Celebrating 20 Years
Literary Mama has published the work of mama writers in an open-access online journal since 2003. During the past two decades, 110 volunteers across the country and the globe have worked with almost 2,000 contributors to share their work, making mothers feel seen in all of their messy and magical glory.
Some of our amazing writers have found incredible success, like Stephanie Land and Jacinda Townsend, and we invite you to celebrate these women along with us by reading our “Where Are They Now?” blog series posts.
Speaking of celebrating, we are thrilled to be here and thriving after 20 years! Part of the festivities in 2023 include a new anthology featuring former and current Literary Mama staff. Can’t wait for the new anthology? Grab a copy of the first LM anthology, Literary Mama: Reading for the Maternally Inclined, published in 2009.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on the blog for news and special events throughout the year. Now, join us in taking a walk down memory lane with some major milestones in the history of Literary Mama and help us look forward to another 20 years of sharing the voices of mama writers.
The Impact of Literary Mama
“At the time [2006], motherhood was this little pocket of experience that we were told wasn’t for literature, and Literary Mama absolutely gave me community and permission to write about motherhood in a way that the larger writing world was not ready for at the time.”
Jill Christman
“The editing by Literary Mama is excellent and collaborative. I’d never worked with editors before and have come to love that part of the process, which always ups the quality of the piece. I am grateful for the opportunities Literary Mama provides. I always mention Literary Mama in my writing bio.”
Marianne Lonsdale
“Getting my piece in Literary Mama was an absolute thrill. I had only published one short story before that and it was picked up by an editor who knew me personally, so I always think of my piece in Literary Mama as the first piece I published.”
Shawn Nocher
The Faces of Literary Mama
Take a look at the women who serve as Literary Mama‘s current senior editors. To see all current editors, please visit the Staff page.
The Legacy of Literary Mama
Revisit the Literary Mama departments and see the collection of work from mama writers over the past 20 years. Pretty amazing stuff, isn’t it? You can help provide a sustainable future for Literary Mama by submitting your work or making a donation of any amount.
Together we can make sure Literary Mama is still going strong in another 20 years!