SLF April 2026 Newsletter

April 2026

View online

2026 Illustration of the Year, "Cosmic Allure" by Santiago Rosas

SLF Monthly Newsletter

What's in this month's issue:

2025 Gulliver Travel Research Grant winner & shortlist
Readers wanted for May Deep Dish
Older Writers Grant opens May 1
SLF panel at WisCon 48
Deep Dish at after-words
MRAH episode 73
Serendib House Studio events
Giving to the SLF
Call for jurors
Join our co-writing community
Membership
Opportunities for writers

2025 Gulliver Travel Research Grant Winner

The Speculative Literature Foundation is pleased to announce that Frances Ogamba is the winner of the 2025 Gulliver Travel Research Grant! Ogamba’s winning piece is The Further. Since 2004, the Gulliver Travel Research Grant has sought to assist writers of speculative literature in their research. The grant awards one writer $1,000 annually, to be used to cover airfare, lodging, and/or other travel expenses. The 2026 Gulliver Travel Research Grant will open for submissions November 1.

Readers wanted for May Deep Dish

The SLF is looking for writers who would like to participate as featured or rapid fire readers at our upcoming Deep Dish events! Featured readers read for 15-20 minutes, and rapid fire readers read for 3-5 minutes. All lovers of speculative fiction are welcome to join us at these free events. Our next Deep Dish will be May 7 at The Book Loft in Oak Park, IL.

Learn more

Older Writers Grant opens for submissions May 1

Since 2004, the SLF's Older Writers Grant has been awarded annually to writers who are at least fifty years of age and who are just beginning their careers as speculative fiction writers. This $1,000 grant may be used as each writer determines will best assist their work.

Learn more

SLF at WisCon 48: WisCONline 2026

Join the SLF for a panel on grants for writers at WisCon 48! WisCon 48 will be held online during U.S. Memorial Day Weekend, May 21-25, 2026. Guests of Honor will be Darcie Little Badger and Premee Mohamed.

Learn more

Deep Dish at after-words

The SLF hosted our first Deep Dish reading for Spring 2026 at after-words bookstore in downtown Chicago. Author Cat Rambo and poet Ayden Scott were our featured readers, and we had a lively group of rapid-fire readers, including Alex Kingsley, Dan Gonzalez, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Oleg Kazantsev, Richard Chwedyk, Lynette Hoag, David Moles and Alexi Collier.

MRAH episode 73

Episode 73 of the SLF Podcast, Mohanraj and Rosenbaum Are Humans (MRAH), is now live! In this episode, Mary Anne and Benjamin discuss the anxiety that comes with influence in our modern world, fan and cozy fiction, and the struggle of getting words on the page. Listen on our website or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen now

SLF at Serendib House Studio

This spring, the SLF is co-sponsoring two monthly events at Serendib House Studio in Oak Park, IL. Join us from 9-11 a.m. on the fourth Sunday of the month for in-person co-writing and from 5-7 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of the month for book club.

Learn more

Giving to the SLF

The SLF is made possible by the generous contributions of those who believe in our mission - people like you. Giving to the SLF has never been easier - we have implemented a new, secure online giving portal that allows you to make a one-time or recurring tax-deductible donation to support our programs. Thank you for your support!

Make a donation

Call for jurors

The SLF needs jurors to serve on our grant award panels! Jurors receive a $50 honorarium and a year free of Photon-tier SLF membership. Email grants@speculativeliterature.org to learn more and apply.

Email grants

Join our writing community

Saturday co-writing happens on Zoom every Saturday from 12-3 Central time. These sessions are for writers who would like support for their writing, and are currently open and free of charge to anyone interested in being a part of our writing community. Join us for an hour or all three to catch up on the writing you’ve been meaning to do, in the supportive presence of others doing the same.

Learn more

Become a member

Please help the SLF continue our important work by becoming a member today. Your member dues are the bedrock of all of SLF’s endeavors, and are critical to our existence. SLF members receive benefits such as access to the SLF discord and the SLF’s Annual Collection, an anthology of new fiction from our grant recipients. Not to mention our fantastic swag!

Learn more

Did someone forward you this email? Get our newsletter in your own inbox next time!

Opportunities for writers

Kaleidotrope will be open to speculative fiction and poetry submissions from April 19-25, July 19-25 and October 18-24. Learn more at kaleidotrope.net/guidelines/.

FIYAH, a quarterly speculative fiction magazine that features stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora, will open for submissions April 1-30 on the theme of Black Kishōtenketsu and from July 1-31 on the theme of magical schools. Learn more at fiyahlitmag.com/submissions.

PseudoPod is seeking horror stories from writers who are currently in, have recently been to, or have plans to visit Antarctica in the near future. Stories do not have to be wholly set in Antarctica, but should preferably contain elements inspired by that location. Learn more and submit by May 7 at escapeartists.moksha.io/publication/pseudopod/71/submit.

Goblins & Galaxies Magazine will open for submissions of sword & sorcery, dark fantasy, and science fiction stories from May 7-14. Learn more and submit at goblinsandgalaxies.com/submissions.

The application portal for 2027 residencies at Ragdale is open. A residency at Ragdale offers individual artists 18 days on a celebrated campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A limited number of fellowships are awarded to residents each year. There is an application fee of $35. Learn more and apply by May 14 at ragdale.org/residencies.

Applications are open for Viable Paradise, a one-week residential workshop in writing and selling commercial science fiction and fantasy. Viable Paradise 2026 will take place Oct. 11-16, 2026 on Martha’s Vineyard. Learn more and apply by May 15 at viableparadise.com.

The British Fantasy Society short story competition is open for submissions from April 1 - June 30. First prize is £100 and publication in BFS Horizons. Submissions from outside the UK are welcome. The entry fee for BFS non-members is £5. Learn more and submit by June 30 at britishfantasysociety.org/get-in-touch/bfs-short-story-competition/.

Driftwood Press' 2026 Adrift Chapbook Contest for original poetry is now open. The winner will receive $750. If a runner-up is chosen, they will be awarded $350. The submission fee is $25. Learn more and apply by July 15 at driftwoodpress.com/adrift-chapbook-contest.

The Speculative Literature Foundation is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council; by the Oak Park Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Village of Oak Park and the Illinois Arts Council; and by the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation.

Unsubscribe | Manage your subscription | View online