For contest submissions, go to the bottom of this page.
For 50 years, EVENT has published the very best in contemporary new poetry and prose. We are one of Western Canada’s longest-running literary magazines, and welcome submissions written in English from around the world. Each issue of EVENT includes high quality fiction, poetry, non-fiction and book reviews, and we feature emerging and established writers side-by-side in our pages. Visit www.eventmagazine.ca
WE GENERALLY HAVE TWO OPEN SUBMISSION PERIODS ONLY FOR FICTION AND POETRY: AUGUST - SEPTEMBER and DECEMBER - JANUARY. Submission periods will close on the last day of the month, or when our allowable unpaid submission limit is reached (whichever comes first). PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR ANY UPDATES.
What We’re Looking For
Fiction: Whether you’ve never published before, or you’ve published seven novels, we’re looking for the same thing: compelling characters, plots that surprise us, narratives that move us, stories that have something new to say.
Poetry: We love poems that are lyrical without being overwrought, and are profound without being pretentious. We look for honesty of emotion, and images that arrest us.
Non-Fiction: The creative non-fiction we publish mainly comes through our annual Non-Fiction Contest due to limited page space. We are looking for real-life experiences told as riveting narratives with distinct voices. We publish essays that feel artful and true. Currently we are not accepting general submissions of non-fiction.
Your best bet at getting your work published in EVENT is by reading some of our issues. Find the current issue at Chapters, libraries or local newsstands; subscriptions and single issues in print or digital format can also be purchased online or through our office.
The Details:
- We will consider only ONE submission at a time, in one genre. Once you have received a response from us, you are free to submit another piece of writing.
- However, writers with manuscripts currently under submission are permitted to submit to our annual Non-Fiction Contest.
- Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please advise us immediately should a piece under consideration be accepted elsewhere.
- We review every manuscript we receive. During high volume periods, responses may take up to six months.
- Please review our Editorial Policy for rights, payment policies and additional details.
- See the individual categories below for more specific details about submitting.
Reading Service for Writers
If your manuscript needs another eye, try EVENT’s Reading Service for Writers. Manuscripts will be edited by one of EVENT’s experienced editors and receive an assessment of 700-1000 words detailing strengths and weaknesses, and providing recommendations for revision. All manuscripts submitted will also be considered for publication.
For this call for fiction submissions, we are welcoming submissions from any Canadian citizen or resident (only). If you are not a Canadian citizen or resident, please stay tuned for upcoming General Fiction Submission windows.
Submit one short story (maximum 5,000 words) at a time. The story must be saved as its own separate file in a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt file format. Please do not submit PDFs. Use standard manuscript formatting (double-spaced, easily read font sizes, page numbers, etc.). All work should be previously unpublished.
When filling out the Cover Letter Field, please include your name, email address, full Canadian mailing address or details, telephone number, the title and word count of your submission, and a list of previous publications, if any.
To submit poetry or pieces of non-fiction, please go to our other Submittable categories.
For this call for poetry submissions, we are welcoming submissions from any Canadian citizen or resident (only). If you are not a Canadian citizen or resident, please stay tuned for upcoming General Poetry Submission windows.
Submit up to eight poems at a time. The poems must be saved as their own separate files in a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt file format. Please do not submit PDFs. All work should be previously unpublished.
When filling out the Cover Letter Field, please include your name, email address, full Canadian mailing address or details, telephone number, the title(s) of your poem(s), and a list of previous publications, if any.
To submit fiction or pieces of non-fiction, please go to our other Submittable categories.