Call for Submissions (special issue)

Long Poem Prize [photo credit William Au]

INHALE/EXHALE:
Contemporary Indigenous Storytelling
special issue with guest editor
Richard Van Camp

Now accepting submissions! Inhale/Exhale will celebrate the work of Indigenous storytellers living in or hailing from the nation state known as "Canada." We invite emerging and early- to mid-career Indigenous writers—that is, anyone with no more than one published book in any literary genre—to submit as yet unpublished work (fiction, creative nonfiction, poems) for possible inclusion in a special issue dedicated to contemporary Indigenous storytelling in "Canada." We also invite emerging and early- to mid-career Indigenous artists to submit visual work for the front cover and some inside pages. As well, the issue will feature reviews of new and recent books by Indigenous authors (see below re: book reviews).

Inhale: taking stock, considering the medicines needed and wanted on the journey, gathering, harvesting, making ready...
Exhale: reaching out, blossoming, sending forth...

The Malahat Review, a literary quarterly published by the University of Victoria, acknowledges and respects the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose unceded traditional territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

Entries accepted via Submittable only (see below for instructions).

deadline & publication

Deadline: June 1, 2025 at 11:59pm (PST)

Publication: Inhale/Exhale issue #233 (winter 2025) will be available in January 2026.

guest editor

Richard Van Camp, a proud member of the Dogrib Tłįchǫ Nation from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, is the bestselling author of thirty books for both children and adults and a mentor to developing writers. His many published works range from beautiful baby books like Little You and Welcome Song for Baby to the compelling novels The Lesser Blessed and Three Feathers. The Malahat Review is honoured that Richard will be editing this special issue.

submission guidelines

  • Submittable: All submissions must be made through The Malahat Review's Submittable page. A brief biographical note must be enclosed with each submission.

  • Eligibility: All First Nations, Métis, and Inuit storytellers and authors are welcome to submit previously unpublished work. Eligible writers must self-identify as Indigenous and be Canadian or permanent residents or “non-Canadians” with close connections to Canada (currently imposed political boundaries do not necessarily coincide with Indigenous people’s own sense of place, so “non-Canadian” Indigenous writers with close connections to Indigenous communities within “Canada” are also welcome to submit their work—or to send a query about submission to malahateditor[at]uvic.ca).

  • Previous publication for writing: Any appearance of the work in print or online, including in a newspaper, newsletter, magazine, anthology, chapbook, book, e-book, electronic magazine, or on a website, personal or other blog, or any social media platform. Please note that previous publication includes work with small print runs or limited circulation. No work that has been excerpted elsewhere is eligible for submission; nor is any work that has been revised since its original publication.

  • Previous publication for artwork: Any submitted image(s) may have been previously published in any format (e.g., on social media, a website, in a print magazine).

  • Simultaneous submissions: Please inform us if you’re making a simultaneous submission, and please update us as soon as possible with any changes to the status of your submission.

genres

  • Writers may submit work in one, two, or three genres, but may make only one submission per genre (with the exceptions for images noted below).

  • Short fiction & creative nonfiction: in any style, on any subject related to the broad theme of inhale/exhale. Either one previously unpublished story of up to 3,000 words, or two previously unpublished stories of up to 1,500 words. Please include the word count on the first page of your submission.

  • Poetry: in any style, on any subject related to the broad theme of inhale/exhale. Three to five previously unpublished poems to a maximum of 100 lines per poem.

  • Hybrid work: If your work is a hybrid, please choose the genre you think best represents it. If you think it necessary or appropriate, please feel free to use the cover letter for further details about any hybrid work.

  • Translations: Work translated into English from any Indigenous language or from any Indigenous writers working in French is eligible for submission. Translators may be Indigenous or non-Indigenous. When submitting translated work, please include a copy of the original text and a copy of a letter of permission from the author or copyright holder and/or first-language publisher.

  • Cover image and inside art: in any style, on any subject related to the broad theme of inhale/exhale. Please submit one to three images. Any image(s) chosen for publication will have to be supplied in a high-resolution format (300 dpi, ideally as a .tif). Any submitted image(s) may have been previously published in any format (e.g., on social media, a website, in a print magazine).

  • Book reviews: We rarely publish unsolicited reviews. Please query first.

payment & copyright

  • Payment: We pay $CAD 70 per printed page in the magazine—$CAD 375 for cover art—plus a one-year print subscription starting with the issue after the one in which the accepted work has appeared. Each contributor will receive two copies of the issue in which the accepted work has appeared and is eligible to buy further copies at a discounted rate.

  • Copyright: We purchase first world serial rights (print and digital) in English. Copyright remains with the author and/or translator, who, upon publication of their work in the magazine, is free to republish or distribute the now-published work in any way.

queries

  • Questions? Email malahateditor[at]uvic.ca

how to submit

  • Only online submissions made through The Malahat Review's INHALE/EXHALE portal on Submittable will be considered.

  • Acceptable file formats: Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF.

  • You can make only one entry at a time on Submittable; to submit additional entries, simply follow the same process as with the initial submission.

Click the Submit icon below in order to submit your work for consideration in Inhale/Exhale:

Submittable

previous special issues