Le Fanu Studies, a free online journal from Gothic Press edited by Gary William Crawford, is in need of essays for future issues. Essays may be on any aspect of J. Sheridan Le Fanu‘s life and works. Essays are also sought on Le Fanu’s contemporaries in supernatural or mystery fiction and also Irish authors of Le Fanu’s day.

The journal has its own house style loosely based on The MLA Style Manual. Essays should be under 15,000 words. For models of essays see the journal HERE

Abomination is a new quarterly science fiction and horror ezine with an emphasis on dark speculative fiction. The first issue is due to be published in April 2012.

The editors are currently seeking submissions of horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy between 1,000 to 7,500 words in length. Payment is 1 cent per word. They are also seeking poetry with a strong horror theme, with a flat payment per poem of 6 US dollars.

The editors are also looking for artists to illustrate stories or supply cover art but they are, unfortunately, unable to offer any payment for artwork at this time.

Submission guidelines HERE

This years’ BFS Short Story Competition will be judged by award-winning editor and BFS stalwart Allen Ashley.

Allen Ashley is an author, editor, poet, critic and writing tutor as well as a long-standing, active member of the BFS. Allen is a regular contributor to The BFS Journal and attendee at FantasyCon. Allen won the BFS award for Best Anthology in 2006 as editor of The Elastic Book Of Numbers (Elastic Press).

Allen says: “Judging a competition is something I have wanted to add to my accomplishments for a long time, so I’m really pleased to be given this opportunity. I’m sure it’s going to be a tough decision to choose the eventual winners as I know that the standard is always very high. There’s just me judging – no filtering committee or anything like that. Also, this year it’s not anonymous as that was felt to be an unnecessary complication. Word limit is 5000 words and all the usual rules apply. Submission window opens on 1 March 2012 and closes on 30 June 2012.”

Entry is free for BFS members and just £5 per entry for non-members. Further details and full submission guidelines HERE

For enquiries please email Allen on shortstorycomp@britishfantasysociety.org

Polluto Magazine is seeking submissions of fiction on the theme “Witchfinders vs The Evil Red” (an explanation as to what that might mean is given in the submission guidelines).

Polluto is an award-winning literary magazine from Dog Horn Publishing. They state: “Don’t give us typical genre fantasy or horror. We want stories that are out of the ordinary, surreal and twisted, or laced with dark, wicked humour. We want angry voices, new voices, voices that want to toy with the reader and teach them something new and exciting. Take us to dark places, dirty places, and show us things to make us giggle, gasp or gag. All submissions must have a countercultural element. By this we mean an engagement with, challenging of, or subverting of popular cultures and ideologies.”

The submission window for the next issue closes on 31 March 2012, or when the issue is full. For submission guidelines please visit the website HERE

Lovecraft eZine is seeking submissions for special themed issues this year, especially Halloween, Christmas and Sherlock Holmes themed issues. As always, the ‘zine seeks submissions throughout the year.

Full details and submission guidelines HERE

Call for Papers: Writing and the Small Press
Deadline for Abstracts: Wednesday 29 February 2012
A one-day conference at the University of Salford, Saturday 31 March 2012 from 10am-4pm.

This conference aims to bring together publishers, writers and academics to discuss the influence of the small presses.

The small presses in the UK have a complex and fascinating history as they interact with writerly practice. Developments over the last twenty to thirty years such as the the rise of desktop publishing, the collapse of the net book agreement, and the advent of print-on-demand – as well as digital publishing and online bookselling – have created an environment in which small presses have thrived and created new opportunities for writers. This conference aims to bring together publishers, writers and academics to discuss the influence of the small presses on creative practice and to consider their broader role in cultural production. In addition, there will be practical sessions on how to publish with a small press and opportunities for publishers to showcase their books.

Topics to be considered include, but are not limited to:

-The relationship between the creative writer and small presses
-Specific studies of individual small presses and their lists
-Genre studies of the role of small presses in regards to poetry, fiction etc.
-The formal properties of the small press book and its relation to aesthetics.
-How creative writing and publishing practices are adapting to new media.

Abstracts of no more than 200 words to be submitted by 29 February 2012. Please send to one of the organisers:

Lucie Armitt
l.armitt [at] salford.ac.uk

Ursula Hurley
u.k.hurley [at] salford.ac.uk

Scott Thurston
s.thurston [at] salford.ac.uk

School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences
University of Salford
Salford
M5 4WT

Inkspill Magazine are currently inviting genre submissions (throughout February 2012).

