They publish much of Canada’s best poetry and prose. The writers whose creative work appears in their pages range from established icons of Canadian literary arts–such as Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood and Lynn Coady, to name just a few–to new writers published for the first time.
They are Canada’s literary magazines, and they are not only a source of reading pleasure, but also a critical part of our country’s culture and a forum for literary artists across the land.
The following list, an A-to-Z guide to Canadian literary periodicals and their submissions guidelines, compiled by the National Media Awards Foundation, focuses on those magazines that currently publish short fiction, poetry and/or creative (aka literary) non-fiction. Many also accept submissions for essays, literary criticism, reviews, interviews, graphic narratives and visual art. And many have won National Magazine Awards. If we missed any, tell us via Twitter @MagAwards or contact us by email.
Published in: Ontario (Victoria University, Toronto)
Founded: 1878
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Nova Scotia (St. Francis Xavier University)
Founded: 1970
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Articles, Reviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: 1
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Ottawa)
Founded: 1978
Genres: Poetry, Reviews, Essays
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Awards: 5 (most recently: Louise Halfe, Silver Medal, Poetry, 2015)
NMA Nominations: 23
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Lakehead University)
Founded: 2008
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Plays
Issues per Year: 1-2
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission Guidelines
Ascent Aspirations
Published in: British Columbia (Vancouver)
Founded: 1997
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: Online, with annual anthology
National Magazine Award Nominations: 0
Submissions Guidelines
Augur Magazine
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 2016
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Comics/Graphic Fiction
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: 0
Submissions Guidelines
Baldhip
Founded: 2014 Genres: Poetry, Visual ArtIssues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: 0
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 1977
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: 5 (most recently: Linda Spalding, Silver Medal, One of a Kind, 2013)
NMA Nominations: 13
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario
Founded: 1995
Genres: Fiction, Reviews, Interviews, Zine Culture
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: 2
Submission Guidelines
Bywords.ca
Published in: Ontario (Ottawa)
Founded: 1990
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: Monthly (online)
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Univ. of British Columbia)
Founded: 1959
Genres: Poetry, Reviews
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Windsor)
Founded: 1968
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Essays
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Awards: 2 (most recently: Russell Smith, Gold Medal, Fiction, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 4
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Univ. of Western Ontario)
Founded: 1977
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission Guidelines
Canthius Journal
Published in: Canada
Founded: 2015 (debut issue Fall 2015)
Genres: Poetry & Prose (from women and genderqueer writers)
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Capilano University, Vancouver)
Founded: 1972
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Visual Arts, Interviews
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Awards: 4 (most recently: Weyman Chan, Silver Medal, Poetry, 2001)
NMA Nominations: 12
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (University of Guelph)
Founded: 1983
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: 1 (Julie Bruck, Gold Medal, Poetry, 1998)
NMA Nominations: 3
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Quebec Writers’ Federation, Montreal)
Founded: 2004
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Cede Poetry
Published in: British Columbia (Vancouver)
Founded: 2015
Genre: Poetry
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Claremont Review, The
Published in: British Columbia (Victoria)
Founded: 1992
Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Manitoba (Winnipeg)
Founded: 1975
Genres: Poetry, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: 2
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Montreal)
Founded: 2014
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Interviews, Essays, Visual Arts, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 11
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Nova Scotia (Dalhousie University, Halifax)
Founded: 1921
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Essays
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Danforth Review, The
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 1999
Genres: Fiction
Issues per Year: 8 (online)
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Ottawa)
Founded: 2011
Genres: Reviews, Essays, Translations
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Univ. of Toronto)
Founded: 2003
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Drama, Reviews, Visual Arts
Issues per year: 1-2
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Alberta (University of Alberta, Edmonton)
Founded: 2011
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Essays, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 2-3
National Magazine Awards: 12 (most recently: Lisa Gregoire, Gold Medal, Essays, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 39
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Douglas College)
Founded: 1971
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Creative Non-fiction
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Awards: 12 (most recently: Bill Gaston, Gold Medal, Fiction, 2011)
NMA Nominations: 45
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (York University, Toronto)
Founded: 1978
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Montreal)
Founded: 1995
Genres: Poetry, Reviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario
Founded: 1972
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Drama
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Ottawa)
Founded: 2008
Genres: Humour, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Poetry, Cartoons
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: 5 (most recently: Jacob Pacey, Gold Medal, Humour, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 10
Submission Guidelines
