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The North Carolina Literary Review

The North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR), produced at East Carolina University, publishes interviews and literary criticism about North Carolina writers and high-quality poetry, fiction, drama, and creative nonfiction by North Carolina writers or set in North Carolina. Our definition of a North Carolina writer is anyone who currently lives in North Carolina, has lived in North Carolina, or uses North Carolina as subject matter.

A cross between a scholarly journal and a literary magazine, NCLR has won numerous awards and citations, including five from the Council of Editors of Learned Journals: the Best New Journal award in 1994, the Best Journal Design award in 1999 and 2010, the Parnassus Award for Significant Editorial Achievement in 2007, and the Phoenix Award for Significant Editorial Achievement in 2014.


Latest News

  • NCLR First 2024 Issue Introduces “NC Disability Literature” Feature

    NCLR First 2024 Issue Introduces “NC Disability Literature” Feature

    The first of now four issues, the Winter Online issue of North Carolina Literary Review starts the 2024 feature “North Carolina Disability Literature” with our Albright Creative Nonfiction Prize winning story “The Weight of Light” by writer and cover artist Laura Hope-Gill, along with four other stories and book reviews.  


Current Call for Submissions

  • 2025: NC LGBTQ+ Literature

    Randall Kenan. Bertha Harris. David Sedaris. Allan Gurganus. Jim Grimsley. These are just a handful of North Carolina authors who write openly and passionately about queer identities, issues, and joy. Whether explored through characters, journalism, memoir, poetry, drama, or other genres, these writers – along with other emerging or overlooked NC artists we hope to…

    2025: NC LGBTQ+ Literature

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North Carolina Literary Review
East Carolina University
Mailstop 555 English | Greenville, NC 27858-4353
NCLRstaff@ecu.edu | 252-328-1537

NCLR website redesign funded in part by a grant from the NC Arts Council.