Welcome to the Munster Literature Centre submissions manager
Southword
Southword is a print literary journal published twice a year by the Munster Literature Centre. Southword has published the likes of Medbh McGuckian, Helen Ivory, Haruki Murakami, James Lasdun, Kim Addonizio, Tess Gallagher, Colm Tóibín and Vona Groarke.
Our summer issue is composed of prizewinning entries from our Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Competition, Southword Editor's Poetry Award, Seán O'Faoláin International Short Story Competition, and Subscriber Poetry & Flash Fiction Competitions, as well as specially commissioned work.
Unsolicited submissions of poetry and short fiction (for our winter issues) are open annually as follows:
POETRY: 1st ‒ 31st January
FICTION: 1st ‒ 28th February
Our Submittable account limit means that we can only receive 1000 submissions per month, so if we reach this limit before the end of January (for poetry) or February (for fiction), the submission link will automatically close and we won't be able to accept any further submissions.
Southword pays contributors €50 per poem and €300 per short story. We welcome submissions of up to four poems or one short story (of up to 5000 words) per submission period. If your work has been published in Southword before, we ask that you please don’t submit again for at least one year after publication.
Subscribe or buy individual issues here.
Aneas
Iris bhliantúil atá tiomnaithe go hiomlán don gcuid is fearr de litríocht chomhaimseartha na Gaeilge í Aneas, iris a léiríonn go bhfuil neart, ealaín, pléasúr agus tathag fós ag baint le litríocht na teanga sinseartha sa tír seo. Laistigh dá clúdach geobhair filíocht, gearrscéalta agus léirmheasanna doimhne ó na scríbhneoirí is fearr atá ag saothrú na Gaeilge inniu, idir óg is aosta. Is é an mana eagarthóireachta a leagadh amach don iris, thar aon rud eile, ná caighdeán ard scríbhneoireachta.
Cuirfidh an iris bhliantúil litríochta Gaeilge Aneas fáilte roimh ábhar don ó scríbhneoirí na Gaeilge idir 1 Aibreán agus 1 Bealtaine. Dánta agus gearrscéalta amháin atáthar ag glacadh leo faoi láthair. Ní mór don ábhar a bheith neamhfhoilsithe. Cuirfear fáilte roimh ábhar ó scríbhneoirí bunaithe agus guthanna nua araon. Díolfar €40 ar gach dán agus €200 ar gach gearrscéal a fhoilseofar. Seol gearrscéal nó suas le trí dhán.
Annual Competitions
Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition (open for entries 1st May to 31st July).
Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition (open for entries 1st June to 31st August).
Southword Editor’s Poetry Award (Open for entries 1 July – 30 September).
Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Competition (open for entries 1st September to 30th November).
2025 Competition
Southword Creative Non-Fiction Award (open for entries 1 March – 30 June).
Other opportunities for publications, mentorships, readings and more will appear here periodically throughout the year.
Questions/troubleshooting on using Submittable system
E-mail support@submittable.com or visit their help centre.
Australian author Laura Jean McKay is the 2025 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Fellow. The fellowship is very kindly funded by Cork City Council and is an initiative of the Munster Literature Centre. There is the opportunity for four Munster fiction writers to be mentored by Camilla, tuition fees covered, between October and December of this year. Each author will benefit from four weekly two-hour contact sessions with Laura.
To qualify you must be a writer resident in Munster, Ireland. You must have had at least one short story published in a reputable literary journal. The mentorship is also open to authors with books already published who believe they can benefit from this opportunity. Previous recipients of a mentorship with a Frank O'Connor Fellow are ineligible to apply again. Successful candidates will need to pay a €100 deposit, refundable upon completion of the mentorship and submission of a short report.
Applicants should submit a single Word document divided into the following subheadings:
1) a letter outlining where you are currently with your writing and how you hope to benefit from a mentorship with Laura Jean McKay. (maximum 500 words)
2) your literary resume (listing your publications/workshops attended/prizes/public readings etc.)
3) sample/samples of your own writing not exceeding 6000 words in total.
The successful applicants will be chosen by Laura Jean McKay. .
Deadline for applications is August 25th 2025.