SWERVE publishes vibrant and fresh writing and visual art from Ireland in both print and digital formats. We also invite international artists and writers to contribute.

SWERVE is named in homage to VERVE, a magazine that was published in France in the first part of the 20th century. We own a copy of the last issue of VERVE to come out of Paris in 1940, at the beginning of WW2, that celebrates French culture in the face of barbarism. It is a treasured possession and was the inspiration for the format of a journal that seeks to give equal weight to the word and the visual image. Ironically, SWERVE launched as we watched in disbelief whilst war raged in Europe.

We feel that the arts are crucial in countering this spirit of destruction and nationalistic inward-looking. It is our aim to publish new and emerging writing, but another ambition is to publish works in translation. It seems essential that the arts should strive to build bridges, foster understanding, and transcend boundaries. It is our intention that future issues of SWERVE will contribute to this ethos. We hope to achieve it by emphasizing translated works by international writers and, in conjunction with powerful visual images, create an impactful experience for our readers.

SUBMISSIONS FOR SWERVE 2026 OPEN 7 MARCH UNTIL 21 MARCH (Midnight)

THANKS TO ARTS COUNCIL IRELAND WE CAN NOW PAY OUR CONTRIBUTORS:

PROSE: €100

POETRY: €50 per poem

VISUAL ART: €50 per image

PLEASE TAKE CARE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES:

POETRY

Submission format: ONE document (.doc .docx rtf only) containing submission AND short bio
Document title: Name, category e.g. MARY SMITH Poetry
Font: Times New Roman SINGLE SPACED 12 point

Unusual formats: Please send a high-res jpeg together with the word doc
Length of submission:1 - 3 poems (not exceeding four pages in total)
Short bio:100 words max (n.b. to be sent in document as above)

Send to: info@swervemagazine.org

Subject title of email: Name, category e.g. Mary Smith POETRY