Welcome to Exile’s Submittable platform, open to receive your literary and visual arts submissions for our publishing consideration.
At Exile Editions (books) and EXILE Quarterly (literary & visual arts magazine, issued 4 times a year) we are publishers of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, drama, and art – with some 500 books and over 170 issues published since 1972.
We are, most notably, two very distinct operations, with mandates and missions specific to each organization: Exile Editions is a for-profit entity that produces an annual list of books (back to 1975), whereas The Excelsis Group – publishing EXILE Quarterly, first issue released in 1972 – undertakes educational programs codifying its broad educational mandate.
We accept submissions for:
1) Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, drama, and visual arts that a) relate to the magazine, and b) as individual authored titles, and/or for our various anthology series.
2) The $15,000 Carter V. Cooper Short Fiction competition. Note: in 2022, after a wonderful decade in which we awarded over $125,000 to Canadian writers, the CVC prize came to an end in 2021 – but… in the autumn of 2022 we will launch the new Morley Callaghan Short Fiction Literary Competition and Awards!
3) The $3,000 Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry competition/award. Year Nine submissions close on September 15, 2022.
4) Works by unsolicited writers, to be considered by Exile Editions (book manuscripts) and EXILE Quarterly (individual contributions). Be it a full manuscript, or individual work, we have a *no multiple submissions* policy - i.e. when submitting to us, do not send the same material to other publishers. Please see our Submittable guidelines, or our mail-in submission guidelines (available at: www.ExileQuarterly.com).
The Morley Callaghan “Best Canadian Short Story” Competition and Award.
$10,000 FOR CANADA’S BEST SHORT STORY! $2,500 for the Runner up.
Submission period: Ends September 21, 2025.
Open only to Canadian writers.
Complete guidelines and information at: Fiction Poetry Guidelines.
All genres and styles considered.
• A story’s length is not to exceed 5,000 words. Your story should be submitted with double-spacing, on 8.5x11 pages, in a serif (Times, Garamond, etc.) 11 or 12 point font.
• There is no restriction on the number of submissions, subject matter, or style.
• If submitting more than one story, please complete a form for each story.
Important: Do NOT have your name appear anywhere on the pages of the story. Make sure to paginate and put the story’s title on each page.
• Each story submitted requires a $45.00 fee.
• Each story submitted will receive a lifetime subscription to our EXILE Quarterly ($175.00 value).
The winners and up to four finalists will appear in EXILE Quarterly in 2026. And we are planning an anthology collection of the winners and selected shortlisted writers, for expected release in 2026.
• This competition was launched as The inaugural Nona Heaslip $15,000 “Best Canadian Short Story” Competition and Award in memory of Morley Callaghan. Ms. Heaslip died in late 2024 – and so with new anonymous patronage it is now the Morley Callaghan “Best Canadian Short Story” Competition and Award.
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Completing the Submission Form: You will be asked to include the following information:
a) Full Address (for your subscription).
b) Email and Telephone Number (in case we need to contact you).
c) Brief biography that includes previous periodical/online publications and/or book-length releases – publishing related information only, please.
d) Indicate if you are an Emerging Writer – or a Writer at Any Career Point (with at least three published poetry books under your name). If there is a determination to be made, the judges will assess/confirm your category, based on your biography, books publication, awards, national media recognition, etc.
e) If you prefer we do not add your email to our mailing list, please indicate this on the submission form. (Each year we send some 10 - 15 notifications about our literary events, updates on Exile Editions books and EXILE Quarterly new releases, follow up on our competitions, etc.). Or, you can indicate you prefer only to receive email updates for this particular contest.
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$45 Fee for submitting.
Payment processed with your Submittable submission.
All materials are recycled and/or properly disposed of.
If you have any submission questions, email: admin@exilequarterly.com
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Administered under the auspices of The Excelsis Group and EXILE Quarterly.
The Ruth and David Lampe $3,000 Poetry Competition and Award in memory of Gwendolyn MacEwen (commonly referred to as The Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry Award).
$3,000 FOR CANADA’S BEST SUITES OF POETRY!
($1,500 for Best Suite by an Emerging Writer. $1,500 for Best Suite by a Writer at Any Career Point)
Submission period: Ends Saturday, September 21, 2025.
All forms and styles of poetry considered.
Open only to Canadian writers.
Complete guidelines and information at: Fiction Poetry Competitions
General guidelines:
• Up to 16 pages of poetry may be submitted as a suite (we advise the poems be a related grouping, not a hodgepodge of random selections; you may also submit a long/single poem).
• Formatting: single line spacing, on 8.5x11 pages, in a serif (e.g. Times, Garamond, etc.) 11 or 12 point font.
• There is no restriction on the number of submissions, subject matter, or style.
• If submitting more than one suite, please complete a separate submission form for each entry.
• Do NOT have your name appear anywhere on the pages of the poetry. Make sure to paginate (1/16, 2/16, 3/16...) and put the suite title on each page.
• Each suite submitted requires a $35.00 submission fee. Each suite submitted will receive a lifetime subscription to our EXILE Quarterly ($175.00 value).
• Important: All (or any single) poems must not have been previously published. All work submitted for this competition must not be scheduled for publication in a book or anthology during the adjudication of our competition and/or and must not have been submitted elsewhere during the adjudication of our competition.
