Curious about submitting to Pelican Magazine, but unsure where to start?
We got you! This guide is here to make sure that when different people are writing across mediums, the magazine still feels cohesive.
Pelican is keen to publish fresh, exciting writing in 2026. We want your essays, your poems, your movie reviews, your tenderest moments, your very best work. But before you submit, read this brief handbook, so you can present your writing to us in the best way possible. Think of this guide as a friend!
We are interested in
Reportage & campus journalism! Cultural criticism (books, film, music, art, theatre, the Internet)! Essays (personal, lyric, critical)! Interviews & profiles! Opinion, polemic & thoughtful complaint! Creative work (short fiction, poetry, hybrid & experimental literary forms)!
We want to read
The specific over the general! Writing with a strong ‘voice’! Work from a diverse range of writers!
We are not interested in
Corporate voice! Buzzwords doing unpaid labour! Generic, flat writing! AI-generated slop!
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We accept submissions from current students at The University of Western Australia, as well as alumni.
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We’re interested in fostering new and emerging voices.
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We love writing which is original, publishable, and has a strong authorial voice.
Who can contribute to Pelican?
Submission Requirements
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Please submit your writing via Word document, not as a PDF.
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Format your work in 12 pt, Times New Roman or Garamond, single-spaced.
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Each submission must include your name, the title of your piece, and a short author bio.
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Name your document Surname_Title_Issue Number, and send it through to us at pelican@guild.uwa.edu.au.
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Please include a content warning at the top of your piece if it discusses sexual violence, abuse (physical, emotional, or institutional), self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, graphic sexual content, racism, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, or other forms of discrimination. Consider your audience, and think about the values Pelican Magazine stands for: diversity, kindness, and progressive politics. We do not publish hate.
