #folklore #croydon #halloween - www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 020
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 01/10/2025Logo illustrated for Rebecca Leeks's new podcast 'The Ditty Bag' - listen and subscribe here - open.substack.com/pub/rebeccal... 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 21/09/2025Cross-stitch of South Norwood Library #embroidery 070
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 15/09/2025The sky/weather page from my Gujarati English zine - copies available from my Etsy shop - www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 11/08/2025Sourced turns five!! Sharing 'A Celebration on the Side', which I illustrated for their Celebration season last autumn. Congratulations to @annasulan.bsky.social and Chloe -subscribe to their excellent food and drink newsletter here - sourcedjourneys.substack.com 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 23/07/2025Loved working on this commission for Endeavour Agency - new illustrations for their website - endeavour.agency 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 19/07/2025Made a new baby fabric for a new baby friend! Bears, sloths and whales #surfacedesign 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 29/06/2025Transport page from the Gujarati English zine I made Theo - a lot of transport words are just the English words when I checked with my mum but had to include all the wheels! Also featured, the 68 bus and a Southern train. #illustration #zines #learninglanguages 011
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 27/06/2025A few people have asked for a copy after seeing this 'Gujarati, English and a bit of Swahili' zine I made Theo, so I've printed a batch. 20 pages, over 120 illustrations - available here - www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4... 000
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 24/06/2025www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-us-sa...crowdfunder.co.ukHelp Us Save Moon Lane Ink CIC!With your help, we aim to offset our recent struggles and get back on stable footing so that we can continue to invest in our community. 000
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 12/06/2025Managed to fit a few places and things into Theo's Gujarati English zine -including an illustration of Eastbourne beach on this 'sea' themed page 000
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 31/05/2025Flexing that food illustration muscle for this double page for Theo's Gujarati/English zine (including Swahili - dizzy/ndizi for banana) 162
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 29/05/2025Animals from Theo's Gujarati/English zine #illustration #zines 010
Reena Makwana @reenamakwana.bsky.social · 28/05/2025I've made Theo a zine! Gujarati, English and a bit of Swahili - 120 plus illustrations and words on animals, food, the home and garden, the sky and sea and more! I couldn't find something like this, so I made it. Thanks to my mum with helping with all the phonetics! 030
Reposted by Reena Makwana bluewithstars2.bsky.social @bluewithstars2.bsky.social · 11/05/2025Loved this! 2 incredible heroes who turn what we know on its head. Impossible to put down 🐲🧚♂️🗡🐴🌳. Thanks @barbaraevav.bsky.social for this 💚 @poetclare.bsky.social @reenamakwana.bsky.social @readingrocks.bsky.social @thereaderteacher.bsky.social @openuni-rfp.bsky.social 143
![Ode to Kaya
Egg jam first on my young tongue: palm sugar sweet, coconut milk rich. Thick layers on charred
toast, salted butter cubes between, melting in Penang
sweat. My Goh Ee Poh stood for hours stirring you
in that double-boiled heat. Exports to be swaddled,
twisted into pink and green plastic bags, nestled
amongst swimming costumes and sundresses − rituals
to ward off mid-air leaks in the 14 hours from one home
to the other. Back in England your layers thinned,
our knives more sparing after each spread.
After Goh Ee Poh grew too frail, aunties and uncles
gifted us store-bought surrogates. You were labelled Kaya.
Our cupboards filled with your empties, aides-mémoire
of indulgence repurposed to house fragrant rice, Chinese
mushrooms, our longing for Nyonya flavours.
[Word count limit for sample poem]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2gha2zgtnpaylyob46fbwgzo/bafkreiccqsxhx6mxalwrydodyfuuwhm6zwjlstrvlxkdjyc76pw6i6toz4)
