Inkstone Literary Magazine
Poetry, short stories, personal essays, and art work by current students are eligible for submission in our student-run literary arts magazine.
Inkstone is a place for art that takes risks and demonstrates passion, exploration, and purpose. We seek to publish work that strives for artistic and technical excellence while also honoring that we are all growing as people and as artists.
What is Inkstone?
Inkstone is the literary arts magazine of Northwestern. Its mission is to encourage and showcase creative writing at the university. All current Northwestern students are eligible to submit work. Started in the fall of 1998, Inkstone is published once every semester and features poetry, short stories, personal essays, and artwork. A team of English students serve as the Inkstone editorial staff under the direction of Rebecca Fox, Inkstone advisor. The magazine is operated entirely by students who create themes, select pieces, and design and layout the magazine.
Creative writing competition & Fine Print reading
Every Spring, Inkstone sponsors a creative writing contest. All submissions accepted for the Fall and Spring issues of the magazine are considered finalists for the competition. A guest judge reads all finalists and selects the best writing in poetry and prose.
Inkstone also sponsors the Fine Print Reading, which celebrates the writing and writers of Inkstone. Contest winners read their work alongside other invited authors. Students generally read to a packed house as English faculty and students gather to hear their original poetry and prose.
Inkstone submission guidelines
● Must be a current Northwestern student to submit.
● Send us up to 2 short stories, 2 personal essays, 5 poems, and any visual art.
● While we do not have a set word count limit, prose under 2,000 words has the best chance of acceptance.
● Each piece submitted as an individual Word document is appreciated.
● We do not accept excerpts of longer works—flash/short prose is preferred.
● Submissions must come from your UNW student email address.
● Send to inkstone@unwsp.edu.
● See UNW announcements for the Spring and Fall submissions windows.
Inkstone is open to all departments, all styles, and all stories. We create space for a range of student voices that honor one another, listen well, and reflect our community with grace and truth. We can’t wait to read your words! Art is for everyone.
