A literary magazine · Alabama · Issue No. 1

Longleaf

New writing from Alabama. Deep roots, new voices.

Issue No. 1 is live · Free to read, no account, no paywall
Twelve Alabama writers and artists · Judged by Daniel Wallace · Over $1,000 in awards
Submissions for Issue No. 2 open next year

Read Issue No. 1 Download the PDF

§ 01 · About Longleaf

Named for the pine that once covered this land and is slowly being planted back across it, Longleaf gives Alabama's emerging writers a serious place to be read. Like the tree, the work here grows slowly and is built to last.

Longleaf is an independent literary magazine for Alabama's emerging writers, published once a year. As the state's contests and journals for young and unpublished writers have quietly closed, there are fewer places left for new Alabama voices to be read, judged fairly, and taken seriously. Longleaf exists to change that.

Each issue is open to Alabama writers in grades 9 through undergraduate. It's free to enter, and every submission is read blind and chosen with a guest judge, so the work stands on its own and nothing rides on a name. Selected writers are published, the strongest pieces earn cash awards, and every contributor keeps the rights to their own writing. It's a place to be published, held to a standard, and it's made for writers near the start of things rather than the end.

Founded by Lily Shah, Longleaf is fully independent, built to run on local sponsors and readers who think Alabama's next generation of writers deserves somewhere to begin. Issue No. 1 launches in September 2026, the first of what will be a yearly edition.

A note from the founder

I started Longleaf because over the last few years I noticed there were fewer places for young Alabama writers to be read, and I wanted to help fill that gap. I wanted to make something that treats writing by people my age like it actually matters, not like practice for the real thing later. If you've got something true to say, we want to read it.

Lily ShahFounding Editor

§ 02 · What we read

Five ways into the issue

Send original, previously unpublished work. One submission per category, and a poetry submission may include up to three poems. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. Just tell us if it's taken elsewhere.

Verse

Poetry

Poems that echo after the page. Imagery, music, and a voice we couldn't mistake for anyone else's.

↳ up to 3 poems, 1 page each

Prose · brief

Flash fiction

A whole world in a small frame. Complete pieces, not excerpts.

↳ one piece, ≤ 1,000 words

Prose

Short fiction

Character and voice first. Surprise us with where it goes.

↳ one piece, ≤ 3,000 words

True

Creative nonfiction

Essay, memoir, the lived and remembered, told with craft.

↳ one piece, ≤ 3,000 words

Image

Cover & section art

One image for the cover or the section breaks. Any medium, any vision, so long as it's seen through Alabama eyes. Sent as a high-resolution file.

↳ one image, 300 dpi or larger

§ 03 · The season

From open call to launch

July 13

Submissions open

The reading period begins.

August 30

Submissions close

Seven weeks to send your best work.

Sept 1 – 14

Blind judging

Every piece was read blind; our guest judge selected the winners.

Mid-September

Acceptances & editing

Everyone heard back. Selected work was edited and laid out.

September 26

Issue No. 1 is live

Longleaf is out now, free to read.

§ 04 · Awards

Over $1,000 in cash awards

Free to enter. Every selected contributor is published, and a guest judge names the issue's strongest work.

$500

The Longleaf Prize

Best in issue, across all categories, chosen by our guest judge. Presented by SBR Properties.

$150

Poetry award

Daniel Wallace

Daniel Wallace is author of six novels, including Big Fish (1998), Ray in Reverse (2000), The Watermelon King (2003), Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician (2007), The Kings and Queens of Roam (2013), Extraordinary Adventures (2017), and a memoir, This Isn't Going to End Well (2023). His first collection of short stories, Beneath the Moon and Long Dead Stars, was published by Bull City Press in 2025.

A Birmingham native and winner of the 2019 Harper Lee Award, he selected the Longleaf Prize and category winners from our finalists.

§ 05 · Submissions

Submissions are closed

Thank you to everyone who sent us work for Issue No. 1. Judging is complete and contributors have been notified. Issue No. 1 is out now, free to read.

Reading

Every piece is read blind by our readers, with names removed, so the work stands on its own.

Judging

Finalists go to our guest judge, Daniel Wallace, who selects the Longleaf Prize and the category winners.

Hearing back

Every submitter gets a reply, an acceptance or a kind decline, soon after judging wraps. Selected work appears in Issue No. 1.

Submissions for Issue No. 2 will open next year. Follow @readlongleaf to hear when.

§ 06 · Questions, answered

Good questions

What writers and supporters most want to know: straight answers, no fine print.

Is Longleaf really free to enter?

Yes, completely. There is no submission fee, and there never will be. Anyone eligible can submit at no cost.

Where does the money go? Who gets paid?

Straight to the writers. Longleaf is run entirely by volunteers. No one involved, including the founder, takes any pay. Every dollar from sponsors and donors goes to the cash awards and the cost of producing the issue. Our one paid expense is a small honorarium for the guest judge, in thanks for their time.

Who can submit?

Alabama writers in grades 9 through undergraduate (roughly ages 14 to 22). One submission per category. A poetry submission may include up to three poems.

How is the work judged?

Blind. Our readers see every submission with names removed, so each piece is judged on its own merits. Readers are assigned so that no one reads work from her own school. A guest judge then selects the award winners from the finalists.

What rights do I keep to my work?

All of them. Longleaf requests first-publication rights only; once your work appears in the issue, all rights revert to you, and you hold your copyright throughout.

Can I submit more than once, or send work that's out elsewhere?

Yes to both. One submission per category, a poetry submission may include up to three poems, and simultaneous submissions are welcome. Just let us know promptly if a piece is accepted somewhere else.

Can I submit if I'm under 18?

Absolutely. Writers under 18 will be asked for a parent or guardian's consent before their work is published. It's a quick step built right into the submission form.

When will I hear back?

Every submitter receives a reply, an acceptance or a kind decline, soon after judging finishes in September. Selected work is published when Issue No. 1 launches on September 26.

How can I support Longleaf?

You can sponsor the awards or make a small gift. Every dollar reaches a young writer. Or simply share the call for submissions with a writer who should see it. Questions? hello@readlongleaf.org.