by Shauna Smullen
The Liminal Review is a new literature and arts journal based in Dublin. Started by collaborators and friends Alix Berber and Shauna Smullen, it wants to seek out and platform the things that are made in the in-between spaces.
Alix and I are two queer artists looking to carve out a new space for relegated voices in Ireland and beyond. Founded in 2020, the journal was born out of a curiosity for the concept of liminal spaces, both physical and non-physical. By its very definition, liminality means to exist in an in-between space. Experiences that rupture your internal world as you try to keep the external appearance looking smooth, words that slip between cracks to be rediscovered by a small few. It is about the big journeys and the small steps of life. This is liminality. We aim to produce a collection of work that will not only encompass this feeling, it will create an escape to a unique place that looks nothing like yesterday.
We have never existed in a more consistently liminal time. Our lives have shrunk down to our screens and a 5km radius. Each day is near identical to the last while an unshakeable feeling of unease abounds. As well as liminal in name, we want to be somewhat liminal in nature. The Review has no running theme, we are open to poetry, short prose, fiction, non fiction, illustrations and marginalia of any kind.
At the very centre of this publication is the goal to give a solid home to overlooked writing created by underrepresented authors. Special consideration will be given to emerging authors/artists regardless of their previous publication history. BIPOC/BAME and LGBTQIA+ artists and writers, as well as those living with disabilities, are strongly encouraged to submit. If you have a piece of work you believe in (that doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere else) we would love to take a look.
We plan to create two print publications a year, as well as one special issue that will be themed. Calls for contributions to special issues will be announced with rolling submissions. Additionally, we’re planning to (on occasion) offer no-/low-cost clinics and workshops for writers. Updates on these and other opportunities will be posted on the website and on our Twitter and Instagram.
If you are interested in submitting your work to us, you can find more information about us on Twitter and Instagram. You can read our submission guidelines on our website. Our submission window is open now until May 31st and we are excited to read what you have.
If you are a bookseller interested in stocking The Liminal Review, please contact us at liminalreview@gmail.com.