Published in: New Brunswick (University of New Brunswick, Fredericton)
Founded: 1945
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 2 (most recently: Shane Neilson, Silver Medal, Poetry, 2011)
NMA Nominations: 13
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Alberta (Calgary)
Founded: 1993
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews, Interviews, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: 1
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Alberta (Lit. Society of Calgary)
Founded: 1990
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Manitoba (Winnipeg)
Founded: 2007
Genres: Creative Non-fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Journalism, Photography
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (The Geist Foundation, Vancouver)
Founded: 1990
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 6 (most recently: Karen Connelly, Gold Medal, Poetry, 2012)
NMA Nominations: 16
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Alberta (Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton)
Founded: 2012
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: 1
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Saskatchewan (Sask. Writers’ Guild, Saskatoon)
Founded: 1973
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 4 (most recently: Ayelet Tsabari, Silver Medal, One of a Kind, 2012)
NMA Nominations: 28
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 2012
Genres: Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Essays, New Media
Issues per Year: Biannual, plus regular online content
National Magazine Awards Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario
Founded: 2008
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Univ. of Toronto)
Founded: 1991
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: 0
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Ontario
Founded: 2012
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction
Issues per Year: Online (1 print edition per year)
National Magazine Awards: 11 (most recently: Sasha Chapin, Gold Medal, Personal Journalism, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 37
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 2014
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Essays, Art
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: 1 (Personal Journalism, 2016)
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Nova Scotia (Halifax)
Founded: 2014
Genres: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Reviews
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Carleton University, Ottawa)
Founded: 2001
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 2-3
National Magazine Awards Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Montreal)
Founded: 1976
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 1991
Genres: Poetry, Essays, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 10
National Magazine Award Nominations: 6
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario
Founded: 2012
Genres: Fiction, Essays, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award: 1 (Jess Taylor, Gold Medal, Fiction, 2013)
NMA Nominations: 7
Submission Guidelines
Mackinac, The
Published in: Online
Founded: 2013
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: 3-4
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission guidelines
Published in: British Columbia
Founded: 2015
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 4 (online)
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Montreal)
Founded: 2003
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews, Journalism, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 39 (most recently: Magazine of the Year 2016)
NMA Nominations: 144
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (University of Victoria)
Founded: 1967
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 28 (most recently: Liz Windhorst Harmer, Gold Medal, Personal Journalism, 2013)
NMA Nominations: 84
Submission Guidelines
Maple Tree Literary Supplement
Published in: Quebec (Montreal)
Founded: 2008
Genres: Film, Visual Arts, Literary photography, Author interviews
Issues Per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Concordia University, Montreal)
Founded: 1975
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia
Founded: 2008
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: Online
National Magazine Award Nominations None
Submissions Guidelines
Montreal Review, The
Published in: Quebec (Montreal)
Founded: 2009
Genres: Non-Fiction, Book Review
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations None
Submissions Guidelines
Mystery Weekly
Published in: Ontario (Ancaster)
Founded: 2015
Genres: Fiction (crime + mystery)
Issues per Year: 12
National Magazine Awards Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: New Brunswick (St. Thomas Univ.)
Founded: 1994
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo)
Founded: 1981
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 15 (most recently: Tamas Dobozy, Gold Medal, Fiction, 2014)
NMA Nominations: 52
Submission Guidelines
NōD
Published In: Alberta (U. of Calgary)
Founded: 2014
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission Guidelines
Northern Appeal, The
Published In: Ontario (Simcoe County and Muskoka)
Founded: 2016
Genres: Poetry, Short Stories, Photography, and Visual Art
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Alberta (Fort McMurray)
Founded: 2012
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: 0
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Atelier 10, Montreal)
Founded: 2012
Genres: Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Poetry, Essays, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: 5 (Most recently: 2015 Magazine of the Year)
NMA Nominations: 18
Submission Guidelines
On Spec
Published in: Alberta (Edmonton)
Founded: 1989
Genres: Fiction, Poetry,
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Yukon (Dawson City)
Founded: 2014
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: 1 (Essays, 2016)
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Sudbury)
Founded: 1998
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Reviews, Personal Essays (on the subject of of mental health recovery)
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
ottawater
Published in: Ontario (Ottawa)
Founded: 2005
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
PACE Magazine
Published in: Ontario (Ottawa)
Founded: 2016
Genres: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Reviews, Photography, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
paperplates
Published in: Online
Founded: —
Genres: Essays, Fiction, Poetry, Reviews
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
(parenthetical)
Published in: Ontario
