Non Grata Submissions Are Open
What we're looking for January - June 2026
Prologue: Today we’re taking a break from our usual programming to open up submissions for the first half of 2026. Through this period we’ll be publishing online each week; our print editions will run quarterly. Submissions are rolling, but the deadline for the Spring 2026 print edition closes February 15th. More details on how and what to submit below.
The last couple months, with the creation and distribution of our inaugural print edition, have been thrilling at Non Grata. We couldn’t be more excited to open up the portal to all of the great readers and writers out there who want to contribute their piece to this project. Before getting into the various submission categories listed below, it’s worth pointing out what we’re looking for at a high level.
With a name like “Non Grata,” it should come as no surprise that we aim to publish rebellious writing. That does not mean we’re looking for a lunatic to argue the literary merits of Mein Kampf. Gratuitous, depraved, reactionary takes are as useless as the inane ideas they’re reacting to. What we’re looking for are courageous authors willing to offer their honest, raw perspectives. Great rebellious writing is the transposition of late-night conversations with friends onto the page. It is the unabashed expression of ideas or feelings the writer knows to be true, yet is unwilling to share at work happy hours or “polite” dinner parties in Portland. For certain, the writer cannot submit these ideas to The New Yorker, The Atlantic, or any premier university journal. As much as mainstream publications wish that Truth was ideological, it is not. With open arms, Non Grata welcomes the stories that have been gathering dust on your hard drive, and the scandalous ideas you haven’t yet put to paper. We’re also here for conventional essays and stories, too. The main thing we care about, whatever the content of a piece, is that it is exhilarating, stimulating, beautiful, and/or simply enjoyable to read. The best way to get a sense of what we’re looking for is to regularly follow what we publish: You’ll see what we’re up to pretty quick.
FICTION
Short stories that move quickly, generally five thousand words or less. (If you have a longer/slower piece, please feel free to send it along, too.) Almost all of our short stories will feature in a print edition because, online, the reading experience for fiction isn’t good enough yet.
NEW ROMANTICISM & THE LUDDITES
These categories are complements to each other: One inspires people in the art of living; the other directly critiques technology. We’re looking to publish the story that gets someone on the next flight to Brazil, and the ten thousand word pieces that kill ChatGPT and the iPhone once and for all.
BOOK REVIEWS
Great literature from any period, even better if it’s contemporary and/or independent. For now, we’re giving preference to excellent, layered, accessible writers: Think Carver, Hemingway, Céline, Didion over Faulkner, Joyce, and my much beloved Proust. Ideally these get readers, including those who are not aficionados, excited about the works. That said, we’re also cool with panning books—assuming they really do need to go down.
MOVIE / MUSIC REVIEWS
Similar to literature, we’re interested in movies and albums from any period with a preference for the contemporary and/or independent. Who are the most under appreciated directors? What’s worth seeing in cinemas? Why should we start listening to Bach again? What new album is worth hearing top to bottom? Who is putting on the greatest concerts in New York? What’s being hyped up without reason? That sort of thing.
POLEMICS
High-quality essays that question the predominant narratives. The two series we’re excited about are “In Defense Of” and “Against.” The former defends ideas and figures that have been unfairly derided; the latter revolts against conventional wisdom and the supposed illustrious.
Every piece we publish receives in-depth editing before it goes out into the world. We want you to feel proud of the work you showcase in Non Grata, as though it is a luminous reflection of your mind at a moment in time. To submit, send us an email at hello@magazinenongrata.com. Please include the category in the subject line and a short description of the work in the body.
Thank you to all of our readers and writers, we are so goddamn excited about this.
New Romanticism, you say?
Amazing work being done here. Submitted for the print journal.