Goldfinch Journal
The first Journal for Alton will be published in Spring/Summer 2026 containing WRITING, POETRY, JOURNALISM and ART, put together in a compilation available for sale in print and online.
Submissions guidelines are below.
SUBMISSIONS OPEN
(Deadline: 31st March 2026)
From the EDGE of Alton is a print publication celebrating local talent and creativity. 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. Your voice may be from: geographic edges: rural/urban fringes, coastal towns, commuter belts; social edges: class, race, disability, migration, queerness; economic edges: gig work, high streets in decline, housing insecurity, etc.
We want to hear from all ages, all sectors of the community, beginners and seasoned artists alike, published and unpublished authors and poets, no restrictions. You don’t have to be from Alton, but your work should feel like it belongs at the edge. We plan to reserve a number of slots per issue specifically for people with a clear Alton/East Hants link.
What are we looking for?
Journalism: short or longer form non-fiction in any style up to 5,000 words. Get creative, get angry, uncover something important, show us something interesting, explore a concept. Whatever it is, do it with purpose and passion. Don’t hold back.
Fiction: any creative writing piece, from flash fiction up to a 5,000 words short story. Story is king. Show us your creative writing skill, but write to serve the story. Make us think, or laugh, or cry, or just help us see something from another angle. Be provocative, passionate, take a risk.
Poetry: any type of poetry up to 1,000 words. Use language and rhythm to evoke something meaningful, or funny, or weird, annoying or inspiring. Create something vivid or profound and make us feel its intensity. Kick out, get mad, dig into the core and show us what’s there.
Photography: artistic photography suitable for printing in black & white in a standard-sized print book. We want to see the story in the image, or behind the image - the image as a medium for authentic self-expression, something that creates a connection between us as viewers, you, and your subject, to evoke things that words can’t capture. You can have it as a standalone image, or you can add words, poetry, prose, whatever helps convey the story.
Art: any form of art that suits printing in black and white in a standard-sized print book. Here we want to see artwork, illustrations (any media) of any kind to communicate story through a visual language, and the same rules apply: Give us something to make us sit up and feel alive.
ALL SUBMISSIONS: Please send using the FORM below before the specified deadline for this edition.
TEXT: To help our editorial team, we ask that all written submissions are provided in electronic form in Arial or Times font, 12 point, double-spaced, uploaded as a WORD file or PDF.
ARTWORK & PHOTOGRAPHY: Please upload image(s) suitable for print in black and white.
COMBINATION PIECES: We are open to and interested in combinations of art forms, for example, illustrated poetry, annotated imagery, prose with annotated notes, illustrations with captions or associated poetry etc. In such cases, the look of the text and images on the page may be important, and you may wish to upload images of text rather than text as described in the bullet point above. If in doubt, please ask.
AGE LIMITS: None. We are equally interested to see work by children as by adults. Our consideration for publication in the EDGE will be the work’s contribution to the quality, feel, and appeal of the Journal.
SUBMISSION NOTEs
This is a curated journal. Our team (editors, artists, writers, poets) will choose pieces from the submissions that fit the flow and content of the current journal (“EDGE”). If you submit, and your piece is not chosen for the current edition, you can re-submit for a future journal for which it might be a better fit. The Goldfinch Editorial Team decisions on chosen pieces are final and not negotiable.
YOU own your work. We will never ask for or claim any rights or ownership save for the qualifications in these TERMS. You own the copyright to your work. We will not request or assume any rights to print or distribute except under your permission for EDGE.
By submitting your work for consideration for EDGE, you confirm that you own the copyright and grant us permission to print and distribute in EDGE without compensation (payment)*, restriction or time limit. This does not prevent you publishing or selling your work elsewhere
Geography:
You can be based anywhere.
We particularly welcome work rooted in smaller towns, edges of cities, forgotten high streets, borderlands, and in lives lived at the margins – wherever you are based.
We aim for a significant proportion of each issue to feature contributors with a strong connection to Alton / Hampshire / neighbouring counties.
*Note: whilst payment is n ot guaranteed, we believe that artists should be paid for their work, and we are applying for funding to support this journal which, if successful will enable us to make a payment for all pieces published in the EGDE.