The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honoured literary project in America. They welcome up to six nominations (print or online) from little magazine and small book press editors throughout the world, and selected winners will appear in their annual publication.

The complete table of contents for the December 2019 issue of Blank Spaces.

We are thrilled that a child wanted to enter our write prompt challenge - so thrilled that we want to share his story with you!

We are so pleased to announce that five writers have made the shortlist for our September 2019 Write Prompt Challenge.

Get a little peek into the launch party the Blank Spaces team threw for the release of Just Words Volume 3, a beautiful collection of works by Blank Spaces contributors.

The complete table of contents for the September 2019 issue of Blank Spaces.

It seems like a lifetime ago I posted the blog that shared my vision to start a magazine. What began on a whim has become a living, breathing thing because of you—the ones who read and subscribe and contribute. Through this venture I’ve had the privilege of publishing the work of over 200 Canadian creatives, many of whom told me Blank Spaces was the first publication to accept them. I count this as a massive honour. It’s one thing to share a vision, it’s a whole other thing to see that vision come to light. And it’s only your involvement that has allowed that to happen.

One of our top goals at Blank Spaces is to build community, and part of building relationships is being face to face. Yes, we know many writers and artists are introverts and we know that introspective spirits birth amazing art, BUT we also know that putting yourself out there, warts and all, allows others to connect on a more personal level.

The complete table of contents for the June 2019 issue of Blank Spaces.

Snow still fell at the beginning of May as I put the last touches on this issue’s layout. I felt burdened by the weather, by this weighty long winter that threatened to pull at every silver-lining I struggled to cling to. My motivation was thin, my office was chilly, and it felt like the sun would never return to its full summer glory.

Years ago, a conversation with my husband about our personal passions went a long way towards helping us better understand one another. That discussion taught us to make space in our relationship to pursue those things, ultimately resulting in both of us being happier. I would even go so far to say Blank Spaces wouldn’t exist without that conversation.

The complete table of contents for the March 2019 issue of Blank Spaces.

We are thrilled that the fine folks at The Writers’ Trust/McClelland & Stewart have once again invited Blank Spaces to put forth three emerging writers we were privileged enough to feature in 2018.

Sometimes, the span between issues seems enormous when I think about everything that happens in that space. Since our second anniversary edition in September, we released a new anthology (Just Words Volume 2, coming out as the number two new release in Canadian collections and readers on Amazon in its first week); we took to the Toronto Harbour Front for Word on the Street (so nice to chat with so many readers and contributors there!)…

The complete table of contents for the December 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.

We had the great pleasure of participating in the 'From Pen to Published' publishing fair at the University of Toronto, on November 17, 2018. Hosted by The Soap Box and the 11th Floor Writers, the event was geared towards students looking to break into the world of publishing.

The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honoured literary project in America. They welcome up to six nominations (print or online) from little magazine and small book press editors throughout the world, and selected winners will appear in their annual publication.

It's been a whole week since we set up at the Toronto Harbour Front, stretched our smiles, and greeted the huge number of literary lovers who came out to this amazing free festival. This was our third year attending, second year running a booth, and it just gets better and better.

Two years ago, September 2016, I was in my day-job office when the mail-lady delivered the first issue of Blank Spaces. My hands shook as I opened the package, dread coursing through me as I thought of all the people who had pre-ordered the debut edition based on my bold promotion. The night before I had dreamed the issues arrived printed on tissue paper, stapled together haphazardly. Everything was on the line—at least, it felt that way. My reputation, my pride, my future. I had a vision of bringing Canadians together, who, like me, were tired of rejection, tired of the ‘you must be published to get published’ Catch-22, desperate for a place to belong. I pictured a beautiful, glossy piece of art that anyone would be loathe to ignore; something that would be cherished in a collection rather than discarded in a recycling bin.

The complete table of contents for the September 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.