From the EDGE of Alton
Copy of Today’s Press Release
Goldfinch Books launches new radical local writing journal.
Alton’s independent bookshop and community creative hub, Goldfinch Books, is launching a new print journal of writing, photography and art: From the EDGE of Alton. The first issue will be published in Summer 2026, and submissions are now open.
From the EDGE of Alton is a home for work that doesn’t always fit comfortably in the mainstream – fiction, non‑fiction, poetry, photography, illustration and journalism from the edges of towns and cities, of publishing, and of public debate. Its focus is on community, solidarity and resistance to prejudice, exclusion and division.
“We wanted to create a space in print that reflects the conversations and tensions we see in the bookshop every week,” says Gary Clark, owner of Goldfinch Books and editor of the journal. “We’re rooted in a small Hampshire town, but we’re interested in the edges everywhere – forgotten high streets, rural fringes, people and communities pushed to the margins. This is a journal for inclusive, outward‑looking, challenging work.”
The journal will:
Champion marginalised and under‑represented voices– including writers of colour, working‑class writers, LGBTQ+ writers, disabled writers, migrants, those who suffer with their mental health and allies.
Welcome work that is political with a small ‘p’ – concerned with justice, equity, power, care, climate, housing, work – and that stands against racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of oppression.
Make room for hybrid and experimental forms – essay‑memoir, reportage‑poetry, visual storytelling and more.
Sit within Goldfinch’s role as a piece of social infrastructure: a place where books, arts and community life meet in inclusive, non‑commercial ways.
Issue 1 will be available as a high‑quality print publication from Goldfinch Books and via the bookshop’s website. Launch events and readings are planned in the shop to coincide with publication.
Call for submissions
Goldfinch Books is inviting submissions until 31st March 2026 from:
Writers and artists based anywhere whose work speaks from or about the edge – small towns, estates, rural fringes, precarious lives, communities under pressure, resistance to division and cultural homogeneity.
The ‘EDGE’ represents the importance of inclusivity in the arts. We champion all creative voices, and especially encourage those from the edge of the mainstream, from those who may not feel that their work is worthy or fits the mould. We want to hear from all ages, all sectors of the community, beginners and seasoned artists alike, published and unpublished authors and poets, no restrictions.
We will particularly seek to include writers and artists with a strong connection to Alton, Hampshire and the surrounding region, alongside work from further afield that shares this inclusive, solidaristic spirit.
Full submission guidelines – including themes, word counts, formats and deadlines – can be found at: www.goldfinch-books.com/the-edge.
Subject to funding, contributors will receive modest fees for their work, funded through sales of the journal and (subject to outcome) future grant support. From the EDGE of Alton will become a regular platform and a springboard for a small but ambitious Goldfinch Publishing list.
“From the EDGE of Alton is one more way of saying that what happens in places like this matters, that everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in print, and your status or bank balance shouldn’t dictate the validity of your story,” says Gary Clark. “If you care about community, fairness and the messy, complicated business of living together, this is your invitation to send us your work.”