The winners and up to four finalists will appear in EXILE Quarterly in 2025. For 2026 we are planning an anthology collection of the winners and selected shortlisted writers from 10 years of the competition.
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Completing the Submission Form: You will be asked to include the following information:
a) Full Address (for your subscription).
b) Email and Telephone Number (in case we need to contact you).
c) Brief biography that includes previous periodical/online publications and/or book-length releases – publishing related information only, please.
d) Indicate if you are an Emerging Writer – or a Writer at Any Career Point (with at least three published poetry books under your name). If there is a determination to be made, the judges will assess/confirm your category, based on your biography, books publication, awards, national media recognition, etc.
e) If you prefer we do not add your email to our mailing list, please indicate this on the submission form. (Each year we send some 10 - 15 notifications about our literary events, updates on Exile Editions books and EXILE Quarterly new releases, follow up on our competitions, etc.). Or, you can indicate you prefer only to receive email updates for this particular contest.
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$35 Fee per submission.
Payment processed with your Submittable submission.
All materials are recycled and/or properly disposed of.
If you have any submission questions, email: admin@exilequarterly.com
__________________________________________
Administered under the auspices of The Excelsis Group and EXILE Quarterly.
EXILE: The Literary Quarterly supports, encourages, and presents a vital and diverse arts ecology that enriches the reading and cultural experiences of our Canadian and international newsstand and subscription readers.
EXILE publishes literary and speculative fiction, poetry, non-fiction, drama, translations, and a wide range of visual arts/artists, from across Canada and around the world.
We publish quarterly, and in those 4 issues per year feature approximately 60 - 70 contributors.
Only previously unpublished material will be considered for publication. We look for progressive talent who have previously published through to new talent redefining the boundaries of contemporary literature and art.
$10 fee required for Submittable, or if submitting by Canada Post (cheque) – or by e-transfer to competitions@exilequarterly.com (important: indicate what the fee relates to).
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Submitting/Genres:
FICTION
We consider a strong narrative voice, memorable characters, and a unique flair that aspires to represent the diverse Canadian mosaic.
NON-FICTION
This content can appear in any of our feature sections – Word & Art, Gravitas, My Five, among others – but also can be stand-alone social or political commentary. We look for well-considered (and researched) writing with a literary style that will interest our readership and experts alike. We avoid dry, jargon-filled academic prose.
POETRY
We look for a distinct voice found in the lines. We are open to all forms of poetic approaches.
TRANSLATION
Works in translation (fiction and poetry) include Francophone into English, as well as international authors into English (most often translated by Canadians). Our long-standing tradition of supporting translation includes over 400 such works to date.
DRAMA
A self-contained selection from a larger work, or a short/complete dramatic piece.
VISUAL ART
For over 45 years we have presented an incredibly wide range of visual approaches: painting, drawing, photography, illustration, mixed media, sculpture – publishing anything that is rooted in integrity, displays purpose, and that will resonate with our readers.
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DO:
Consider if your submission is compatible with our publishing program: we assume you have read previous issues... but if not, take the time to look at past issues (contributors) on our website – or perhaps consider ordering previous print copies to familiarize yourself with our 50 years and over 2,500 contributions-to-date.
Using Submittable (also applicable for snail mail):
• Cover Letter telling us about yourself and your contribution.
• Brief CV indicating only your publishing-related history (if applicable).
• Fiction – please try to stay under 3,500 words.
• Poetry – a suite of 8 to 10 poems.
• Non-fiction – an outline of the concept, plus either the complete text, or a sample.
• Art with Non-fiction (or vice versa; or with fiction; or poetry) the proposed contribution in its entirety (as a PDF in 72 dpi resolution).
• Drama – it must be a complete work, eg. an Act from a full play that stands on its own, or a short play – either option, up to 10 pages.
• Visual Art - 4 to 8 selections of art that will work as a stand-alone section.
After submitting, please be patient. We receive some 500 unsolicited submissions a year (plus those by way of other open calls, such as our literary competitions and editor-recommendations) and it takes time for them to be evaluated. We aim to respond to all submissions within three months.
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DO NOT:
Send us a submission if you have sent it out to other publishers for consideration.
Send us a submission if you are not a Canadian citizen or resident. We do not accept unsolicited materials from non-Canadian writers (although we do publish international writers based on recommendation).
Send us your submission electronically to an Exile Quarterly email account.
Contact us regarding the status of your submission. We keep track of all submissions received. (However, if four months have passed, you may email us at admin@exilequarterly.com)
Expect feedback. We do not offer editorial comment on submissions unless we feel the work has potential for inclusion in our magazine.
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We still do old school…
POSTAL MAIL – SUBMIT TO:
EXILE Quarterly
(please indicated: Attn: fiction / poetry / non-fiction / drama / visual arts editor)
170 Wellington Street West
PO Box 308
Mount Forest ON N0G 2L0
Important: include a cover letter with your contact details, and any other relevant information.
Recycle: we do not return submissions; all materials are recycled, or properly disposed of.
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$10 Fee for submitting: this goes to the editors who read and consider the submissions.
Payment methods:
1) Apply to your Submittable submission.
2) If submitting by Canada Post, include a cheque payable to THE EXCELSIS GROUP.
3) If submitting by Canada Post, make an e-transfer to competitions@exilequarterly.com (important: indicate what the fee relates to).