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C21 Literature: Journal of 21st-century Writings is the journal of the British Association for Contemporary Literary Studies (BACLS). The journal is dedicated to examining the genres, forms of publication, and circulation of 21st-century writings. C21 Literature is a logical development of the explosion of interest in 21st-century writings, seen in book groups, university courses, and the development of online publishing.
Focus and ScopeC21 Literature aims to create a critical, discursive space for the promotion and exploration of 21st-century writings in English. It addresses a range of narratives in contemporary culture, from the novel, poem and play to hypertext, digital gaming and contemporary creative writing. The journal features engaged theoretical pieces alongside new unpublished creative works and investigates the challenges that new media present to traditional categorisations of literary writing.
Articles are encouraged from academics, contemporary writers, publishers and readers. The journal publishes articles on 21st-century writings as well as reviews, features and opinion pieces from academics, readers and writers in the field, papers, review papers, case studies, rapid communications (letters), conference reports and calendars of events and provides a range of advertising opportunities for publishers and academic institutions.
The journal is supported by an interdisciplinary editorial board from North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim under the direction of editor Dr Katy Shaw.
Submissions
C21 Literature welcomes articles, book reviews, opinion pieces, case studies and conference reports. Articles addressing but not limited to the following themes are invited: 21st-century forms, genre and trends; The role of literary prizes and festivals; New authors; Adaptations and innovations; The rise of the eBook; Digital writings; Creative writings; Book Clubs. Articles should be 6000–7000 words and creative pieces 250–2000 words. The journal uses the author/date Chicago style referencing system. Please send all submissions, questions or enquiries to journal editor Dr Katy Shaw.
Submission ChecklistAs part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
All submissions are initially assessed by an Editor, who decides whether or not the article fits the scope of the journal and is suitable for peer review. Submissions considered suitable are assigned to one or more independent experts, who assess the article for clarity, validity and sound methodology.
The journal operates a double-blind peer review process, meaning that authors and reviewers remain anonymous for the review process. The review period is expected to take around 2-3 months. Reviewers are asked to provide formative feedback, even if an article is not deemed suitable for publication in the journal.
Based on the reviewer reports the editor will make a recommendation for rejection, minor or major revisions, or acceptance. Overall editorial responsibility rests with the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, who is supported by an expert, international Editorial Board.
The editors make a decision based on the reviewers' advice from among the following options:
Accept: Your submission has been accepted as is.
Minor Revisions: Your submission requires minor changes and will be accepted once those have been completed.
Major Revisions: Your submission needs significant re-working. A new file must be submitted and another round of review will take place.
Reject: Your submission was not accepted for publication with this journal, either because it was not seen to be of high enough quality, or its subject did not match the journal.
LicencesC21 Literature: Journal of 21st-Century Writings allows the following licences for submission:
This journal is published by the Open Library of Humanities. Unlike many open-access publishers, the Open Library of Humanities does not charge any author fees. This does not mean that we do not have costs. Instead, our costs are paid by an international library consortium.
If your institution is not currently supporting the platform, we request that you ask your librarian to sign up. The OLH is extremely cost effective and is a not-for-profit charity. However, while we cannot function without financial support and we encourage universities to sign up, institutional commitment is not required to publish with us.
Publication CycleThe journal is published online as a continuous volume and issue throughout the year. Articles are made available as soon as they are ready to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays in getting content publicly available.
Special collections of articles are welcomed and will be published as part of the normal issue, but also within a separate collection page.
SectionsPublic Submissions
Peer Reviewed
Indexed
Interview
Article
Review