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Inhale/Exhale: Contemporary Indigenous Storytelling

special issue with guest editor Richard Van Camp

Inhale/Exhale will celebrate the work of Indigenous storytellers living in or hailing from the nation state known as "Canada." The Malahat Review invites emerging and early- to mid-career Indigenous writers—that is, anyone with no more than one published book in any literary genre—to submit as yet unpublished work (fiction, creative nonfiction, poems) for possible inclusion in a special issue dedicated to contemporary Indigenous storytelling in Canada. The magazine also invites emerging and early- to mid-career Indigenous artists to submit visual work for the front cover and some inside pages. As well, the issue will feature reviews of new and recent books by Indigenous authors (see below for more details).

Inhale: taking stock, considering the medicines needed and wanted on the journey, gathering, harvesting, making ready …

Exhale: reaching out, blossoming, sending forth …

The Malahat Review, a literary quarterly published by the University of Victoria, acknowledges and respects the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose unceded traditional territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

deadline & publication

Deadline: June 1, 2025 at 11:59pm (PST)

Publication: Inhale/Exhale issue #233 (winter 2025) will be available in January 2026.

guest editor

Richard Van Camp, a proud member of the Dogrib Tłįchǫ Nation from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, is the bestselling author of thirty books for both children and adults and a mentor to developing writers. His many published works range from beautiful baby books like Little You and Welcome Song for Baby to the compelling novels The Lesser Blessed and Three Feathers. The Malahat Review is honoured that Richard will be editing this special issue.
 

submission guidelines

• Submittable: All submissions must be made throughThe Malahat Review's Submittable page. A brief biographical note must be enclosed with each submission.
• Eligibility: All First Nations, Métis, and Inuit storytellers and authors are welcome to submit previously unpublished work. Eligible writers must self-identify as Indigenous and be Canadian or permanent residents or “non-Canadians” with close connections to Canada (currently imposed political boundaries do not necessarily coincide with Indigenous people’s own sense of place, so “non-Canadian” Indigenous writers with close connections to Indigenous communities within “Canada” are also welcome to submit their work—or to send a query about submission to malahateditor@uvic.ca).
• Previous publication for writing: Any appearance of the work in print or online, including in a newspaper, newsletter, magazine, anthology, chapbook, book, e-book, electronic magazine, or on a website, personal or other blog, or any social media platform. Please note that previous publication includes work with small print runs or limited circulation. No work that has been excerpted elsewhere is eligible for submission; nor is any work that has been revised since its original publication.
• Previous publication for artwork: Any submitted image(s) may have been previously published in any format (e.g., on social media, a website, in a print magazine).
• Simultaneous submissions: Please inform us if you’re making a simultaneous submission, and please update us as soon as possible with any changes to the status of your submission.

genres

• Writers may submit work in one, two, or three genres, but may make only one submission per genre (with the exceptions for images noted below).
• Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction: in any style, on any subject related to the broad theme of inhale/exhale. Either one previously unpublished story of up to 3,000 words, or two previously unpublished stories of up to 1,500 words. Please include the word count on the first page of your submission.
• Poetry: in any style, on any subject related to the broad theme of inhale/exhale. Three to five previously unpublished poems to a maximum of 100 lines per poem.
• Hybrid work: If your work is a hybrid, please choose the genre you think best represents it. If you think it necessary or appropriate, please feel free to use the cover letter for further details about any hybrid work.
• Translations: Work translated into English from any Indigenous language or from any Indigenous writers working in French is eligible for submission. Translators may be Indigenous or non-Indigenous. When submitting translated work, please include a copy of the original text and a copy of a letter of permission from the author or copyright holder and/or first-language publisher.
• Cover image and inside art: in any style, on any subject related to the broad theme of inhale/exhale. Please submit one to three images. Any image(s) chosen for publication will have to be supplied in a high-resolution format (300 dpi, ideally as a .tif). Any submitted image(s) may have been previously published in any format (e.g., on social media, a website, in a print magazine).
• Book reviews: The Malahat Review rarely publishes unsolicited reviews. Please query first.

payment & copyright

• Payment: We pay $CAD 70 per printed page in the magazine—$CAD 375 for cover art—plus a one-year print subscription starting with the issue after the one in which the accepted work has appeared. Each contributor will receive two copies of the issue in which the accepted work has appeared and is eligible to buy further copies at a discounted rate.
• Copyright: We purchase first world serial rights (print and digital) in English. Copyright remains with the author and/or translator, who, upon publication of their work in the magazine, is free to republish or distribute the now-published work in any way.

queries

• Questions? Email malahateditor@uvic.ca

how to submit

• Acceptable file formats: Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF.
• You can make only one entry at a time on Submittable; to submit additional entries, simply follow the same process as with the initial submission.

