Vita & the Woolf is a literary and arts journal based in the UK, publishing under Elsker Publishing House. They publish fiction, flash fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and art from creatives worldwide. They publish as an e-book on Etsy and Amazon, and as a print edition on Amazon.

They are always open and currently accepting submissions for their June Pride issue until May 25, 2024. All other submissions will be considered for their July issue. You can read more about what they are up to, what they are looking for, and specific call details in my interview with Editor-in-Chief Elinora Westfall below.

HOPKINSON: How/why was Vita & the Woolf originally started?

WESTFALL: Our name is inspired by the romantic relationship between Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. I have always longed to bring together writers and artists to create an online family akin to the Bloomsbury group, which was my main reason for starting the journal. I’m also very focused on helping other creatives rise to the top, and to celebrate our contributors as writers and artists, as well as their work.

HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?

WESTFALL: We publish work from all genders, races, and sexualities across the globe, so we hope to be pretty universal in our audience.

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?

WESTFALL: Literary and general fiction, flash fiction, poetry, interesting creative non-fiction on subjects we perhaps wouldn’t expect to see, and artwork (although we don’t accept digital art).

HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in?

WESTFALL: Phenomenal, densely written poetic literary fiction (think Virginia Woolf), and non-fiction about subjects we aren’t expecting! We published a wonderful non-fiction piece about magpies in our first issue, which was a real treat to receive and read. We would love for someone to surprise us with an essay on Vita & Virginia.

HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?

WESTFALL: Instead of favourites, I’d love to share some brand new journals that I’ve noticed, such as Current Wave Magazine, Telling Stories Magazine, the Minutes Mag, and Nebula Journal.

HOPKINSON: As a writer yourself, what are you most proud of?

WESTFALL: I think I’m most proud of never giving up. I’ve known since I was a child that I’m a writer, and have always remained true to that in the face of some pretty strong opposition, which has led me to become a full-time multi-award-winning writer of stage, screen, poetry, and fiction (something I rarely say out loud. I’m not sure imposter syndrome ever goes away!)

HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with the Vita & the Woolf?

WESTFALL: My favourite part by far, is when we receive submissions from young writers or writers who are just starting out. Being able to encourage, support, and showcase their work is an honour and a privilege I will never tire of.

HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions?

WESTFALL:  Please send submissions as a word.doc or JPG to elskerpublishinghouse@gmail.com

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?

WESTFALL: We welcome all questions to elskerpublishinghouse@gmail.com.

• SUBMISSION DEADLINES: 
  • June Pride Issue: May 25, 2024
  • Regular Submissions: Always Open
• FORMAT: E-Book (Amazon and Etsy) and in print (Amazon).
• SUBMISSION FEE: None
• PAYMENT: We gift each contributor a PDF copy of the issue their work appears in. Our goal is to eventually use the revenue from the sale of our e-books and print copies to offer payment for each piece selected.
• ISSUE FREQUENCY: Monthly, including Pride (June) and Christmas specials.
• AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: up to 1 month
• SUBMISSION METHOD: Email – elskerpublishinghouse@gmail.com
• SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Yes, we believe very strongly that writers and artists should have the opportunity to promote and showcase their works as freely and often as they wish.
• FORMS: Fiction, Flash fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Artwork
• SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram
• LISTINGS: CLMP, Chill Subs, Duotrope

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