They state: “We are looking for short stories, poetry, articles and art relating to fantasy, science fiction, horror… and anything in between. We want to read fresh, original ideas, or classic ideas reinvented. Be part of a special issue and celebrate the diversity and imagination of genre.”

Submission information HERE

BFS member Andrew Hook, together with his partner Sophie Essex, have started a new magazine of poetry/prose/short fiction entitled Fur-Lined Ghettos. They are now seeking submissions. The magazine won’t be genre-specific so please look at the guidelines before making a submission.

They state: “We enjoy the surreal, the absurd, the nonsensical, the complicated, the simple, the truth, the lies, the complexity of words, the ecstasy of genius, the delightful power we find in the spaces between and dancing at the discothèque.”

More information can be found HERE

2012 sees the first Discover Festival taking place at Snibston Discovery Museum, Coalville, Leicestershire.  The event runs from Friday 18 – Sunday 20 May 2012 and includes access to a host of activities in the fields of science-fiction, fantasy and horror. Joining previously announced Guest of Honour Peter F. Hamilton, further Guests of Honour will be Graham Masterton and Jon Courtenay Grimwood. Other attending authors include Mark Chadbourn, Adam Christopher, A.J. Dalton, Tom Fletcher, Andrew Hook, Kim Lakin-Smith, Paul Magrs, Lou Morgan, Gav Thorpe and Conrad Williams, among others.

Peter F. Hamilton began writing in 1987 and sold his first short story to Fear magazine in 1988. His novels include the Greg Mandel series and the Night’s Dawn trilogy. His most recent novels are Fallen Dragon, Misspent Youth, Pandora’s Star, Judas Unchained and the Void trilogy.

Graham Masterton is a renowned horror author whose career was launched with the wildly successful The Manitou in 1976. Since then he has written over one-hundred titles, taking in not only horror but also thrillers, disaster novels and historical sagas.  Recent releases include The Pariah, Mirror and Family Portrait through Hammer Books, a leading name in the field of horror.

Jon Courtenay Grimwood is an acclaimed fantasy and science fiction novelist, and twice a winner of the prestigious BSFA Award for Best Novel. He is also an established newspaper writer, having published articles and reviews in The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph and The Independent. His latest series, the Assassini, continues with the release of The Outcast Blade in May.

Tickets for the festival include access to a host of activities throughout. There will be a wide range of author readings, panels, writing workshops and much more featuring some of the leading writers, editors and agents in genre fiction. Tickets cost £45 and cover all activities over the weekend – for booking and more information visit the website HERE

A competiton has been set up to celebrate the launch of a new UK-based horror, gothic horror and dark poetry monthly magazine, The Poetry Box Horror & Dark Poetry ScrapBook, which will be edited, compiled and published by the founder of The Poetry Box Studio in Hampshire, L.K. Barley Robinson. The competition is The Poetry Box International Horror, Gothic-Horror & Dark Poetry Silver Trophy Cup Competition 2012. It represents a new competition in these unusual poetry genres and the winners and finalist entries, and a number of commended entries, will be published in the inaugural issue of The ScrapBook – Publication date: 1 April 2012.

The entries will be judged by the editor L.K. Barley Robinson who is an award-winning, much-published and radio-broadcast horror, gothic horror and dark poet and a former magazine columnist with The Observer series of newspapers. The first prize winner will receive The Poetry Box Horror & Dark Poetry Silver Trophy Cup and Award-Winning Certificate. The 2nd and 3rd placed finalists will receive Award-Winning Certificates and prize cheques of £25.00 each.  The 4th and 5th placed finalists will receive Award-Winning Certificates and prize cheques of £20.00 each, and highly commended entries will receive Highly Commended Certificates.

The deadline for poetry entries is 1 March 2012.  Length of poem: 60 lines maximum per poem.  Entry fee is £5.00 per poem, up to a maximum of 4 poems per entrant.  All entrants agree that their poems may be selected for inclusion in The Horror & Dark Poetry ScrapBook Magazine for up to one year after the competition deadline (1 March 2013).

The Poetry Box Studio is open to the public every Wednesday between 9.00am to 6.30pm with live poetry readings performed by a programme of visiting poets between 10.30am-11.15am in the garden of the Studio.  On display within The Poetry Box are poetry prints, poetry posters, new and secondhand poetry books and gothic horror and horror props, postcards and miscellanea.

Full details of the competition can be found HERE and information on the new magazine can be found HERE

Illustration: ‘The Death of Boadicea” (c) L.K. Barley Robinson