Bold + Italic is a new international online literary magazine based in India. You can read their first two issues to get a feel for the type of work they accept.
I wondered how and why this lit mag came to be, so I asked co-founder Jayant Kashyap. See my interview with Kashyap and a link to submission guidelines below.
HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about Bold + Italic.
KASHYAP: Bold + Italic was conceived as an answer to my wish of seeing poetry in India. When I used to submit poems to magazines on Submittable, it was very rare to find an Indian magazine there accepting submissions -- perhaps that's because most people here keep away from such arts, and so are almost unsupportive for the same; but I know there are many of us who write poems (some of my favourite poets are from India, obviously), and I wanted to see good writers from here sharing space with international talent. So, when it comes to reading submissions, though we do not prioritise anyone -- we prioritise talent -- we sure do keep an eye on submissions from Indians.
HOPKINSON: How/why was Bold + Italic originally started?
KASHYAP: Bold + Italic began with the support of a friend, he designed the logo that we now have, but he couldn't continue further. It took us some time to actually begin, for I had begun with a basic phone -- now though I have an iPhone to work most of it, and a computer sometimes.
HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?
KASHYAP: Our target reader, I expect, begins with my age-group (teenagers); and then, as it is, does poetry (or any kind of writing) really have limitations?
HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?
KASHYAP: As readers, we expect any sort of work that defines a quality, one that stands out among pieces instantly after a slight reading. -- which is why we put out submission calls based for partially-themed issues. The first issue was partially-themed on Agha Shahid Ali, the third one is on Infants.
HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but never comes in?
KASHYAP: Lately, I've been very fascinated with almost-mixed forms of poems: translations, immigrant poetry, expatriate poems -- such poems have amazing vividity; my major favourites include such poets, Kathryn Maris, Agha Shahid Ali, Shara Lessley. So, I expect such poems; they never come in though.
In case of prose, I'm a goth, and I expect that -- Kat Devitt too is a goth; her fiction that appeared in our first issue was an amazing example of the same. I'm also quite a fan of creative non-fiction, I've only been waiting yet.
HOPKINSON: Where can folks send submissions or if they have questions, how can they contact you?
KASHYAP: Our Submissions page is a perfect guide for both these questions. We have a contact form there, and everything else that is required for satisfying the doubts.
Click here to read submission guidelines.
DEADLINE: December 31, 2018
THEME: infants
FORMAT: digitally online
SUBMISSION FEE: None
PAYMENT: None
FORMS: poetry, fiction, non-fiction
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Categories: Call for Submissions, Interviews
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