MTL Lit Scene | Cactus Press Poetry

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Est. 2006

MTL Lit Scene Links

Over the past few years there has been an explosion in Anglo literary activity in the city. Cactus Press is proud to be a part of this Renaissance and to celebrate all its many facets. For your interest and appreciation, please enjoy and make use out of the following links.

Publishers

Anteism Books
Avant-garde, academic-adjacent publisher.
https://www.anteism.com/

AOS Publishing
Hybrid-publisher run by literary outlier Michael Occhionero. Jury's still out on this one, but it's an interesting addition to the mix and, unlike most literary organizations today, they are both active and actively seeking submissions.
https://www.aospublishing.com/

Baraka Books
Quebec-based English-language book publisher specialized in creative and political non-fiction, history and historical fiction, and fiction.
https://www.barakabooks.com/

Black Rose Books
Historic counter-cultural book publisher focusing on political writing.
https://blackrosebooks.com/

Cactus Press
An obviously legendary Montreal based poetry publisher. Established in 2006 and, through some peaks and valleys, miraculously still alive and kicking.
https://www.cactuspresspoetry.com/

DC Books
Historic but sleepy Montreal based publisher. Do my eyes deceive me, but did DC actually release a book in 2025? Does hope yet remain for the race of men in Middle-earth?
https://www.dcbooks.ca/

Discordia Review Press
Seething, writhing, punk-poet agitators. Very active in the scene and good on them!
https://discordiareview.substack.com/

House House Press
Trendy but apparently defunct chapbook publisher.
https://www.facebook.com/HouseHousePress/

Linda Leith Publishing
Somebody out there must be buying these books, because Linda Leith, founder of Blue Metropolis, is still slinging her small press fiction and non-fiction titles each year.
https://www.lindaleith.com/en

McGill-Queen's University Press
University press that also publishes the superlative Hugh MacLennan Poetry Series.
https://www.mqup.ca/

Metatron Press
Hip, left-wing publisher. Doesn't seem as focused on Montreal based writers as of late, but if you can find a home there, good on you.
https://metatron.press/

Metonymy Press
Queer, feminist publisher that hit the 10 year mark recently.
https://metonymypress.com/

Montreal Publishing Company
Not a big output from this outfit considering their name, but they're still around.
https://www.montrealpublishing.com/

Shoreline Press
A somewhat dated website but an active English press based out of Coaticook, Quebec.
https://www.shorelinepress.ca/

Turret House Press
Excellent poetry chapbook publisher run by James Hawes.
https://turrethousepress.ca/

Vehicule Press
Montreal's flagship literary small press.
https://www.vehiculepress.com/

Literary Journals

Ahoy Literary
New kid on the block. Bi-annual print literary journal.
https://ahoyliterary.github.io/index.html

carte blanche
Online literary journal run through the Quebec Writers Federation
https://carteblanchemagazine.com/

The Chained Muse
Substack dedicated to traditional poetic forms. Publishes the print/online journal New Lyre. Run by David B Gosselin.
https://thechainedmuse.substack.com/

chouette literary
Another new kid. Online.
https://chouetteliterary.ca/

Columba
Web based quarterly literary journal run by Emily Tristan Jones. Established in 2019.
https://www.columbapoetry.com/

Crab Apple Literary
The Crab is back and more Apple-ly than ever?
https://crabapplelit.wixsite.com/crab-apple-literary

Headlight Anthology
Concordia University's Masters level student run literary journal.
https://headlightanthology.ca/

The Imagist
Online journal primarily publishing the work of McGill students.
https://theimagist.wixsite.com/theimagist

Ivy Literary
Queer, genre-based zine.
https://ivyliterary.ca/

LBRNTH Magazine
Another queer-based literary journal. Starting to feel excluded, but all's fair in love and war.
https://www.mespantsdequeer.com/lbrnth-masthead

Limacine Magazine
Upstart print journal. Formerly Slug Magazine.
https://limacinemagazine.wordpress.com/

Maisonneuve Magazine
Long running arts and culture magazine.
https://maisonneuve.org/

Maybe Mag
Upstart journal. Print and online. Maybe it will last.
https://maybemag.xyz/

The Nelligan Review
Online literary journal run by the Montreal Publishing Company.
https://www.nelligan.review/