Poetry submissions by Canadian writers are accepted for consideration from January to June each year. Poetry submissions by international (including US) writers are accepted for consideration during the following two months only: January and May. Writers may submit their work only once per calendar year in any given genre (contests excepted).
 

• Please submit three to five poems in a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file (up to 10 pages max, single-spaced, with each new poem starting on a separate page).
• Please include your contact information (name, email address, telephone) on the first page of your submission.
• For translated poems, translators should include a copy of the original(s) with the submission and supply (or be able to supply) evidence of permission to publish their translations.
• In the Title field enter "# Poems" (where # is the number of poems being submitted: e.g., 4 Poems). For translations, enter "# Translated Poems" (e.g., 4 Translated Poems).
• In the Cover Letter field, please include your name and contact information (full mailing address, email address, telephone number); the title of each submitted poem; and a short biographical note. For statistical purposes, please make sure to indicate your province/state and/or country of origin.

Response times will normally vary from one to six months after the date of submission.

Fiction submissions by Canadian writers are accepted for consideration from January to June each year. Fiction submissions by international (including US) writers are accepted for consideration during the following two months only: January and May. Writers may submit their work only once per calendar year in any given genre (contests excepted).
 

• Submissions of previously unpublished short fiction may be up to 8,000 words in length for Canadian writers and up to 4,000 words for international writers.
• No submission may consist of more than one story, unless you are submitting flash fiction.
• Up to three flash fictions (each no longer than 750 words) may be submitted in one submission, and they must be submitted in a single file.
• For translated stories, translators should include a copy of the original(s) with the submission and supply (or be able to supply) evidence of permission to publish their translations.
• Submit your story (stories) in a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file (double-spaced and paginated).
• On the first page specify the number of words in the story, or stories, submitted.
• Please also include your contact information (name, email address, telephone number) on the first page of your submission.

In the Title field please insert the title of your story (e.g., Head to Toe) or, in the case of flash fiction, the number of stories followed by "flash fiction(s)": e.g., 1 flash fiction; 3 flash fictions. For translations, please include "(in translation)" after the story's title or after the number of flash fictions: e.g., The Nose (in translation) OR 2 flash fictions (in translation).

In the Cover Letter field please also include your name, full mailing address, email address, telephone number; the title of the story (or stories) submitted and number of words; and a short biographical note. For statistical purposes, please make sure to indicate your province/state and/or country of origin in your cover letter.

Response times will normally vary from one to nine months after the date of submission.

Creative nonfiction submissions by Canadian writers are accepted for consideration from January to June each year. Submissions by international (including US) writers are accepted during the following two months only: January and May. Writers may submit their work only once per calendar year in any given genre (contests excepted).

The Malahat Review takes creative nonfiction to be literary writing based in fact; style matters no less than substance, whatever form the writing may take (e.g., the personal essay, memoir, biography, travel writing, historical  account). We do not accept submissions whose primary purpose is to argue a case, review a literary or art work, or offer an opinion or commentary on someone or something.
 

• Submissions of a single previously unpublished work of creative nonfiction may be up to 5,000 words in length.
• Or you may submit one to three pieces of up to 1,000 words each (short creative nonfiction).
• For translated creative nonfiction, translators should include a copy of the original(s) with the submission and supply (or be able to supply) evidence of permission to publish their translations.
• Please make your submission in a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file (double-spaced and paginated).
• On the first page specify the number of words in each piece submitted.
• Please also include your complete contact information (name, full  mailing address, email address, telephone number) on the first page of your submission.

In the Title field please insert the title of your story (e.g., Swimming in Sand) or, in the case of shorter submissions, the number of pieces followed by "flash cnf(s)": e.g., 1 flash cnf; 3 flash cnfs. For translations, please include "(in translation)" after the work's title or after the number of flash cnfs: e.g., On Unpacking My Library (in translation) OR 2 short cnfs (in translation).

In the Cover Letter field please include the following information: your name, full  mailing address, email address, telephone number; the title(s) of the piece(s) submitted with a word count, and a short biographical note. For statistical purposes, please make sure to indicate your  province/state and/or country of origin in your cover letter.

Response times will vary from one to nine months after the date of submission.