We are delighted to announce that York Literary Review is back from hiatus!
York Literary Review is an annual creative writing journal designed to showcase diverse work from talented writers. Since its inception in 2016, the journal has featured trailblazing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and prose. This year, we intend to invite our writers to make their mark as we embark on a new chapter of the journal, showcasing another year of literary writing.
Our tight-knit team of editors, all York St John MA Publishing students, will be working in association with York Centre For Writing to edit, design, and curate an anthology of the finest creative work that captures the heart of Yorkshire. Our mission is to champion some of the most exciting new and emerging writers from all walks of life.
Valley Press and its imprint Lendal Press, Yorkshire’s leading independent publisher, will print and distribute the journal.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
We’re looking for literary creative fiction and non-fiction, encompassing all things poetry and prose. We accept short stories; short and long-form poems; excerpts from novels, novellas, memoirs, and flash fiction. We aim to create an accessible publication and encourage writers of all demographics to submit, including international submissions.
THEME:
The theme for the 2022 edition of York Literary Review is Movement. Given this is the York Literary Review, we are looking for some, but not all, pieces to centre on York to some extent.
The team was inspired by York’s standing as a vibrant, progressive city full of movement, from its cobbled streets bustling with tourists to the fast-flowing River Ouse. With a unique heritage that harks back to the bloodiest battles, Roman occupation, the Viking settlement of Jorvik and beyond, York is a city that is constantly in flux. We hope that this theme will enable our writers to reflect on the past, present, and future as we move further away from a year defined by inertia.
Movement could include but is not limited to:
- Social and political movements
- Physical movement
- Moving on and away
- Transition and fluctuation
- History of York and Historical Movements
- Travel and tourism in York
- Bodies of Water such as the River Foss and Ouse
- A division, passage, or section of music
The theme can be interpreted as literally or abstractly as you desire. We only ask that work does not centre on COVID-19 and any other pandemics.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
All submissions must be entirely your own work, previously unpublished, and in English. We will accept submissions under consideration elsewhere, but we ask you to notify us if it is accepted. We will only consider multiple submissions of short works such as poetry and flash fiction, given their length. All rights will be retained by the creator.
For individual category guidelines, see below. Please only submit to one of the categories:
FICTION
All fiction, including short stories and excerpts from larger works, should not exceed 2000 words. We will accept one piece of fiction writing only.
FLASH FICTION
Flash fiction should not exceed 500 words per piece. We will accept up to four pieces of flash fiction.
NON-FICTION
Non-fiction pieces including creative non-fiction, essays, and excerpts from larger works should not exceed 2000 words. We will accept one piece of non-fiction only.
POETRY
Poetry submissions in any form can be up to 60 lines. We will accept up to three poems provided that they do not exceed 60 lines in total.
SUBMISSION WINDOW:
The submission window for the 2022 edition of York Literary Review will run from 14th February 2022 to 7th March 2022. Submissions sent outside this window will not be read.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Please send your submissions to yorklitreview2022@gmail.com with the subject line ‘York Literary Review 2022 Submission.’
Attach your work as a Word document or PDF and entitle it with the category of your work plus your name. If you are submitting multiple pieces of work please include them in one document. Tell us a little about yourself in the body of your email; this bio can be up to 50 words. We’re interested to know if you have any previous publications, your background, and your interests. Submissions that fail to follow the criteria will not be read.
FEEDBACK:
You will receive an acknowledgement that your work has been submitted; however, we will only contact you directly if your work is shortlisted, given the size of our editorial team. We will notify applicants of their success prior to publication via email – please expect a response no later than 2nd May 2022.
FEES:
There are no entry fees to submit to York Literary Review.
Although we cannot pay contributors, successful applicants will be featured in the printed anthology and receive a pre-release copy.
Now you have all the details; we have one final thing to tell you: good luck!
