Ninth Letter

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Ninth Letter

Ninth Letter is a literary magazine in print and online. https://linktr.ee/ninthletter

Ninth Letter is a collaboration between the MFA in Creative Writing Program and the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Edited and produced by faculty and students of these programs, Ninth Letter offers new literary writing of the highest quality illuminated by cutting edge graphic design. Ninth Letter is published semi-annually in the spring and fall and accepts submissions of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction in both traditional and experimental formats. Writing originally publishing in Ninth Letter has been reprinted in several awards anthologies, including Best American Short Stories, Pushcart Prize, Best Creative Nonfiction, Best New Fantasy, Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, and Best New Poets. The recipient of several major awards for graphic design, Ninth Letter was also named Best New Literary Journal in 2005 by the Council of Editors of Learned Journals.

09/30/2026

New book review + interview live on the site. Ninth Letter staffer Diana Towner chats with Eshani Surya about RAVISHING, Surya’s debut novel. Plus, an exclusive excerpt from the book and a review. Check it out at ninthletter.com!

09/22/2026

Happy publication day to Kathy Fagan! Ninth Letter Web Editor Zachariah McVicker chats with Fagan about her newest collection, THE UNBECOMING, out today from W. W. Norton & Company. Check out the excerpt + interview live on our website. Link in bio!

09/10/2026

New flash excerpt + interview live on the site. Rory Strong spoke with Chris Vanjonack about OUT OF BODY, Vanjonack’s debut short story collection out from William Morrow Books later this month!

09/02/2026

We are open for submissions! Visit ninthletter.com for full guidelines and web theme info. Deadline to submit for our "Manifest" web edition is Nov. 01. Deadline to submit to print is Feb 28. Link in bio.

08/28/2026

New book review + interview live on the site. Ninth Letter staffer Nathan Metz chats with Weston Morrow about CLOUD BUILDER, Morrow’s National Poetry Series winning debut poetry collection. Plus, an exclusive excerpt from the book and a review. Check it out!

08/12/2026

Announcing our 2026 Literary Award Winners! Meg Day, T.C. Martin, and Laurie Lathem win $1000 prizes & publication our fall/winter issue. 🎉 Congratulations to our honorable mentions and finalists, and special thanks to guest judges Steven Espada Dawson, Angela Pelster, and Dantiel W. Moniz!

06/26/2026

Ninth Letter is honored to feature Amanda Borquaye’s essay “Wayward,” which is the Disquiet International Literary Award’s Nonfiction Prize winner for 2026. Check out the full essay at ninthletter.com. Link in bio!

05/03/2026

Deadline Extended: May 9. Missed the submission deadline for our contest? Here's another week to get your submission to us! Full guidelines and details > link in bio.

04/26/2026

Check out past winners and honorees for the Ninth Letter Literary Awards! You can read the full pieces on our site. Fantastic work from Weijia Pan, Maeve Barry, and Mickie Kennedy. Link in bio. Stay tuned for more 🔥

04/25/2026

Submit your best work for a chance at $1000 each in poetry, fiction, and cnf. Link in bio!
Plus:
Free one-year print subscription to 9L included ✅
All submissions considered for pub ✅
Open until MAY 1 (corrected) ✅
Waiting on a response from us for another submission? You're still eligible for the contest!

Ninth Letter Literary AwardsNinth Letter accepts submissions of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for our literary awards from March 1 to May 1. PrizeThe winner in each genre (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction) will receive $1,000, publication in the Fall/Winter print issue and online, two con...

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608 S Wright Street
Urbana, IL
61801

Website

http://www.ninthletter.com/

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