The Pit Periodical
Trendy, art-focused literary magazine.
https://thepitperiodical.com/

Pixie Literary Magazine
Highlighting the work of budding LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and trans authors.
https://pixielitmag.wixsite.com/pixielitmag

Scrivener Creative Review
Reanimated literary journal run through McGill University.
https://scrivenerreview.com/

Soliloquies Anthology
Long running undergraduate literary journal run through Concordia University.
https://www.soliloquies.org/

SQUID Literary
Yet another upstart mag. Print and Online.
https://www.squidliterary.com/

Stimulant
Not sure these literary agitators are still based in Montreal, or printing new issues of the mag, but they do seem to still be active online, for what that's worth.
https://www.stimulantmag.com/

Weird Era Magazine
Literary journal and podcast series.
https://weirdera.ca/

Yiara Magazine
Femininist magazine. Print and Online.
https://yiaramagazine.com/

Yolk Literary
Does Montreal even still remember a time when this relative new comer was not the reigning champion of literary mags?
https://www.yolkliterary.ca/

Live Events

Accent Open Mic
Bi-weekly reading series and open mic.
https://devongallant.wixsite.com/accentopenmic

Chimera Open Mic
Open mic series hosted by Phoenix Books in NDG.
https://www.facebook.com/phoenixbooksndg

JRG Lit Open Mic
Great monthly open mic run by the Discordia folks.
https://www.instagram.com/noukuleles/

Lawn Chair Soiree
Long running reading series run by Jan Jorgensen. It's struggled for stability in recent years. Apparently moving to a Zoom series. But hasn't given up the ghost...yet.
https://www.lawnchairsoiree.org/

Lectures LOGOS Readings Series
Long running monthly reading series held at St-Henri's historic UNIA Hall.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Lectures-LOGOS-Readings-100064600932500/

Nouveau Poem
Periodic and roving literary happening.
https://www.instagram.com/nouveaupoem/

One Long Reading Series
Occasional reading series run by Rosemary Flutur & Emily Zuberec
https://onelongreadingseries.com/

Poetry Matters
McGill University run academic series of live events.
https://www.mcgill.ca/poetrymatters/

Throw! Poetry Collective
Long running slam poetry reading series.
https://throwpoetrycollective.wordpress.com/

Violet Hour
LGBTQ focused literary series and book club run by Christopher Diraddo.
https://christopherdiraddo.com/violet-hour/

Writers Read
Concordia University's reading series.
https://concordiawritersread.com/

Miscellaneous Organizations

aelaq
The Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec.
https://aelaq.org/

Blue Metropolis
Montreal's premier literary festival.
https://bluemetropolis.org/

Center For Expanded Poetics
Concordia University based something or other? Fascinating, uber-cool, cloistered, and opaque academic arts center that hosts events and periodically publishes some pretty cool stuff. I wish this organization was more dominant in Montreal, because it is such a cool concept. But, then again, maybe I just need to get my ass out more and attend their handful of annual events.
https://www.centreforexpandedpoetics.com/

ELAN
The English language arts network. They do stuff, so I am told.
https://www.quebec-elan.org/en/

The Encore Poetry Project
Multifaceted poetry project with a focus on poetry installations in collaboration with NDG’s Encore Books & Records.
https://www.instagram.com/encorepoetryproject/

Expozine
Legendary annual bilingual zine fair.
https://expozine.ca/en/

Mcsway Poetry Collective
McGill University student run collective involved in a variety of literary activities.
https://www.mcswaypoetrycollective.com/

Montreal International Poetry Prize
A Montreal based poetry award that awards the godly sum of 20k to the winner.
https://www.montrealpoetryprize.com/

Montreal Review of Books
Journal of reviews, features, and essays on English-language books by Quebec writers and publishers.
https://mtlreviewofbooks.ca/

Quebec Writers' Federation
Organization that develops, supports, and promotes those writing in English in Quebec.
https://qwf.org/

Vallum Mag
Once upon a time a long running print and digital magazine, now defunct. But it's annual chapbook contest lives on along with a few other online bits and projects.
https://vallummag.com/magazine/

Where Poets Read
Excellent online calendar of Montreal based literary events.
https://wherepoetsread.ca/

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