Founded: 2014
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction
Issues per Year: 6
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Petal Journal
Published in: Ontario (Toronto); an online journal of female perspectives
Founded: 2015
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: Continuously (online)
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Victoria)
Founded: 2012
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Graphic Narrative
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Burnaby)
Founded: 2009
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Polymath
Published in: British Columbia
Founded: 2015
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 4 (online)
National Magazine Awards: None
Submission guidelines
Published in: Manitoba (Winnipeg)
Founded: 1978
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Interviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 14 (most recently: Harold Hoefle, Silver Medal, Poetry, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 47
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Alberta (Calgary)
Founded: 1983
Genres: Poetry, Short Fiction, Drama, Literary Criticism
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: 2
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (University of British Columbia)
Founded: 1959
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Drama, Interviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 12 (most recently: Jody Smiling, Silver Medal, Essays, 2014)
NMA Nominations: 28
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia
Founded: 2014
Genres: Short Stories, Novellas, Novel Excerpts and Graphic Novel Shorts
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Ottawa)
Founded: 2006
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Queen’s University, Kingston)
Founded: 1893
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Reviews
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Awards: 11 (most recently: Nick Mount, Silver Medal, Arts & Entertainment, 2008)
NMA Nominations: 44
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 2013
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Art
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: New Brunswick (UNB)
Founded: 1996
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction; Reviews, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Univ. of Windsor)
Founded: 1979
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Manitoba (Winnipeg)
Founded: 1970
Genres: Creative Non-fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Visual Art, with a focus on Canada’s Mennonite communities
Issues per Year: 2-3
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Vancouver)
Founded: 1995
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: 5
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Newfoundland & Labrador
Founded: 2009
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Vancouver)
Founded: 1975
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Interviews, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 4
National Magazine Award Nominations: 2
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario
Founded: 2011
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Graphic Narratives
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: 1 (Poetry, 2016)
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Univ. of Toronto, Scarborough)
Founded: 1967
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: 0
Submissions Guidelines
Spadina Literary Review
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 2011
Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Artwork, Comics
Issues per Year: 6
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: British Columbia (Vancouver)
Founded: 1992
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Reviews, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Awards: 2 (most recently: Zsuzsi Gartner, Silver Medal, Fiction, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 7
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 1997
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: 1 (Michael Cho, Silver Medal, Words & Pictures, 2007)
NMA Nominations: 15
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Red Maple Foundation, Toronto)
Founded: 1966
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Essays, Visual Art
Issues per Year: 6
National Magazine Awards: 19 (most recently: Min Gyo Chung, Silver Medal, Illustration, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 85
Submission Guidelines
Touch the Donkey
Published in:
Founded: 2014
Genres: Poetry
Issues per Year: 1
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Understory Magazine
Published in: Nova Scotia (Halifax & Lunenberg)
Founded: 2013
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Spoken Word
Issues per Year: 2-3
NMA Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (Toronto)
Founded: 2014
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction and Visual Art.
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submissions Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Montreal)
Founded: 2000
Genres: Poetry, Reviews, Essays, Interviews
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Awards: 2 (most recently: David McGuimpsey, Gold Medal, Poetry, 2016)
NMA Nominations: 8
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Ontario (University of Windsor)
Founded: 1965
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Non-fiction, Interviews, Visual Arts
Issues per Year: 2
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Winnipeg Review, The
Published in: Manitoba (Winnipeg)
Founded: 2010
Genres: Poetry, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 4 (online)
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
Published in: Quebec (Ville Saint-Laurent)
Founded: 1985
Genres: Fiction, Reviews, Interviews
Issues per Year: 3
National Magazine Award Nominations: None
Submission Guidelines
In addition to the above list, many of Canada’s news, general-interest and arts magazines publish fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, including but not limited to Border Crossings, The Walrus, Toronto Life, Boulderpavement, Inroads, Newfoundland Quarterly, Ottawa Magazine, Georgia Strait, Alberta Views.
See also these great guides to entering Canadian magazine writing contests:
Your Guide to Fall Magazine Writing Contests
Your Guide to Summer Magazine Writing Contests
Your Guide to Winter/Spring Magazine Writing Contests
Read all about this year’s National Magazine Award winners, which included medals by literary magazines Arc Poetry Magazine, Event, Hazlitt, Little Brother, Prairie Fire, PRISM International, sub-Terrain, The Feathertale Review, The New Quarterly, Vallum and Maisonneuve, which won Magazine of the Year.