About Us
The Stinging Fly magazine was established in 1997 to seek out, publish and promote the very best new Irish and international writing. We have a particular interest in encouraging new writers, and in promoting the short story form.
Our objective
The main objective in setting up the magazine was to work towards bringing out a well-designed publication that would provide a forum for the very best new Irish and international writing. That objective has not changed.
We believe that there is a need for a magazine that, first and foremost, gives new and emerging writers an opportunity to get their work out into the world. We are particularly concerned to provide an outlet for short story writers: each issue features several short stories and we also devote entire issues to new fiction when the mood takes us.
The history
The first issue appeared in March 1998. It was edited by founding editors Aoife Kavanagh and Declan Meade, and consisted of 28 A4 pages with five short stories and about twenty poems. Aoife had the sense to get out after the first two issues, but Declan kept going and has yet to think of a better way to spend his days.
In 2000 we introduced an author interview slot to the magazine. Eabhan Ní Shúileabháin became poetry editor in September 2001. In Issue 11, published in December 2001, we incorporated book reviews for the first time. In 2004 we toyed with the idea of giving it all up, but in 2005 came shuffling back with the first issue of a new volume. We introduced a new format, established the Stinging Fly Press… and the story continues…
The Stinging Fly Press
The Stinging Fly Press imprint was launched in May 2005 with the publication of our first title, Watermark by Sean O'Reilly. The imprint is dedicated to publishing the very best new Irish literary fiction, and like the magazine, it is particularly interested in promoting the short story. In 2007 we published the Rooney Prize-winning short story collection, There Are Little Kingdoms by Kevin Barry, and in 2009, Life in The Universe by Michael J. Farrell was our next single author collection. In addition to these, we have published numerous short story collections.
The present and future: new writers, new writing
We continue to publish three issues of the magazine each year.
Over the years The Stinging Fly has published new work by a number of highly acclaimed Irish and international writers: people like Simon Armitage, Philip Casey, Emma Donoghue, Eamon Grennan, Kerry Hardie, Michael Harding, Claire Keegan, James Kelman, A.L. Kennedy, Toby Litt, Medbh McGuckian, Paula Meehan, Sinéad Morrissey, Philip Ó Ceallaigh, Dennis O’Driscoll, Keith Ridgway and C.K. Stead.
We remain convinced, however, that The Stinging Fly’s lasting contribution will be the opportunities it continues to give to new writers.