Saboteur Awards: Best Magazine

This month, we will showcase each of the works shortlisted in the Saboteur Awards by category. Next up: magazines! If you’d like to have your say in the awards, don’t forget to vote!

Bare Fiction Magazine

I’m absolutely thrilled to be nominated for the second year running for Best Magazine. You never believe you deserve the position of editor when you’ve put yourself in that position, so this kind of support is a little overwhelming. The best thing about though is that more people will hopefully get to discover the brilliant writing that it is my privilege to publish. – Robert Harper, editor

Editor Robert Harper at the Bare Fiction Magazine issue 4 launch in Birmingham. Photo credit: Mike Ashton
Editor Robert Harper at the Bare Fiction Magazine issue 4 launch in Birmingham.
Photo credit: Mike Ashton

Bare Fiction Magazine is a journal of international new writing in poetry, fiction and theatre. Publishing in both digital and print formats three times a year, with work also appearing on their website, Bare Fiction is proving to be a highly desirable magazine for authors and readers alike. Editor Robert Harper launched the magazine in December 2013 and has just printed his fifth issue. Despite having no funding, with initiatives like the Bare Fiction Prize and Debut Poetry Collection Competition raising the profile of the magazine and forthcoming press, this is a journal that is here for the long haul.

What voters had to say:

Bare Fiction allows me to wet my whistle on a wide range of literary offerings and a wider range of authors and writers. I enjoy ‘tasting’ so many ‘morsels’ presented on their ‘menu’… it’s a stone cold blast fro this dude from Baltimore across the Big Pond!

High production values, great writer development and engagement in the wider writing community.

Bare Fiction are the only mag to publish across disciplines – they publish script-writers alongside poets and fiction writers – and they dare to take risks!

Lighthouse Literary Journal

It’s great to be shortlisted for the Saboteur Awards as it’s our readers who have got us there. Too many literary prizes forget the reader, so it’s bloody lovely to know we have a readership who support and are enthused by what we are trying to do. – Andrew McDonnell, managing director at Gatehouse Press

lighthouse

Lighthouse Literary Journal was first published in 2013 to provide space for emerging writers of prose and poetry as well as editing opportunities. Lighthouse is run by Gatehouse Press, a not-for-profit press whose ethos is to support new writers as well as interesting projects by more established writers. Everyone involved with Lighthouse and Gatehouse work on a voluntary basis. we’ve had two short stories both long listed and short listed for the Sunday Times EFG Prize as well as poetry and prose selected for the Salt Best British Poetry / Short Fiction anthologies.

What voters had to say:

I’m just very fond of their output.

Fresh, innovative and inclusive. They support new writers and have an eclectic mix of prose and poetry

Beautifully designed and with a great ethos – to get new writing out there and give new writers a leg up towards bigger publications.

The Missing Slate

For a young magazine like The Missing Slate – we’ve been running for five years – that has quietly operated just under the radar, especially in Pakistan (where the magazine and many of its editors are based), being shortlisted for the Saboteur Awards contextualises all the hard work we’ve been doing. To be recognised for our efforts in promoting international literature and voices is amazing. Thank you for shortlisting us for the Award and for believing in the work that we do. On behalf of our whole editorial team, I can safely say: we’re only just getting started! – Maryam Piracha, Editor-in-Chief.

Issue12-cover

The Missing Slate is an arts and literary journal that was co-created by Editor-in-Chief Maryam Piracha and Creative Director Moeed Tariq, in 2010, to uphold free speech irrespective of geography, political or religious affiliations. The magazine began in Islamabad, Pakistan, but now has editors in 4 continents working together to celebrate diversity and eclecticism. The Missing Slate aims to be a magazine without borders, and to date we have published work from over 70 countries and featured translations from over 20 languages.

What voters had to say:

The Missing Slate represents a beautiful collaborative effort by young people from across the globe bringing both international literature and stunning artwork to the reading masses. It is a testament to the power of diversity, communication, art and human expression in this digital age.

The only magazine promoting international literature in Pakistan, described as ‘the most dangerous country for journalists in the world.’ There’s an eclectic range of poetry and fiction, including translations from around the world, but there are also pieces in which the authors have quite literally endangered their lives by being courageous enough to speak out.

because they are promoting amazing talent, both new and previously published, they are giving a voice to the voiceless and a platform for those eager to get their art across

Prole

The editors at Prole, Brett Evans and Phil Robertson, are thrilled to be shortlisted for the Best Magazine Category in the Saboteur Awards. We always aim to connect with the reader, so being supported well enough to make it so far makes us very happy.

unnamed

Prole is a print magazine that publishes high quality, accessible poetry and prose. We aim to challenge, engage and entertain – but never exclude. We are fiercely independent, receiving nor seeking funding, and we like to pay our contributors a share of any profit made. Prole is a labour of love. We hope that is evident from the cover through to each and every page.

What voters had to say:

High quality prose and poetry. No pretentions – just good writing and reading. A quality, nice looking product too.

Prole is a consistently high quality poetry magazine. The editors are wonderful and they even give a share of any profits to the poets.

They get no funding, publish quality work, and share the profits with the writers. It is a truly unique, fair approach.

Shooter Literary Magazine

It’s wonderful to be nominated for an award during our first year of publication. Our writers and readers have shown a lot of faith in Shooter and we’re delighted to be included among a group of such compelling literary magazines! – Melanie White, editor

Shooter Issue 1

Shooter Literary Magazine publishes short fiction, non-fiction and poetry by emerging writers of engaging, entertaining literary fare. The magazine comes out biannually and was founded on the principle that good writing deserves financial acknowledgement. As such, Shooter from the outset has joined the minority of literary journals that actually pay their contributors. The first issue, themed “Pulling the Trigger,” contains stories and poetry about romantic dilemmas and moral conundrums, difficult decisions in foreign lands, hunting crises and pivotal moments in war. The “Union” issue will be published in July. Please visit www.shooterlitmag.com for further info.

What voters had to say:

Shooter is a very bootiful magazine, like a supermodel you’d approach in a bar on looks alone. That there’s content is an extra-special bonus. God knows how it was funded, but more people should be doing stuff like this! Intimidatingly good!

Shooter fills a void in the UK literary scene by supporting new British writers and fostering their development. Well-edited and engaging. A pleasure to read.

Excellent content, well edited and entertaining, with an eye-catching cover. And they make a point of paying their contributors!