The White Review is a London-based magazine on literature and the visual arts. It is published in print and online.

The White Review
Issue 8
EditorRosanna McLaughlin, Izabella Scott, Skye Arundhati Thomas[1]
Design & Art DirectionThomas Swann
Assistant EditorSamir Chada
Former editorsBenjamin Eastham, Jacques Testard
CategoriesLiterature and the visual arts
FrequencyQuarterly
FounderBenjamin Eastham, Jacques Testard
First issueFebruary 2011 (2011-02)
CompanyThe White Review Ltd
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inLondon
LanguageEnglish
Websitethewhitereview.org
ISSN2634-5544
OCLC957136213

History

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Founding

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The White Review was founded by editors Benjamin Eastham and Jacques Testard, and released its first issue in print in February 2011. The quarterly print edition was originally designed Ray O'Meara, and carries poetry, short fiction, essays and interviews alongside photography and art. Since 2013 and 2017 The White Review has administered the influential The White Review Short Story and Poetry Prize respectively. The White Review website is frequently updated with new web-only content and excerpts from the print edition. The website, like the print edition, carries essays, interviews, poetry and fiction.

In an interview with Creative Review, the founding editors stated that The White Review was intended as "a space for a new generation to express itself unconstrained by form, subject or genre".[2] Talking to US-based magazine Bookforum, they explained that they were inspired to establish a British-based equivalent to publications including n+1, Guernica, Cabinet, The Paris Review[3] and Bomb,[4] while an early interview with It's Nice That quoted them as saying that the magazine would endeavour to "stay close to new writing and emerging art".[5]

Redesign

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After 20 print issues, The White Review's print iteration and website were redesigned, and a new editorial team, led by Francesca Wade and Željka Marošević, was introduced. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, and in response to the paucity of space for arts and literature criticism in UK publications, The White Review began publishing book and art show reviews on its website in 2017.[6]

Hiatus

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In September 2023, The White Review announced that it would be "ceasing its day-to-day publishing" and undergoing an indefinite hiatus, citing the removal of funding from the Arts Council England and broader macroeconomic hardship.[7][8]

Interviews

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Each issue of the journal includes long-form interviews with writers and artists. Notable interview subjects have included Annie Ernaux, Margo Jefferson, Jenny Offill, Claudia Rankine, Elmgreen and Dragset, George Saunders, Michael Hardt, Tom McCarthy, Paula Rego, Hari Kunzru, André Schiffrin, Will Self, Marina Warner, Chris Kraus, Sophie Calle, Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, and Richard Wentworth. The website has also carried interviews with David Graeber, Jonathan Safran Foer, DBC Pierre, Cornelia Parker, Wayne Koestenbaum, and others.

Contributors

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Notable contributors have included Ned Beauman, Joshua Cohen, John Ashbery, Chris Kraus, Lee Rourke, Anne Carson, Sally Rooney, Hatty Nestor, Leslie Jamison, China Miéville, Alice Oswald, Dorothea Lasky, Adam Thirlwell, and Laszlo Krasznahorkai.

The White Review Prizes

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In 2013, The White Review Short Story Prize was launched to find and foster new British and Irish writing talent. It is an annual short story competition for emerging writers who "explore and expand the possibilities of the short story form ... the prize was founded to reward ambitious, imaginative and innovative approaches to creative writing."[9] The prize is supported by Jerwood Foundation and awards £2500 to the best piece of short fiction by a writer resident in the UK and Ireland who has yet to secure a publishing deal. The winner will also be published in a print issue of The White Review. Many winners and shortlisted writers have since published novels and become acclaimed.[10][11]

The White Review Poet's Prize was introduced in 2017,[12] and was launched to recognise and celebrate English-language poets who are at the crucial stage of creating their debut pamphlet or collection, and to encourage poetry that explores and expands the possibilities of the page-poetry form.

2013

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The 2013 inaugural prize was awarded on 25 April 2013. The judges were Deborah Levy, Jonathan Cape editorial director Alex Bowler and literary agent Karolina Sutton. [13]

2014

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The 2014 prize was awarded on 30 April 2014. The judges were Kevin Barry, Max Porter and literary agent Anna Webber. [14]

2015

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The 2015 prize was awarded on 30 April 2015. The judges were Ned Beauman, literary agent Lucy Luck and Serpent's Tail publisher Hannah Westland. [15]

2016

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The 2016 prize was awarded on 21 April 2016. The judges were Eimear McBride, literary agent Imogen Pelham and Hamish Hamilton publisher Simon Prosser. [16]

2017

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The 2017 Short Story Prize was awarded to both a UK and Ireland winner, as well as a US and Canada winner, with two respective shortlists and judging panels. The UK and Ireland judges were Jon Day, Joe Dunthorne and Faber and Faber publisher Mitzi Angel. The US and Canada judges were Hari Kunzru, literary agent Anna Stein and New Directions publisher Barbara Epler. Both winners were awarded in May 2017. [17] The White Review Poet's Prize was also introduced in 2017,[18] and was launched to recognise and celebrate English-language poets who are at the crucial stage of creating their debut pamphlet or collection, and to encourage poetry that explores and expands the possibilities of the page-poetry form. The 2017 judges were Kayo Chingonyi, Vahni Capildeo and Penguin Books editor Donald Futers. The poetry winner was awarded on 7 December 2017.

2018

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The 2018 Short Story Prize was awarded on 17 May 2018. The judges were Chloe Aridjis, Sam Byers, Daunt books publisher Želkja Marošević, Granta editor Anne Meadows and literary agent Sophie Scard. [19] The 2018 Poetry judges were Kayo Chingonyi, Anne Boyer and Lavinia Greenlaw. The poetry winner was awarded on 6 December 2018.

2019

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The 2019 Short Story Prize was awarded on 25 April 2019. The judges were Chris Power, literary agent Sophie Scard, and Jonathan Cape publishing director Michal Shavit. [20] The 2019 poetry judges were Kayo Chingonyi, Rachel Allen and Ariana Reines. The poetry winner was awarded on 5 December 2019.

References

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  1. ^ "Mclaughlin, Scott and Thomas made editors at White Review".
  2. ^ Sinclair, Mark. "The White Review". Creative Review. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  3. ^ Blanchard, Elise. "London-Based Lit Mags". The Review Review. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  4. ^ Bauchner, Joshua (10 April 2012). "bookforum talks to the white review". Bookforum. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  5. ^ "The White Review No.2". It's Nice That. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  6. ^ Onwuemezi, Natasha. "The White Review crowdfunds for online criticism | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  7. ^ Knight, Lucy (26 September 2023). "The White Review literary magazine ceases publishing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  8. ^ "An announcement from The White Review". us4.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  9. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2013". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  10. ^ Cowdrey, Katherine. "Fatherly advice book to 4th Estate | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  11. ^ Wood, Heloise. "Picador wins auction for Armfield short stories | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  12. ^ Onwuemezi, Natasha (6 September 2017). "The White Review launches poetry prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  13. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2013". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  14. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2014". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  15. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2015". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  16. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2016". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  17. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2017". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  18. ^ Onwuemezi, Natasha (6 September 2017). "The White Review launches poetry prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  19. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2018". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  20. ^ "THE WHITE REVIEW SHORT STORY PRIZE 2019". The White Review. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
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