Illuminations Literary Magazine

This project is believed to be defunct. (May 2025)

About

Illuminations made its first appearance in Columbia, South Carolina in 1982 under the editorship of Peter MacMillan. The issue featured poems by Seamus Heaney, Stephen Spender, and newcomer Sam Boone. Subsequently edited from England, Japan, and Tanzania, the magazine returned to South Carolina in 1996 where it was edited by Simon Lewis at The College of Charleston until 2011. Over these many years Illuminations has remained consistently true to its mission statement to publish new writers alongside some of the world’s finest, including Nadine Gordimer, James Merrill, Carol Ann Duffy, Dennis Brutus, Allen Tate, interviews with Tim O’Brien, and letters from Flannery O’Connor and Ezra Pound. A number of new poets whose early work appeared in Illuminations have gone on to win prizes and accolades, and we at Illuminations sincerely value the chance to promote the work of emerging writers.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for some submissions. Look for the fees icon.
The fee is USD $2.20 (below average for magazines that charge).

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 1982

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication: Published 1 x per year

Collapse section Fiction Believed Defunct

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: No specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Believed Defunct

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Essay: No specific word count limits known.
Narrative Nonfiction: No specific word count limits known.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Believed Defunct

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Submittable submission manager (fees apply). Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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Illuminations Literary Magazine Submission Statistics

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This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026