BFS Journal

The BFS Journal is currently closed to submissions while we work through our backlog.
Please check back soon.

About the Journal

BFS Journal is a biannual periodical devoted to scholarly reflections on aspects of Fantasy (including Horror, Weird, and other forms of imaginative literature).

We are looking for well-researched, critical articles on aspects of Fantasy (see call for submissions), reviews (retro, or recent publications including novels, short story collections, graphic novels, films, television, stage plays, TTRPGs, computer games, podcasts, and emergent forms), convention and conference reports, well-written letters discussing Fantasy, celebrations and obituaries of key figures in the Fantasy community, and original artwork.

We do suggest you contact us before writing any substantial article, to check on suitability and word count (for academic articles submit a 200-word abstract and 100-word bionote). Our readers are generally knowledgeable when it comes to fantasy, so don’t be afraid to suggest topics slightly off the beaten track. Hybrid submissions such as ficto-criticism, creative criticism, and ‘rebellious research’ approaches especially welcome.

Academic articles for the BFS Journal should be between 4000 and 8000 words. References in the text should be written using the Harvard notes and bibliography system for the Arts and Humanities (Author, Year of Publication) with a full publication listing for the bibliography given for each article at the end. Please don’t use footnotes in your submissions.

Supply any images as separate files. Use letters in the filenames to indicate the preferred order (e.g. a-arrival.jpg, b-conversation.jpg, c-departure.jpg). Original artwork, photographs, and cartoons are welcome as long as you own the copyright. AI-generated work will not be considered.

Publishers should note that we are always on the lookout for suitable people to interview. We might also be interested in providing our readers with previews of forthcoming non-fiction titles.

BFS Journal is always open to queries, pitches, and submissions, although those responding to specific calls for submission will be given priority. Please familiarise yourself with the Journal before submitting, and bear in mind the specialist audience it is catering for.  However, well-written submissions that consider connections between disciplines, genres, audiences, contemporary issues, etc, will always be considered. 

Letters to the Editor

We are always interested in publishing correspondence from BFS members, on any aspect of the society, not just the BFS Journal itself.

BFS Journal Submission Guidelines

Scholarly articles are welcome that have been drafted in accordance with the following guidelines:

• Fully-referenced articles using the Harvard notes and bibliography system on the theme of the issue (see Calls for Papers) of 4000-8000 words.
• Reviews of Fantasy in novels, novella, short stories, interaction fiction, TV drama, film, radio, theatrical production, table-top role-playing games, computer games, podcast, graphic novel, etc of 500-1000 words.
• All submissions should be in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, standard margins.
• Title and any subtitle should be in bold.
• Beneath the title place your name, also in bold.
• Follow this with the Abstract (200-words).
• Under the Abstract add 5 key-words.
• Add your surname and title in the Header.
• Add page numbers to the Footer.
• After the main text add a 100-word bio-note.
• If it is an Article, add the Notes and Bibliography.
• Add the word count to the end.
• Send as an editable Word docx.
• Title your file SURNAME_TITLE_WINTER_2024 (or whatever relevant issue).
• In the submission email include the title and brief summary of your submission, plus clearly identify yourself as the author, and if appropriate, your BFS membership number, other affiliations, and any previous publications. State whether the submission for consideration is original and unpublished. Work that has been previously published in any form will not be considered.
• Articles and reviews that follow these submission guidelines will be acknowledged on receipt, although please note this is not a guarantee of inclusion, just a courtesy. Those who do not, e.g., generic blanket submissions, will be ignored. If we wish to proceed with your piece, you will receive editorial feedback within one month of the deadline for submissions. You will have 14 days to make any initial changes, then a further 14 days for any final changes. You will be asked to sign-off the proof copy before we go to press (within 5 days). Failure to act upon editorial feedback and meet this production schedule will mean your work will no longer be included, although we may consider it again if an appropriate issue occurs.
•  The editor/s reserve the right to make any changes to make the submission suitable for publication, including the removal of inappropriate language and incorrect formatting, although you will be initially requested to do this yourself.
• Usage of any submission will be in accordance with BFS policy.
• Submissions to be sent to The Editor: kmanwaring@aub.ac.uk

BFS Journal – Call for Submissions for Winter Issue 2024

Deadline: 31^st August 2024

The Fantasy Worlds of George Macdonald

The Scottish writer George Macdonald (1824-1905) was a hugely prolific author of fiction, poetry, essays, and sermons. His works include the influential Fantasy novels, Phantastes: a Faerie Romance (1858), and Lilith (1895), as well as the much-loved children’s classics, At the Back of the North Wind (1871), The Princess and the Goblin (1872), and The Princess and Curdie (1883). Admired by contemporaries such as John Ruskin and Lewis Carroll, Macdonald inspired later generations of Fantasy, in particular, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. In December 2024 we celebrate the 200^th anniversary of his birth. This special issue will explore the Fantasy writing of Macdonald, thematic connections with other writers, and his legacy.

The editor is inviting non-fiction contributions exploring Macdonald’s oeuvre, primarily his works of Fantasy. As well as critical re-examinations of the titles listed above, contributions could explore the following or similar areas:

• Christian Mysticism in Fantasy.
• Death and afterlife – eschatological and posthumous Fantasy.
• The use of Fairy Tales in the works of George Macdonald.
• Representations of the supernatural feminine.
• Celticity and ecolectical Fantasy.
• Macdonald and his connection to the writings of Arthur Machen and Charles Williams.

Also invited are scholarly reviews of contemporary (or classic) Fantasy in novels, TV, film, graphic novels, computer games, etc.

Submissions should be clearly titled as follows: SURNAME_TITLE_BFSJOURNAL_CFP DEC 24  A 200-word abstract and 100-word author bio should be included. Work needs to original, previously unpublished, and referenced using the Harvard author/date system. The editor retains the right to edit any submission, and contributors must be willing to address any editorial suggestions within good time. Publication is expected late 2024.

Deadline for submissions: 31^st August 2024    Send to: kmanwaring@aub.ac.uk